July 11th

U.s. Tries To Help 3 Scholars Barred From Leaving Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Ethan Bronner - July 11, 2008 - 2:26pm

American consular officials drove from Jerusalem to the Gazan border on Thursday in an unusual effort to interview three Gazan Fulbright scholars who Israel says are too dangerous to allow into the country. Using a portable fingerprinting machine flown in from Washington for the interviews, the Americans were seeking to expedite the granting of study visas to the three scholars, despite Israeli concerns.

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July 10th

American efforts to secure travel for three Fulbright scholars out of Gaza continue (1). Palestinian Security Forces in the West Bank city of Jenin are undermined by Israeli interventions (2). The United Nations issues a report criticizing the West Bank separation barrier (5). Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad urges Palestinians to resist Israeli attempts to shut down a major business complex in the West Bank city of Nablus (6). Ceasefire violations continue on the Gaza border (8) (10).

Mostafa: Israel Is Seeking Reviving Negotiations To Buy Palestinian Gas
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from
by Atef Sa'ad - (Opinion) July 15, 2008 - 8:00pm

The managing director of the Investment Fund, Mohammaed Mostafa, has revealed yesterday that Israel is seeking to revive negotiations to buy Palestinian gas, while the Palestinian side and the British Gas company, the main developer of gas from Gaza's beaches, are being cautious in making a decision over this issue until they are certain of Israel's seriousness.

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Pa Official: We'll Freeze Talks If Settlement Building Continues
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
July 10, 2008 - 3:19pm

Palestinian negotiator Yasser Abed Rabbo said Thursday that the Palestinians were considering freezing their peace talks with Israel over Israeli construction plans for East Jerusalem. The Palestinians hope to establish the eastern sector of the city as capital of their future state, and see continued Israeli construction there as undermining that goal.

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Wanted Palestinian Shot To Death By Troops Near Jenin
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Erfat Weiss - July 10, 2008 - 3:17pm

Israeli troops continue to operate in West Bank: A wanted Palestinian man was shot to death Wednesday by IDF and Border Guard forces operating in the Jenin area. According to security forces, the man was shot after attempting to evade arrest.  Reports on A'abad's organizational affiliation were contradictory. According to intelligence information gathered in Jenin, he belonged to the Fatah's Abu-Amar Brigades, but other sources claimed he was a Hamas member.

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Leftists, Border Guard Officer Hurt During Anti-fence Rally In Naalin
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Ali Waked - July 10, 2008 - 3:15pm

At least 10 demonstrators, including five Israelis, were injured Thursday afternoon during a rally held in the town of Naalin, near the West Bank city of Ramallah, in protest of the construction of the West Bank security fence in the area.   According to the organizers, security forces used excessive force and tear gas to disperse the 400 Israeli left-wing activists, Palestinians and foreign nationals who arrived at the Palestinian village, located north of Ramallah.

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2 Qassams Land In Western Negev
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Shumlik Hadad - July 10, 2008 - 3:12pm

Two Qassam rockets were fired from northern Gaza towards Israel on Thursday afternoon, one of them landed near a kibbutz in the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council. No injuries were reported and no damage was caused.

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Israel Is At The Receiving End
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News
by George Hishmeh - July 10, 2008 - 3:10pm

Norway, in the hope of reaching a final settlement. None of these magnanimous gestures have brought the Israelis around that. Rather Israel has resorted to occupation as a key instrument in determining the final borders. In other words, grab as much as you can and then negotiate a partial withdrawal. At no point has it thought of reaching out to the Palestinians although the outlines of a settlement are crystal clear - a pull-back to the 1967 borders which would leave the Palestinians only one-fifth of their homeland.

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Israeli Pm’s Party Views September Leadership Vote
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP)
by Ron Bousso - July 10, 2008 - 3:08pm

JERUSALEM (AFP) Israel's ruling party was expected on Thursday to set a mid-September date for a leadership election under a deal reached to quell a crisis over the latest graft scandal to embroil Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The embattled premier was also facing a third police questioning on Friday over suspicions he had unlawfully accepted large sums of cash stuffed in envelopes from a US businessman before becoming premier in 2006.

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Officials Meet Fulbright Scholars At Gaza Border
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
by Karin Laub - July 10, 2008 - 3:07pm

EREZ CROSSING, Gaza Strip—U.S. officials traveled to the Gaza border Thursday, going to unusual lengths to process the visa applications of three Palestinians who nearly lost their Fulbright scholarships because they couldn\'t leave the Gaza Strip.

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