Abbas urges further efforts for Mideast peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua June 30, 2010 - 12:00am Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Tuesday for intensifying efforts to make peace in the Middle East. "The pace of peacemaking in the region must be accelerated," Abbas told a press conference in Ramallah following a meeting with visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Abbas said the Palestinians would spare no efforts to achieve peace. "We believe in peace and believe that peace should be made as soon as possible," he said. » Read more

Lebanon's Palestinians, the shame rises ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star by Rami Khouri - (Opinion) June 30, 2010 - 12:00am The current debate in Lebanon about the legal status of several hundred thousand resident Palestinian refugees reflects the best and worst of the Arab world. The mistreatment, abysmal living conditions and limited work, social security and property rights of these Palestinians are a lingering moral black mark – but change is in the air, initiated largely by Lebanese. » Read more

Israel weighs wider mandate for Gaza flotilla panel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Allyn Fisher-Ilan - June 30, 2010 - 12:00am JERUSALEM, June 30 (Reuters) - Israel may upgrade the mandate of its investigation of a deadly raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla, by allowing it to subpoena witnesses, a statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said. The panel headed by former Israeli Supreme Court justice Jacob Turkel launched its probe on Monday and served notice that Netanyahu and his defence chief may be called to testify about the May 31 incident in which nine Turkish citizens were killed. » Read more

Better late than never ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Yossi Alpher - (Opinion) June 30, 2010 - 12:00am The Israeli government decision to end its three-year blockade of civilian goods entering the Gaza Strip is a welcome move. Sadly, it came about a year too late, and its timing and circumstances benefited the wrong parties. That's because the Netanyahu government (in all fairness, like many of its predecessors) seems to do the right thing only under heavy pressure. » Read more

Why deport a friend to Middle East peace? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Gonen ben Itzhak, Mosab Hassan Yousef - June 30, 2010 - 12:00am Ours is an unlikely friendship. One of us (Gonen ben Itzhak) is an Israeli, the son of a retired Israel Defense Forces (IDF) general who was in charge of defeating the first intifada some 20 years ago. One of us (Mosab Hassan Yousef) is a Palestinian, the son of a founder of Hamas whose father was one of the leaders of that intifada. The Palestinians' goal for the intifada was to elevate their cause. Israel sought to keep violence down and protect its citizens. Today we are sacrificing everything -- possibly even our lives -- to build a bridge of peace between our peoples. » Read more

At White House, Obama and Saudi king discuss Guantanamo, Mideast peace process ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Anne E. Kornblut - June 30, 2010 - 12:00am Broaching a sensitive subject, President Obama assured the visiting king of Saudi Arabia on Tuesday that he remains committed to closing the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a continuing source of friction between their governments. A year after a reportedly rocky first meeting in Riyadh, Obama and King Abdullah held a brief, joint appearance before reporters in the Oval Office following lunch. Making ritual affirmations about the close ties between their two countries, the leaders said they discussed recently approved sanctions against Iran as well as the war in Afghanistan. » Read more

Israel doesn't seem to want to really probe Gaza flotilla raid ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Ze'ev Segal - (Analysis) June 30, 2010 - 12:00am If former Supreme Court justice Jacob Turkel indeed resigns from the panel he heads, which is investigating the raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla, he will be taking a step necessitated by both the committee's lack of investigatory powers to conduct a serious probe and its limited mandate. As things stand now, the committee is barred from examining the government's preparations for the flotilla's arrival. » Read more

Israelis, Palestinians hopeful, cautious about peace prospects: poll ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua June 30, 2010 - 12:00am JERUSALEM, June 29 (Xinhua) -- A just-released local poll showed that Israelis and Palestinians appear ready and increasingly willing to compromise for a peaceful resolution of their conflict. Both sides, however, remain pessimistic about prospects for peace, according to the results of the joint survey, a statement sent to Xinhua said. The research was carried out by the Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in Ramallah. » Read more

The Real Palestinian Revolution ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Thomas L. Friedman - (Opinion) June 30, 2010 - 12:00am Pssssst. I’ve got a stock tip. Ready? The Al-Quds Index. What’s that? It’s the P.S.E., or Palestine Securities Exchange. Based in Nablus, in the West Bank, the Al-Quds Index has actually been having a solid year — and therein lies a tale. » Read more