May 30th

Israeli Forces Shutdown Sopha Passage South Of Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Kuwait News Agency (kuna)
May 30, 2008 - 5:12pm

Israeli forces shutdown Sopha passage in south of Gaza Strip on Friday. Palestinian sources said Israel shut down the passage which was supposed to be open today for food supplies to enter Gaza. Israeli forces claimed the closure was called for due to security concerns. Earlier, Hamas Movement called for a peaceful protest after Friday prayer in response to imposed sanctions on Gaza strip. The protest comes one week after a similar protest at Al-Manthar passage east of Gaza where Israeli fire killed one Palestinian and injured 17 others.

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Moving Now To A Discussion Of Palestine's Borders Is A Mistake
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
by Nabeel Kassis - (Commentary) May 30, 2008 - 5:11pm

The Oslo Declaration of Principles of September 13, 1993, left several issues - Jerusalem, refugees, settlements, security arrangements, borders, relations and cooperation with other neighbors and other issues of common interest - for later negotiations that would determine permanent status.

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Israel Destroyed 200 West Bank Buildings
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP)
May 30, 2008 - 5:07pm

Israel demolished 208 buildings in the occupied West Bank last year, a UN agency said on Friday, adding that the Defence Ministry corrected its previous figure of 107. Most of the houses were torn down under demolition orders issued because there were no construction permits, which Israeli authorities only seldom grant to Palestinians. The buildings are located in the so-called Area C, which makes up more than 60 percent of the West Bank and is under full Israeli control.

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Israel Uses Gunfire To Repel Hamas Border Rally
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
May 30, 2008 - 5:06pm

Israeli troops used gunfire and teargas on Friday to keep more than 3,000 Hamas supporters from approaching one of the Gaza Strip's main border crossings with Israel, wounding at least six Palestinians, witnesses said. At least two of the wounded were in a critical condition, Palestinian medical workers said.

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Usc, Ucla Professors Work On Israeli-palestinian Archaeological Pact
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Ashraf Khalil - May 30, 2008 - 5:04pm

A pair of archaeology professors from crosstown rivals USC and UCLA are working together to help bring harmony to a small corner of the lengthy conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. For five years, Lynn Dodd of USC and Ran Boytner of UCLA have sought to come up with a plan for handling the rich archaeological heritage of the Holy Land should a binding peace deal be reached for the creation of a Palestinian state.

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U.s. Withdraws Fulbright Grants To Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Ethan Bronner - May 30, 2008 - 4:56pm

The American State Department has withdrawn all Fulbright grants to Palestinian students in Gaza hoping to pursue advanced degrees at American institutions this fall because Israel has not granted them permission to leave. Israel has isolated this coastal strip, which is run by the militant group Hamas. Given that policy, the United States Consulate in Jerusalem said the grant money had been “redirected” to students elsewhere out of concern that it would go to waste if the Palestinian students were forced to remain in Gaza.

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May 29th

The New York Times examines the State Department’s recent withdrawal of all Fulbright grants to Palestinian students (1). An opinion piece in the Daily Star suggests that any talk of border negotiations is premature while larger issues of cooperation and security remain unsolved (5). Israel closes a key food transport passage into Gaza (6). Violence continues in Gaza and the West Bank (3) (7) (8) (9). Israel’s Kadima party prepares for Olmert’s possible resignation and anticipates the future of their party (10).

After Olmert
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
(Editorial) May 29, 2008 - 9:42pm

Ehud Olmert's term as prime minister, which began with Ariel Sharon's coma, is about to end with Morris Talansky's testimony. It is possible that, as in the first chapter in which Olmert served as acting prime minister until the elections, the last chapter will be a twilight zone in which his seat is vacated in fact but not in theory - due to a vacation or temporary incapacitation. But the terminology is not important. The substance is that Olmert can no longer stand at the helm of Israel's government.

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The Palestine Investment Conference
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Israel Policy Forum
by Sadie Goldman With Jason Proetorius And Ipf Staff - (Opinion) May 29, 2008 - 9:42pm

Perhaps the greatest achievement of last week’s Palestine Investment Conference was not the announcement that $1.4 billion would be invested in the West Bank and Gaza or that 35,000 new jobs would be created, but the fact that the conference was held in the first place.

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Fayyad Addresses Graduation Ceremony Of 2nd Battalion In Jericho
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-hayaht Al-jadidah
by Imad Abu-sumbul - May 29, 2008 - 9:40pm

Fayyad, Other Officials Participate in Graduation Ceremony of Second Special Battalion of National Security Forces Following Training in Jordan; Jericho--Prime Minister Dr Salam Fayyad conveyed the greetings and blessings of President Mahmud Abbas, the commander in chief of the Palestinian security forces, to his sons the members of the National Security Forces and the graduates from the second special battalion of the Palestinian National Security Forces, who received training in fraternal Jordan at the graduation ceremony in Jericho.

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