July 1st

How hard will Obama press Israel on settlements? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from McClatchy News by Cliff Churgin - (Opinion) July 1, 2009 - 12:00am The unresolved dispute between the United States and Israel over Israel's refusal to halt building Jewish homes in the predominantly Palestinian West Bank has created a pivotal dilemma for President Barack Obama: How hard should he push one of America's most important allies in the Middle East? So far, Obama has limited his pressure to calculated public comments, calling Israeli settlement construction illegitimate and a roadblock to a lasting peace agreement with the Palestinians that would include a Palestinian state. » Read more

As Violence Subsides, Concrete Pours in West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Voice of America by Luis Ramirez - July 1, 2009 - 12:00am Israel has said it wants to boost the economy of the Palestinian territories as a way to bring peace. The Israeli leadership has not implemented any specific plan to improve economic conditions, yet the territories are experiencing a marked economic upturn as a halt in violence leads to increased trade and investment. West Bank's economy » Read more

Israelis intercept Gaza aid ship ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News June 30, 2009 - 12:00am Israeli forces have boarded a ship trying to carry aid and pro-Palestinian activists to the Gaza Strip in defiance of Israel's blockade of the territory. The 20 passengers include former US congresswoman Cynthia McKinney and Nobel Prize winner Mairead Maguire. The activists also include some Britons, campaigners said. Ms McKinney described it as "an outrageous violation of international law", as the boat was on a humanitarian mission and was not in Israeli waters. The Israeli military said the boat was trying to enter Gaza illegally. » Read more

No change in Jerusalem, yet ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Mick Dumper - (Analysis) July 1, 2009 - 12:00am Something is moving in the Middle East but it has not yet arrived in Jerusalem. A new chess game has started in the region: the US ambassador is returning to Damascus, the Hamas leader, Khaled Meshaal, made a speech welcoming the new tone set by Barack Obama in his speech in Cairo, there are leaks of an imminent deal between the Israelis, Egyptians and Hamas over a prisoner exchange and pressure is being brought to bear on Fatah and Hamas to reconcile so that credible negotiations for a Palestinian state can begin. » Read more

Barak, U.S. Envoy Discuss Settlements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Glenn Kessler - July 1, 2009 - 12:00am Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak huddled for four hours yesterday with former senator George J. Mitchell, the Obama administration's special envoy for Middle East peace, seeking to resolve an impasse between their two governments over the expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. » Read more

'No commitment to settlement freeze' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Herb Keinon, Hilary Leila Krieger - July 1, 2009 - 12:00am Israel is considering what it can do to enable a full-fledged Mideast peace process and Palestinian-Israeli negotiations to take off, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Tuesday after talks with US Mideast envoy George Mitchell in New York. But after the four-hour meeting, Barak would not commit to a temporary settlement freeze. Asked whether Israel would agree to a freeze of perhaps three to six months, Barak replied: "I think it's a little bit too early to predict." » Read more

PA: Israel planning to expropriate another 2% of West Bank land ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Avi Issacharoff - July 1, 2009 - 12:00am The Palestinian Authority this week accused Israel of planning to declare another 2 percent of the West Bank state land, thus effectively expropriating it. But the defense establishment rejected this claim, saying the land in question had been under the Dead Sea until the shrinkage of that body of water uncovered it and the goal of the declaration is to prevent the land from being taken over by private or commercial entities. It is not clear which claim is correct. » Read more

Barak: US, Israel close on settlements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post July 1, 2009 - 12:00am Before heading back to Israel from New York following his meeting with US Mideast envoy George Mitchell, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Wednesday morning that Israel was close to an understanding with the US on settlements, which he stressed were part of a regional comprehensive peace effort. "We focused mainly on the need for a comprehensive regional agreement," he told Israel Radio. "That includes other Arab states which have something to give to Israel, not just to take" » Read more

Barak, Mitchell remain disputed on settlements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Yitzhak Benhorin - July 1, 2009 - 12:00am Defense Minister Ehud Barak and US special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell failed to reach an agreement regarding the Israeli construction in the settlements during their meeting in Washington Monday. Mitchell is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netnayahu in about two weeks. A joint statement published following the meeting said that Barak and Mitchell "discussed the full range of issues related to Middle East peace and security and the contributions Israelis, Palestinians, their neighbors and the international community should make to this effort. » Read more

Israel, U.S. inch toward deal on settlements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - July 1, 2009 - 12:00am Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. special Mideast envoy George Mitchell will meet in two weeks to reach a final agreement on settlement construction in the West Bank. Defense Minister Ehud Barak and George Mitchell agreed during their talks in New York this week that Israel must take action toward easing access for Palestinians in the territory and halting settlement activity. Their four-hour discussion brought Israel and the United States closer to ending its dispute over settlement construction, a source close to Barak said. » Read more