December 18th

Opening up the peace process ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Petra Marquardt-Bigman - (Opinion) December 17, 2009 - 1:00am In recent months, veteran Middle East experts such as Hussein Agha and Robert Malley or Aaron David Miller have done a good job explaining why peace between Israelis and Palestinians is likely a long way off. But it seems that the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, begs to differ: Haaretz reported that Abbas declared negotiations could be completed "within six months" if Israel halted all settlement construction. » Read more

Yesh Din: Ofra uses dogs to keep Palestinians off their own farmland ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Dan Izenberg - December 17, 2009 - 1:00am Settlers in Ofra are using attack dogs to keep Palestinians from cultivating land they own near the settlement, the human rights organization Yesh Din charged in a petition filed in the High Court of Justice earlier this week. Yesh Din attorneys Michael Sfard, Shlomi Zachary and Avisar Lev filed the petition on behalf of the head of the Silwad village council, Nael Hamad, and three village residents. » Read more

Gazans fire at Egyptian workers in Rafah ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Roee Nahmias - December 17, 2009 - 1:00am Palestinian gunmen opened fire on a number of different occasions in recent days at Egyptian construction workers building a steel fence meant to separate Egypt from the Gaza Strip, Egyptian media reported on Thursday. According to reports, the shootings took place near Rafah crossing and led to the temporary suspension of works. There were no reports of injuries in the incidents, and Egypt has increased its forces along the border. » Read more

UN official: Settlement freeze falls short ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press December 17, 2009 - 1:00am The situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate as neither Israel nor the Palestinians do enough to obtain peace, a senior UN official told the UN Security Council on Thursday. Robert Serry, the UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, said Israel's announced 10-month suspension of settlement activity fell short of its commitments under the 2003 Road Map peace plan. He called on Palestinians to resume negotiations with Israel, which were suspended after military operations against Hamas left the Gaza strip in a state of calamity » Read more

Report: Israel to notify Egypt on Shalit deal decision within 2 days ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Roee Nahmias - December 18, 2009 - 1:00am By Sunday Israel will notify Egypt of its decision regarding the release of 50 "heavy" prisoners that Hamas is unwilling to forego in exchange for captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, sources close to the prisoner swap negotiations were quoted by London-based newspaper al-Quds al-Arabi. According to the report, published Friday, Israel has opposed the release of these prisoners thus far. The sources said that Israel's decision will determine whether the swap deal will succeed or fail. » Read more

A basis for talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Editorial) December 18, 2009 - 1:00am Israel has a supreme interest in achieving a peace agreement that would lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state, delineate a border between the states and put an end to the mutual demands. Former prime minister Ehud Olmert's proposal for a final-status arrangement with the Palestinians, the details of which were revealed by Aluf Benn in Haaretz yesterday, can and should serve as a basis for resuming negotiations. There is no point in returning to "point zero" in the talks and ignoring previous offers and understandings. » Read more

Lieberman: We will be building again in 10 months ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency December 18, 2009 - 1:00am Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Thursday that the 10-month settlement freeze was simply a tactical move and not a real effort to stop settlement growth, Israeli media sources reported Friday. "It is clear to everyone that in 10 months, we will be building again [in] full force; anyone who understands anything knows this," he told gathered settlers at a meeting in the West Bank settlement town of Ariel as quoted in the Israeli daily Haaretz. » Read more

Abbas: Israel wants to expel Palestinians from Jerusalem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency December 17, 2009 - 1:00am Israel is attempting to expel Palestinians from East Jerusalem, President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday evening. Speaking at the closing event of the Al-Quds Capital of Arab Culture festival in Nablus, Abbas said, “Jerusalem is suffering an unprecedented settlement attack aimed at eliminating its identity, separating it from its surroundings and suffocating every activity in order to achieve one goal, which is expulsion, and this will not be allowed to happen.” “There is no Palestine without Jerusalem no one will accept this. Without Jerusalem there will be no peace,” he also said. » Read more

Israeli forces report coming under fire in Hebron ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency December 18, 2009 - 1:00am Palestinians opened fire at Israeli forces at the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron early Friday morning, an Israeli military spokesperson said. the troops were performing what was described as "a routine deployment" near the holy site when Palestinians opened fire, the spokesperson added. Other sources said a Palestinian car approached the group and fired three bullets, adding that the troops exchanged fire. The spokesperson did not comment on the exchange of fire. No one was injured in the incident, according to sources, and the car fled the scene.

Middle East peace efforts face race against time, UN envoy warns ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua December 17, 2009 - 1:00am Efforts to forge a Middle East peace are "in a race against time" with both sides needing to do more -- Israel by fulfilling its commitments, including a settlement freeze, under an internationally endorsed plan for a two-State solution, and the Palestinians by resuming negotiations, a senior United Nations official warned here on Thursday. » Read more