Blair praises Israeli gestures to PA ATFP World Press Roundup Article from United Press International (UPI) July 14, 2009 - 12:00am Recent steps taken by Israel to improve the quality of life for Palestinians are not getting enough credit, Mideast envoy Tony Blair said. Blair made the statements at a meeting with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Silvan Shalom, minister of Regional Development in Jerusalem, Monday evening, Maariv said Tuesday. Blair praised the recent removal of West Bank checkpoints and roadblocks by Israel and recent steps taken to boost the Palestinian economy, the paper said. » Read more

Trading a settlement freeze for action on Iran, Arab ties ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Leslie Susser - (Analysis) July 13, 2009 - 12:00am The fact that Israel and the United States have yet to reach an agreement on Jewish settlement growth in the West Bank is as much a question of wider Middle East concerns as about the settlement issue itself. » Read more

West Bank fence not done and never will be, it seems ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amos Harel - July 14, 2009 - 12:00am Seven years after construction work began on the West Bank separation fence, the project seems to have run aground. Work has slowed significantly since September 2007, and today, after the state has spent about NIS 9.5 billion, only about 60 percent of the more limited, revised route has been completed. » Read more

IDF thinks Israelis fabricated stone throwing incident ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Erfat Weiss - July 14, 2009 - 12:00am Three Israelis were wounded in car accident in the West Bank Monday night. One sustained serious injuries and the other two were lightly wounded. The men told security forces Palestinians in the village of Kifl Hares near the town of Ariel pelted their car with stones, but the police believe they were lying, because no signs of violence were found on their vehicle. » Read more

Phase I of Beit Ur Al Tahta Project Complete ATFP World Press Roundup Article from American Charities for Palestine July 14, 2009 - 12:00am American Charities for Palestine (ACP) is pleased to announce the completion of phase one of a joint infrastructure project in the West Bank village of Beit Ur al Tahta. CHF International is implementing the construction work in the area, which includes sidewalk and road electrification projects funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in partnership with ACP and funding from the Sheikh Mohammed Shami Foundation. USAID provided $250,000 through the Emergency Jobs Program (EJP) to the project. » Read more