October 2nd

EXCLUSIVE: Obama agrees to keep Israel's nukes secret ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Times by Eli Lake - October 2, 2009 - 12:00am President Obama has reaffirmed a 4-decade-old secret understanding that has allowed Israel to keep a nuclear arsenal without opening it to international inspections, three officials familiar with the understanding said. The officials, who spoke on the condition that they not be named because they were discussing private conversations, said Mr. Obama pledged to maintain the agreement when he first hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in May. » Read more

Israel vs. Human Rights ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Nation by Adam Horowitz, Philip Weiss - (Opinion) September 30, 2009 - 12:00am In his speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vigorously took up the country's latest strategy for responding to allegations of human rights abuses: kill the messenger. He denounced a recent report by the UN's Human Rights Council that had accused Israel of possible crimes against humanity during its assault on Gaza last winter, calling it a "travesty," a "farce" and a "perversion." The Hamas terrorists Israel was up against had committed acts akin in history only to the Nazi blitz of British civilians during World War II, Netanyahu asserted. » Read more

What future for Goldstone report? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times by Richard Falk - (Opinion) October 2, 2009 - 12:00am The United Nations has often been tested in the course of its history, and once again it is facing a major challenge directed at its capacity to serve the cause of peace, security and justice through respect for the rule of law. » Read more

Palestinians must honour new agreement ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News (Editorial) October 2, 2009 - 12:00am Finally, a bit of good news from the Occupied Territories. The Hamas and Fatah movements, which have, absurdly, been fighting for control of Gaza and the West Bank, seem to have agreed in principle on a reconciliation deal that could lead to a Palestinian unity government. » Read more

ISRAEL-US: Goldstone Rejects Netanyahu Remarks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Inter Press Service (IPS) by Jim Lobe - October 2, 2009 - 12:00am "For the life of me, I don't understand the reason for that [Netanyahu's assertion]," Richard Goldstone, a former South African supreme court judge who also served as chief prosecutor for war-crime tribunals on Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, told reporters at the National Press Club here. "Without some form of truth-telling, there cannot be an enduring peace," he said, citing his experiences in South Africa, as well as in the trials on Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. "Truth-telling and acknowledgement to victims can be a very important assistance to peace," he added. » Read more

Goldstone defends commission’s report ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) October 1, 2009 - 12:00am Richard Goldstone defended the report by his U.N. panel on Israel's Gaza operation last winter. At a conference Thursday at the National Press Club in Washington, Goldstone said that every possible measure was taken to ensure that the report was compiled in an even-handed and fair manner. The former South African judge maintained that the report did not look at the justifications for either side's actions but rather at the manner in which military force was applied. » Read more

Palestinians cry 'blackmail' over Israel phone service threat ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Independent by Ben Lynfield - October 2, 2009 - 12:00am Israel is threatening to kill off a crucial West Bank economic project unless the Palestinian Authority withdraws a request to the International Criminal Court to investigate alleged Israeli crimes during last winter’s Gaza war. Shalom Kital, an aide to defence minister Ehud Barak, said today that Israel will not release a share of the radio spectrum that has long been sought by the Palestinian Authority to enable the launch of a second mobile telecommunications company unless the PA drops its efforts to put Israeli soldiers and officers in the dock over the Israeli operation. » Read more

'Schalit release likely by mid 2010' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Yaakov Katz - October 2, 2009 - 12:00am A prisoner swap with Hamas for the release of St.-Sgt. Gilad Schalit will likely take place after January but before the Palestinian elections, which are to be held by June, The Jerusalem Post learned on Thursday. The scheduled release on Friday of 20 Palestinian female security prisoners in exchange for a video recording of Schalit was an indication that talks on an exchange are on a "positive track," a foreign official involved in the mediation said, but he stressed that this did not mean a swap was imminent. » Read more

PA envoy to Geneva: We'll withdraw support for Goldstone report ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Roni Sofer - October 2, 2009 - 12:00am The Palestinian envoy in Geneva, Ibrahim Khraisha, told his Israeli counterpart Aharon Leshno Yaar that the Palestinian Authority (PA) plans to announce that it will be withdrawing its support for the adoption of the Goldstone Report during the UN Human Rights Council's vote on Friday. The report accuses Israel and Hamas of war crimes during their conflict in Gaza in January, an allegation Israel condemns and claims is the result of bias against the Jewish state. » Read more

Erekat denies PA to withdraw support of Goldstone report ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Ali Waked - October 2, 2009 - 12:00am Top Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat denied on Friday reports that the Palestinian Authority has decided to withdraw its bid to adopt the Goldstone report on alleged war crimes in Gaza during Operation Cast Lead. Thursday night Israeli Ambassador o the UN in Geneva Aharon Leshno Yaar said his Palestinian counterparty told the UN body in Geneva that the Palestinian Authority plans to announced it's withdrawal at the Human Rights Council's vote on Friday. » Read more