July 8th

US, Israel looking for a way to resolve settlements dispute
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
by Joshua Mitnick - July 6, 2009 - 12:00am

A new round of Israel-US talks in London failed to defuse the standoff over Jewish settlement expansion in the West Bank, though analysts and aides say the two sides are looking for a face-saving compromise for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to yield on continued growth. After a three-hour meeting with Middle East Envoy George Mitchell, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak reported progress but added, "there's still a way to go," Ha'aretz reported on its website.

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The left went to the beach
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Aluf Benn - (Opinion) July 8, 2009 - 12:00am

A huge omission lies in the American demand that Israel freeze construction in the settlements. President Barack Obama and his aides failed to stir an internal Israeli debate on the settlements and did not pose a political or public challenge to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding his insistence that "natural growth" be allowed beyond the Green Line.

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Livni: Netanyahu support for two-state solution is hypocrisy
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
July 8, 2009 - 12:00am

Kadima Party chair Tzipi Livni on Wednesday criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's performance in his first 100 days in office, calling his new-found support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict "the height of hypocrisy." Speaking in an interview to Army Radio, the opposition leader accused Likud members of continuing to attack Kadima over its support for a two-state solution, but said that the government changed its position due to pressure from the United States.

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Obama will not give in
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Mickey Bergman - (Opinion) July 8, 2009 - 12:00am

President Obama will not give in to Israel when it comes to settlements. Both he, Secretary Clinton and Special Envoy Mitchell have made it abundantly clear: “not one more brick.” Israel’s refusal of this demand could potentially lead to a level of tensions between Washington and Jerusalem that we have not seen in a long while. Israel should propose an alternative that will not only make the administration happy, but will also make real progress toward ending the Israeli-Arab conflict.

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UN Gaza inquiry wraps up hearings
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News
July 8, 2009 - 12:00am

A UN war crimes investigator has said testimonies about the recent conflict in Gaza have been "difficult to hear" as four days of public hearings ended. Richard Goldstone said his four member team had been shaken by the extent of the destruction in Gaza. Witnesses from Gaza, Israel and the West Bank gave testimony in public hearings in Gaza and Geneva. Israel has refused to co-operate, accusing the UN Human Rights Council of bias against it.

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'Law must thwart' Israeli barrier
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News
July 8, 2009 - 12:00am

The campaign marks five years since an International Court of Justice advisory opinion found its construction was illegal and it should be dismantled. Since then, Oxfam says, the view of the "most distinguished international legal body has been met by inaction". Israel says the barrier for security; Palestinians view it as a land grab. In the report, entitled Five Years of Illegality, Oxfam details the situations of 13 Palestinian communities affected by the barrier and its associated security system of gates, buffer zones and passes.

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July 7th

The Christian Science Monitor looks at the economic boom in the West Bank town of Nablus, after Israel relaxes surrounding checkpoints (1). BBC News interviews three Gaza residents about their views on Hamas (2). Israel has reportedly released former U.S. congresswoman, Cynthia McKinney, after detaining her and other activists on board a ship attempting to break the Gaza blockade (4). Israeli Defense Minister reports that progress was made in his second round of talks with Special Mideast Envoy George Mitchell (5) (12). A new poll shows that 61% of Israelis support Prime Minister Netanyahu’s policy of allowing “natural growth” in settlements (11).

Why Israel won't evacuate West Bank outposts
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Amos Harel - (Analysis) July 7, 2009 - 12:00am

If George Mitchell, America's special envoy to the Middle East, wants an advance estimate on the reliability of Israeli promises to evacuate outposts, he may find the High Court of Justice discussion on the outpost of Migron helpful. The state's request to be granted another year-long extension before having to evacuate the outpost by law offers a sad glimpse into the situation, and reveals the gaps between the official declarations of the Netanyahu administration and the actual law enforcement in the territories.

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The Arabs' blanket rejection of Netanyahu's speech is short-sighted
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
by Abdel-Moneim Said - (Opinion) July 7, 2009 - 12:00am

US President Barack Obama's speech at Cairo University triggered a host of repercussions. Perhaps the most salient is that it compelled the Israeli government to declare its position, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did in his speech at Bar-Ilan University on June 14. The Netanyahu speech, in turn, triggered two general responses. Whereas the United States and the European Union welcomed the speech, the Arabs rejected it, with some Arab media insisting it had effectively sounded a death knell for the negotiating process.

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What demographic problem?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Yair Lapid - (Opinion) July 7, 2009 - 12:00am

At times, we need to stop and rethink everything. Our entire history is made up of people who were sure they knew the truth, yet forgot that the truth has an annoying tendency to change on occasion without us noticing it.

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