June 10th

Cabinet Ministers: Large-scale Gaza Op Needed
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Roni Sofer - June 10, 2008 - 5:00pm

  "Israel must launch a large-scale operation in Gaza against Hamas and the rest of the terror organizations," Housing Minister Ze'ev Boim said prior to Tuesday's cabinet meeting, "everyone understands that any ceasefire would only be temporary. Hamas is under pressure. The blockade did its job." According to Boim , any truce agreement would only serve Hamas' interests and give it time to regroup.

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Gaza Decision In Days
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Alex Fishman - (Opinion) June 10, 2008 - 4:56pm

  “The sand in the hourglass is running out,” Defense Minister Ehud Barak promised Thursday in a meeting with municipal leaders in the Gaza region.

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Abbas Retakes Lead In Palestinian Poll
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Itamar Sharon - June 10, 2008 - 4:53pm

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has received a boost in popularity in light of his recent efforts to reconcile with Hamas, while the terror organization's standing with the Palestinian public has declined, a poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) shows.

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Chances For A Ceasefire Are Minimal
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons
by Ghassan Khatib - (Opinion) June 10, 2008 - 4:51pm

Egyptian efforts to secure a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in Gaza are continuing, but the different parties' interests and their definition of what a ceasefire should constitute are throwing obstacles in the way.

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Israel Strike Kills 3 Gaza Militants Firing Mortar
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
by Matti Friedman - June 10, 2008 - 4:49pm

An Israeli airstrike killed three Palestinians firing mortars at southern Israel on Tuesday, while Israel's leaders debated whether to pursue a truce with Gaza's Hamas rulers or launch a broad military offensive against militants in the coastal strip. In a related development, the father of an Israeli soldier held captive in Gaza by Hamas said his son pleaded for his life and appealed to the government not to abandon him in a newly received letter.

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People Vs. Dinosaurs
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Thomas L. Friedman - (Opinion) June 10, 2008 - 4:45pm

Question: What do America’s premier investor, Warren Buffett, and Iran’s toxic president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, have in common? Answer: They’ve both made a bet about Israel’s future. Ahmadinejad declared on Monday that Israel “has reached its final phase and will soon be wiped out from the geographic scene.”

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June 9th

New York Times columnist Tom Friedman argues that Israel is here to stay (1). More violence takes place between Israeli and Palestinians in Gaza (2,10). Speculation continues to grow about a large Israeli operation in Gaza (3, 5,6, 8, 11). Palestinians complain about missing tax revenues (12). Y Net reports that Likud may move to dissolve the Knesset next week (7).

Defense Sources: Talk Of Major Idf Operation In Gaza Premature
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Amoss Harel - June 9, 2008 - 4:36pm

Despite stern warning from Israeli officials about an impending massive operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the big invasion is less certain and imminent than how it is painted in the media, according to defense and military sources. The sources told Haaretz on Saturday that negotiations on a cease-fire will continue for the next two weeks with Hamas, barring Israeli casualties from Qassam rockets. Only after that period, the sources said, will the government formulate and decide on its next moves vis-a-vis the Islamist organization.

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Gaza Op Likely Before J'lem Signs Truce
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Yaakov Katz, Herb Keinon - June 9, 2008 - 4:34pm

In response to the recent string of fatal Hamas rocket attacks, Israel is likely to conduct a medium-size military operation against the Islamist group before agreeing to a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, senior defense officials told The Jerusalem Post on Saturday. A final decision on Israel's course will be made on Tuesday during a meeting between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. Barak, officials said, favored first striking at Hamas and only then agreeing to a truce.

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Palestinian Public Opinion Poll No. 28
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Palestinian Center For Policy And Survey Research
June 9, 2008 - 4:30pm

These are the results of the latest poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip between 5 and 7 June 2008. This period witnessed the declaration by the President of the Palestinian Authority (PA) Mahmud Abbas of his desire to renew dialogue with Hamas. It also witnessed continued closure of the Rafah border crossing despite Hamas’s attempt to open it.

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