June 3rd

Hizb Ut-tahrir And The Fantasy Of The Caliphate
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Le Monde Diplomatique
by Jean-pierre Filiu - June 3, 2008 - 5:02pm

The Islamist movement Hizb ut-Tahrir has revived by tapping energy among Europe’s immigrant communities and appealing to Muslims on the edge of Asia, and to Palestinians. But it is a marginal international grouping; could it retain its appeal if it engaged directly in politics or if its demands were actually met? Ten thousand Palestinians demonstrated in the streets of Ramallah last August, calling for "a return to the caliphate".

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Can Barack Obama Be A Friend Of Israel If He Talks To Iran?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Times
by Tom Baldwin - June 3, 2008 - 4:58pm

Barack Obama will seek to assuage fears tomorrow about his foreign policy by addressing America’s powerful Jewish lobby — where John McCain yesterday hammered home a warning that his likely Democratic opponent threatened Israel’s security.

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Israel Court Condemns Student Ban
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bbc News
June 3, 2008 - 4:54pm

The Israeli Supreme Court has called on the government to reconsider its almost total ban on Palestinian students leaving the Gaza Strip to study abroad. The court said the policy was harming prospects for future coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians. This follows the reinstatement by the US state department of Fulbright grants to seven Palestinians in Gaza. The scholarships had been withdrawn because Israel would not provided exit permits to the students.

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June 2nd

The recent issue of revoked Fulbright Grants prompts the Israeli Supreme Court to weigh in on the mobility of Palestinian students in Gaza (1). Two articles assess the Middle East policies of the potential U.S. Presidential candidates (2) (4). Three new Palestinian operated police stations are slated to open in the West Bank (5). An ATFP translation of an article in Al-Ayyam Daily looks at the potential political fallout from Ehud Olmert’s corruption scandal (9). A Palestinian pharmaceutical company gets approval to export drugs into the EU (10).

Olmert, Abbas Make Progress On Permanent Borders
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Roni Sofer - June 2, 2008 - 4:21pm

 Just hours before leaving for Washington Israeli PM meets Palestinian leader meet in Jerusalem, reiterate commitment to reaching peace deal by end of 2008. Sources say Palestinians complained against continued settlement construction

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Abbas Says To Discuss Settlement, Prisoners Issues With Olmert
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Kuwait News Agency (kuna)
June 2, 2008 - 4:17pm

President Mahmoud Abbas announced on Monday that he would present during a meeting Friday with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert issues of settlements in the West Bank and specifically in the city of Jerusalem and the issue of prisoners. The President added during a press conference held with German Foreign Minister Frank Steinmeier in the presidential headquarters in Ramallah that the Palestinian National Authority can not accept such actions by the Israeli government which will be an obstacle to peace.

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Hizbollah Releases Israeli Soldiers' Remains In Return For Prisoner
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
by Reuters - June 2, 2008 - 4:13pm

Hizbollah said on Sunday it had released the remains of Israeli soldiers killed in a 2006 war with Israel, which handed over a Lebanese man who had completed a jail term on charges of spying for the group. The exchange increased speculation of progress in indirect talks over a broader prisoner swap. Lebanese political sources said last Monday that the talks had made major progress.

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Olmert Stalls Talks With Hamas
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News
by Mohammed Mar’i - June 2, 2008 - 4:10pm

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert yesterday delayed a key Cabinet decision on an Egyptian-mediated truce with the Hamas in and around the Gaza Strip. “This is an issue that has to go through the security Cabinet,” Olmert was quoted as saying by a senior official. “This is a serious and weighty issue with far-reaching consequences.” The premier delayed the planned yesterday departure to Cairo of senior Defense Ministry official Amos Gilad, who represents Israel in the indirect talks.

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Ehud Olmert Under Fire As Israeli Police Travel To Us To Gather More Evidence In Bribery Case
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Telegraph
June 2, 2008 - 4:06pm

 

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Israeli Bodies Exchanged For Hezbollah Spy
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Times
by James Hider - June 2, 2008 - 4:02pm

A macabre exchange took place on the Israeli-Lebanese border yesterday: a box of body parts from Israeli soldiers killed in the 2006 war was ferried over by the Red Cross, while the Israelis handed over a man convicted of spying for Hezbollah. Both sides insisted their decisions had been unilateral, not co-ordinated, but the transfer raised speculation of more deals. Hezbollah said it was confident that more operatives would be released, possibly in return for two Israeli soldiers it captured in 2006.

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