July 22nd

Palestinian Bulldozer Driver Shot Dead In Jerusalem Copycat Attack ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) July 22, 2008 - 4:50pm A Palestinian man was shot dead after going on a bulldozer rampage in Jerusalem on Tuesday, wounding at least 16 people as he ploughed into cars in the second such attack this month. Jerusalem police chief Aharon Franco said the assailant, identified as a man from occupied east Jerusalem, rammed his vehicle into a bus near the King David Hotel, failing to overturn it, but smashing its windows. "The bulldozer then rammed five cars and damaged them. A civilian tried to stop him when a border guard arrived and neutralised him." » Read more

Arabs Are Not Always The Victims! ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-ayyam July 22, 2008 - 4:36pm  Have the Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the Israelis in the West Bank and Gaza, committed crimes that are punishable under international law? Yes. And does the lack of indictments against American and Israeli officials for their war crimes by the International Criminal Court detract from its right to indict Sudanese officials for committing war crimes in Darfur? No. » Read more

July 21st

Obama To Land Here Tuesday For Meetings With Israeli And Palestinian Leaders ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - July 21, 2008 - 4:12pm U.S. Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama is scheduled to land in Israel tomorrow for a visit, which will include meetings with Israeli and Palestinian officials in Jerusalem and the West Bank. Obama is scheduled to dine with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert tomorrow, and will later visit the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem. Over dinner, the prime minister plans to discuss Israel's military intelligence on the Iranian nuclear program and stress the importance of maintaining diplomatic pressure on Tehran. » Read more

Report: Israel Willing To Free Marwan Barghouti For Shalit ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amoss Harel, Barak Ravid - July 21, 2008 - 4:10pm A Gulf newspaper reported Monday that Israel is willing to include jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti in a list of 300 Palestinian prisoners to be freed in exchange for abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. » Read more

What What Will Obama Look For In Jerusalem (and Ramallah)? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Shmuel Rosner - (Blog) July 21, 2008 - 4:07pm It's hard to really know what Senator Barack Obama wanted to achieve when he spoke last month at the America Israel Public Affairs Committee annual conference. » Read more

Israel To Free Barguit For Shalit ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Roee Nahmias - July 21, 2008 - 4:03pm  Israel has agreed in principle to release Marwan Barguti and a number of prominent Hamas leaders from prison – diplomatic sources were quoted as saying in Monday's 'Al-Bayan' newspaper, based in the United Arab Emirates. According to the report, Israel will free Barguti, Fatah's former secretary-general in the West Bank, and the Hamas officials as part of the burgeoning exchange deal with the Islamist Hamas group in return for captive IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. » Read more

Abbas Blasts Israel Over Annapolis ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Kuwait News Agency (kuna) July 21, 2008 - 3:53pm BETHLEHEM, July 20 (KUNA) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday voiced concern over Israeli failure to meet the principles of the US Annapolis peace conference, mainly settlement suspension. Abbas was speaking at a joint news conference with visiting Prime Minister Gordon Brown in Bethlehem. He added that Israel had not yet responded to the Arab peace initiative, which envisions just and total peace between Israel and the Arab world and a viable Palestinian state. » Read more

Israel Army Arrests 30 Palestinians In Nablus ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Kuwait News Agency (kuna) July 21, 2008 - 3:50pm RAMALLAH, July 21 (KUNA) -- The Israeli Army arrested, Sunday, around twenty Palestinians in Nablus City and its refugee camps. Security sources in the city said Hamas movement MP Mona Mansour was arrested after her house was besieged in Balatah Camp, east Nablus. A number of businessmen, owners of currency exchange shops, and workers at commercial establishments were also arrested, along with 8 university students who were arrested after their dorms at Al Najah University were raided. » Read more

Israeli Forces Detain Hamas Lawmaker, Businessmen ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Dan Williams - July 21, 2008 - 3:47pm NABLUS, West Bank (Reuters) - Israeli forces detained a Hamas woman lawmaker on Monday along with 14 managers of a West Bank business venture that Israel accuses of having links to the Islamist faction, Palestinian officials said. The detentions in Nablus looked likely to stoke tensions between Israel and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is trying to advance his own law-and-order drive in the city and elsewhere in the West Bank since breaking with Hamas last year. » Read more

British Leader Presses Israel To Halt Settlements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Mohammed Daraghmeh - July 21, 2008 - 3:45pm BETHLEHEM, West Bank - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown demanded yesterday that Israel cease settlement construction and promised more money to jump-start the battered Palestinian economy. In his first trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories as Britain's leader, Brown repeatedly stressed that economics are key to Mideast peace, and said Israel should ease travel restrictions in the West Bank that have hindered commerce. » Read more