October 27th

Palestinians work on West Bank settlement boom ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News by Wyre Davies - October 26, 2010 - 12:00am For men like Abdel Salam Alami it is good, well-paid work. They even get insurance if they're injured on the job. Yet this construction is extremely controversial. The issue of settlements is at the heart of the faltering peace talks. The Palestinians say they take up land needed for a viable future state. The international community says they are obstacles to peace. Israel is under pressure to renew at least the partial freeze on building in the occupied West Bank, which expired last month. » Read more

Settler leaders warn of ‘silent building freeze’ ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Tovah Lazaroff - October 27, 2010 - 12:00am Settler leaders warned Tuesday night that building would soon come to a grinding halt in nine of the largest settlements unless the relevant government ministries immediately authorize 4,321 planned units. “The cities of Judea and Samaria are effectively frozen,” Naftali Bennett, director-general of the Council of Jewish Communities of Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip, told The Jerusalem Post. “The government has promised to stop the freeze, yet it is continuing it.” The Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment on Tuesday night. » Read more

Israeli think tank supports Arab Peace Initiative ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Michal Toiba - October 27, 2010 - 12:00am A think tank at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) in Herzliya has given its support to the Arab Peace Initiative, Professor Galia Golan-Gild of the Lauder School confirmed to The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday. According to a report released by the IDC's Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy and Strategy, Israel's security, economy, and international standing would improve if Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's government accepted the Arab peace plan. » Read more

UN envoy demands Israel act against settler attacks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews October 26, 2010 - 12:00am A senior UN official condemned attacks by Jewish "settler extremists" on Palestinians' olive trees in the West Bank and called on Israel to "combat violence and terror by Israelis." Robert Serry, UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, also said he was alarmed that work had started on hundreds of new homes for settlers in the occupied territory since the end of Israel's settlement freeze last month. » Read more

Commander: Police forces were in danger ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Sharon Roffe-ofir - October 27, 2010 - 12:00am Northern District Police Commander Shimon Koren said Wednesday following the violent clashes in the northern Arab town of Umm al-Fahm that the police forces, some of them members of special units, "acted with determination and courage while risking their lives." The forces left the town in the afternoon hours as the riots came to an end. Four policemen were lightly injured in the clashes with Arab residents hurling stones at the police forces securing a right-wing protest against the Islamic Movement. » Read more

Negev councilor cuts off 4,000 Bedouin's water supply ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Yanir Yagna - October 27, 2010 - 12:00am A Negev politician cut off the water supply of some 4,000 Bedouin for 24 hours this week because he did not want his town to shoulder their nearly NIS 2 million water bill. The water was turned back on Tuesday afternoon, by order of the Be'er Sheva District Court, pending a hearing set for Thursday. "They're not under the jurisdiction of Lakiya, but their water bills are sent to us," said Lakiya town council head Khaled al-Sana, referring to the Bedouin residents. "I have 10,000 residents in the town, and I have to pay the bills of another 4,000 residents? That just isn't right." » Read more

Israel's proposed loyalty oath raises new question: What, exactly, is a Jewish state? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz October 26, 2010 - 12:00am If Israel had Words of the Month, October’s would be “Jewish,” as in “a Jewish and democratic state,” or medina yehudit ve’demokratit, in Hebrew. This is what — if a controversial cabinet decision is adopted as law by the Knesset — anyone becoming an Israeli citizen will have to swear loyalty to. » Read more

Want to weaken Hamas? Open Gaza's gates ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amira Hass - (Opinion) October 27, 2010 - 12:00am Do you really want to weaken Hamas? Surprise it. Go back and open Gaza's gates - to ordinary human movement, not just to cherries, shavers and a handful of pious Muslims who manage to wend their way past the Egyptian bureaucracy. Open the Erez checkpoint. Then you'll see how Gazans yearn for life. » Read more

Resolving Palestinian issue key to ending terrorism, extremism: Jordanian PM ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua October 27, 2010 - 12:00am Jordanian Prime Minister Samir Rifai stressed on Tuesday that ending the problems of terrorism and extremism necessitates serious efforts to resolve the Palestinian issue, the state-run Petra news agency reported. In a lecture at the Royal Jordanian National Defense College ( RJNDC) Tuesday, Rifai said Israel's refusal to accept a fundamental political solution to the Palestinian issue means more conflicts and tensions and "lost hopes" to resolve the conflicts in the region. » Read more

Senior Egyptian officials to visit West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua October 27, 2010 - 12:00am Senior Egyptian officials will visit the West Bank on Thursday to discuss stalled peace negotiations, a Palestinian official said Wednesday. Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit and Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman would be leading the Egyptian delegation, said Yasser Abed Rabbo, a Palestinian negotiator. The Egyptian officials will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as the peace talks reached "total impasse," Abed Rabbo told Voice of Palestine Radio. » Read more