October 12th

Israeli blockage stifles Gaza prisons
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
by Hugh Naylor - October 11, 2010 - 12:00am

Naser Suleiman admits that the prison system he runs is chaotic. The man in charge of jails in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip made no effort to disguise the fact during an interview recently with reporters in his office at a prison in downtown Gaza City. While responding to questions, Mr Suleiman had several conversations on his mobile phone and, at one point, jokingly waved around his pistol.

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WEST BANK: Israeli military court sentences Palestinian nonviolence activist to prison
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Maher Abukhater - October 11, 2010 - 12:00am

An Israeli military court Monday sentenced Palestinian nonviolence activist Abdullah Abu Rahmeh to one year in prison and a $1,400 fine after it found him guilty of “incitement” and “organizing illegal demonstrations.” Abu Rahmeh’s arrest had provoked strong international reaction, with some describing it as an attempt to silence freedom of expression. The court gave the military prosecutor one month to appeal the decision and ask for a harsher sentence. The prosecutor had sought a sentence of more than two years to make an example of Abu Rahmeh.

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Netanyahu’s Moves Spark Debate on Intentions
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Ethan Bronner - (Analysis) October 11, 2010 - 12:00am

JERUSALEM — An offer on Monday by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to freeze West Bank Jewish settlements in exchange for Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state — instantly rejected by the Palestinians — was the latest complex maneuver engendering debate about his intentions.

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No to a third intifada
In Print by Hussein Ibish - The Jerusalem Post (Opinion) - October 12, 2010 - 12:00am

Whether or not a solution to the crisis over settlements is achieved in the coming weeks, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations are in serious trouble. Haaretz quoted unnamed Western officials as saying the talks are “going nowhere.” And the most cautious, sober and measured member of the senior PLO leadership, Yasser Abed Rabbo, who is a member of the negotiating team, has been moved to declare that “there will be no serious political process with Netanyahu’s government.”

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No to a third intifada
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Hussein Ibish - (Opinion) October 12, 2010 - 12:00am

Whether or not a solution to the crisis over settlements is achieved in the coming weeks, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations are in serious trouble. Haaretz quoted unnamed Western officials as saying the talks are “going nowhere.” And the most cautious, sober and measured member of the senior PLO leadership, Yasser Abed Rabbo, who is a member of the negotiating team, has been moved to declare that “there will be no serious political process with Netanyahu’s government.”

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October 11th

Israel's cabinet approves a new loyalty oath for new non-Jewish citizens only, angering Palestinians of all persuasions. The Guardian says it is overtly discriminatory. Israelis are transfixed by documents from the 1973 war. The civil trial in the death of Rachel Corrie continues. PA officials say Hamas is ignoring its own security failures. Israel keeps the door open to a settlement freeze extension. Shas is split on the issue. Israel is still not allowing an access road to the new West Bank city Rawabi. An ancient mosaic is unveiled in Jericho. Pres. Abbas is examining alternatives in case negotiations fail. The French and Spanish FMs express outrage over FM Lieberman's conduct in Europe. The PA adopts a textbook, banned in Israel, that presents both national narratives. The French FM refuses to rule out UN creation of a Palestinian state. An Israeli ministerial committee passes potential legislation that any territorial agreements must be approved by popular referendum. The easing of the Gaza blockade is damaging some businesses. Dubai's police chief says an arrest has been made in the Mabhouh assassination.

Ministerial C'tee passes J’lem-Golan land referendum bill
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Gil Hoffman, Rebecca Anna Stoil - October 11, 2010 - 12:00am

A bill requiring a national referendum before relinquishing land in Jerusalem and the Golan Heights passed during a special meeting of the Ministerial Committee on Legislation on Monday, laying the groundwork for it to become law within weeks.

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France 'can't rule out' UN creation of Palestinian state
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
October 10, 2010 - 12:00am

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Sunday that the option of the UN Security Council creating a Palestinian state cannot be ruled out. Kouchner told the Palestinian newspaper Al-Ayyam that France preferred a two-state solution to be negotiated with Israel, but said appealing to the Security Council to resolve the conflict remained a possibility. "We want to be able to soon welcome the state of Palestine to the UN. This is the hope and the desire of the international community, and the sooner that can happen the better," he said.

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Shas party split on settlement freeze extension
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Yair Ettinger, Jonathan Lis - October 11, 2010 - 12:00am

The office of Shas chairman and Interior Minister Eli Yishai issued a statement on Sunday night that said Yishai had been instructed by Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef to "strongly oppose any form of a settlement freeze extension."

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PA adopts textbook, banned in Israel, offering both sides' narratives
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Or Kashti - October 11, 2010 - 12:00am

The Palestinian Authority's Education Ministry approved the use of a history textbook that offers the central narratives of both Palestinians and the Zionist movement, marking the first time that the accepted Israeli position is being presented to schoolchildren in the West Bank. The textbook, which has been banned from use by the Israeli Education Ministry, is the result of a joint Israeli-Palestinian-Swedish collaboration to promote coexistence through education. It will be taught in two high schools near Jericho, the Palestinian Education Ministry said.

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