September 18th

Water shortage cripples Palestinian farming
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Mohammed Assadi - September 17, 2008 - 8:00pm

In the plains around the village of Bardala, the Israeli-Palestinian tug-of-war over land and water plays itself out in vivid colour -- largely brown Palestinian farms border green fields owned by Jewish settlers. Israel and the occupied West Bank have both been hit hard by drought, but Palestinian farmers say Israeli restrictions on their water supplies have made conditions far worse for them than for farmers in nearby Jewish settlements.

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Israelis and Egyptians meet on Hamas prisoner swap
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
September 17, 2008 - 8:00pm

Israeli defense officials say senior negotiator Ofer Dekel has met Egyptian officials in Cairo in an effort to achieve movement on a proposed prisoner swap with Hamas. Dekel is the Israeli official in charge of efforts to free Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit, who was captured by Gaza militants two years ago. Hamas wants Israel to release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Schalit. The Israeli officials would not say who Dekel met during his trip to Cairo Wednesday or what was the outcome of the meeting.

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Condoleezza Rice, Hillary Clinton congratulate Livni on Kadima victory
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Barak Ravid - September 17, 2008 - 8:00pm

A day after Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni won the Kadima Party leadership primary, the foreign ministry was bombarded with congratulatory phone calls and letters from around the globe. One of the first to congratulate the newly elected chairwoman of the ruling party was U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, with whom Livni had developed a close relationship in recent joint diplomatic efforts with the Palestinians. Another prominent politician to call Livni was U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton, who also offered her congratulations.

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Israel's forgotten hero: The assassination of Count Bernadotte - and the death of peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Independent
by Donald MacIntyre - September 17, 2008 - 8:00pm

Sitting in the back seat, the blue-blooded Swedish aristocrat and the decorated French hero of two world wars had begun to relax from the tension of the journey as the big Chrysler, the last of a three-car convoy, started its final ascent up the narrow road through the now Jewish-occupied district of Katamon, towards Rehavia and the house of the Jerusalem military governor.

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Q&A: Israeli leadership change
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News
September 17, 2008 - 8:00pm

srael may have a new prime minister within weeks. Scandal-hit PM Ehud Olmert is due to step down after his Kadima party elected a new leader, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, and a general election is possible in the coming months. BBC News looks at the political process, likely scenarios, and the potential new leaders. Why is Mr Olmert stepping down as prime minister?

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Tough road ahead for Livni
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News
by Jeremy Bowen - September 17, 2008 - 8:00pm

In the end, only a few hundred votes separated Tzipi Livni and Shaul Mofaz. But Ms Livni has won, and now she gets the chance to form a government. The day before the vote, one of her strategists, full of confidence, sat back and predicted that if it was going to be a big victory, he would know by 1730 on the afternoon of polling day. But the winning margin was narrow, and Ms Livni's camp had to wait until the middle of the night to be sure they had it.

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Livni begins new government talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News
September 17, 2008 - 8:00pm

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is beginning the task of putting together a new government after her election as leader of the ruling Kadima party. She has 42 days to form a coalition and replace Ehud Olmert as prime minister. The leadership vote was called after Mr Olmert, who will remain as caretaker prime minister, announced he would step down to fight corruption allegations. Ms Livni narrowly beat Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz by just 431 votes, or 1.1%, in Wednesday's primary.

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September 17th

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni claims victory as the Kadima Party successor to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (1). The World Bank warns that Israeli restrictions are severely hampering the growth of the Palestinian economy and leaving it largely dependent on foreign aid (2). An op-ed by Jonathon Freedland in The Guardian discusses the prospects for a future two-state solution (3). Israel lifts restrictions on the town of Nablus that had barred Israeli Arabs from shopping in the town (4). Jordan and Kuwait renew their support for the Palestinian Authority (7).

IDF rejects bid to up charges in case of prisoner shot in leg at Na'alin protest
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Yuval Azoulay, Tomer Zarchin - September 16, 2008 - 8:00pm

The IDF's Military Advocate General has rejected the demand to increase the charges against the former commander of the 71st battalion, Lt. Col. Omri Burberg, who was filmed in June holding a bound and blindfolded Palestinian prisoner and ordering one of his soldiers to fire a rubber bullet at the prisoner's leg.

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Settlers face down IDF, prevent evacuation of West Bank outpost
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Yuval Azoulay, Nadav Shragai - September 16, 2008 - 8:00pm

The Israel Defense Forces backed off of a planned evacuation of an illegal West Bank outpost after a throng of settlers who learned of the plan gathered at the site before dawn on Wednesday. The security forces had amassed a considerable number of personnel who were ready to evacuate the outpost of Yad Yair, west of the settlement of Binyamin. Senior IDF officials have held contacts with settler leaders in an effort to coordinate an agreed upon relocation of the outpost closer to the settlement of Dolev.

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