July 2nd

Egyptian Police Injured In Gaza Border Clash
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
July 2, 2008 - 4:04pm

Palestinians clashed with Egyptian police at the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip on Wednesday when some of the Palestinians tried to force their way across, witnesses said. Dozens of Palestinians from the territory, controlled by the Islamic militant group Hamas, pelted Egyptian border police with stones, injuring at least six of them, Egyptian security and medical sources said.

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Jerusalem 'bulldozer Terrorist' Was Palestinian Father-of-two Hossam Dawiath
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Times
by Sheera Frenkel - July 2, 2008 - 4:01pm

A Palestinian construction worker at the wheel of a digger went on a rampage in central Jerusalem today, killing at least three people and injuring 45 in an act that brought terror back to the streets of Israel. Hossam Dwayyat, a 31-year-old Arab resident of East Jerusalem, wrought havoc on one of Jerusalem’s main thoroughfares, driving into oncoming traffic and leaving a trail of mangled vehicles in his wake.

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July 1st

A bulldozer attack in Jerusalem leaves three dead and 45 injured (1). Conflict ensues at the Rafah border crossing as some Palestinians attempt to force their way into Egypt (2). The Israeli government bars a UN human rights group from visiting the Palestinian territories on a recent fact-finding mission (3). Leaders from Israel, Jordan, and Palestine meet in Japan to discuss improvements to the Palestinian economy (4). Gaza prepares to receive its first cement shipment in over a year when Israel reopens its border crossings (5).

Bill Calling For Israeli Withdrawals Only By Referendum Approved In First Reading
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Amnon Meranda - July 1, 2008 - 4:02pm

A bill stating that a referendum will be held before the ceding of any land belonging to the State of Israel has been approved in its preliminary reading by the Knesset on Monday. The motion was approved with a majority of 65 MKs, and was opposed by 18. According to the bill, if the government approves the ceding of Israeli land the decision will be brought before the Knesset, and if it is approved by the Knesset, a referendum will be held within 180 days. However, should a withdrawal be supported by at least 80 MKs, the matter will not be brought to a referendum.

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Bill Banning Those Who Visit Enemy States From Knesset Duty Approved
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Amnon Meranda - July 1, 2008 - 3:57pm

The Knesset passed a bill on Monday determining that any Israeli citizen who visits enemy territory without a proper permit will not be able to serve in the Knesset for seven years.

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Assad: Peace Talks Need New Push
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Roni Sofer - July 1, 2008 - 3:54pm

Following the approval of the prisoner swap deal with Hizbullah, negotiations with Syria have undergone developments. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's envoys to Turkey, Yoram Turbowicz and Shalom Turgeman, are set to leave for the third round of indirect talks with Syria. On Monday Syrian President Bashar Assad dubbed the political climate in the Middle East "positive", and called on the EU to increase its involvement in the peace talks with Israel.

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The Truce Between Resistance And Treason
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al Hayat
by Elias Harfoush - (Opinion) July 1, 2008 - 3:52pm

The truce deal overseen by Hamas along with the Israeli side threatens to turn into divisive issue inside the Gaza Strip between Hamas and the other Palestinian factions there. The breaches committed by Al-Aqsa Brigades and the Islamic Jihad are likely to be repeated and indicate the suspicions of these factions in Hamas's intentions behind the truce.

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Denied The Right To Go Home
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News
by Zeina Emily Saman Ashrawi - (Opinion) July 1, 2008 - 3:51pm

I am Palestinian - born and raised - and my Palestinian roots go back centuries. No one can change that even if they tell me that Jerusalem, my birth place, is not Palestine, even if they tell me that Palestine doesn't exist, even if they take away all my papers and deny me entry to my own home, even if they humiliate me and take away my rights. I AM PALESTINIAN.

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John Holmes: Continued Pressure On Israel To Allow Humanitarian Good
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Kuwait News Agency (kuna)
July 1, 2008 - 3:48pm

UN Under-Secretary-General for Humaniitarian Affairs and UN Coordinator for the food crisis John Holmes said Tuesday that the policy adopted is of continued pressure on the government of Israel to allow a much freer flow of humanitarian and commercial goods in order to allow the Palestinian people to breath and bring an end to a policy that "we" have described as that of collective punishment.

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Wbank Faces Grave Water Shortages: Israeli Rights Group
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP)
July 1, 2008 - 3:45pm

The occupied West Bank faces grave water shortages largely as a result of "discriminatory" Israeli policies, an Israeli human rights group said on Tuesday. "The shortage will have serious repercussions on the economy and the health of tens of thousands of Palestinians," the B'Tselem group said in a statement.

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