July 16th

PNA rejects goodwill gestures as "insult" ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua July 16, 2010 - 12:00am The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) on Thursday rejected moving to direct talks with Israel in exchange for Israeli goodwill gestures as "insult." "Going to direct negotiations in exchange for motivation, including financial support, is insulting," said Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator. Stopping settlement expansions, removing checkpoints and releasing prisoners "are Israeli obligations and can't be considered as motivation or goodwill gestures," Erekat told Voice of Palestine radio. » Read more

Who'd be a travel agent in Gaza? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Independent by Donald MacIntyre - July 16, 2010 - 12:00am Nabil Shurafa breaks off his explanation of the trials of being a travel agent in a territory where the large majority of citizens cannot travel, to take a call from one of his few lucky clients. It is a bank employee booked on a Cairo-Damascus Egyptair flight at 2.30am tomorrow. "You'll get the bus from Rafah at 11. Be sure to tell the [Egyptian] soldier that you have to be at the airport by 1am at the latest. The flight goes from terminal three." » Read more

Arab League chief optimistic over peace talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua July 16, 2010 - 12:00am Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said on Wednesday he is quite optimistic over the peace talks between the Palestinian National Authority (PA) and Israel. During his meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al- Moallem, Moussa confirmed that he would wait for the Arab Follow- up Committee meeting on July 29 which is going to discuss the results of the indirect talks between PNA and Israel. The Israeli siege imposed on Gaza Strip was also discussed as Moussa confirmed that it must be lifted rather than reduced or even frozen. » Read more

Support for Israel near record high, Gallup Poll shows ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) July 16, 2010 - 12:00am Support for Israel among Americans is at a near record high, a new poll showed. According to the Gallup Poll, 63 percent of Americans say their sympathies in the Middle East conflict are with Israel, while 15 percent side with the Palestinians. The rest favor both sides, neither side or have no opinion. Support for Israel was higher only in 1991, shortly after Israel was hit with Scud missiles during the Gulf War, when it was at 64 percent. » Read more

Israeli forces demolish 2 homes near Hebron ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency July 16, 2010 - 12:00am The owner of one of two homes demolished southwest of Hebron said he produced paperwork to prove his home was constructed with a permit, but that bulldozers razed his home anyway. Speaking on behalf of the home owner, head of the Abu Al A'rqan-village council Mohammad Ash-Shawamreh said Israeli troops entered the village with orders to demolish the homes of Fathi Mahmoud Ash-Shawamreh and Mustafa Ibrahim Ash-Shawamreh. Fathi is currently being held in an Israeli prison. » Read more

Waiting for November ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times by George S. Hishmeh - (Opinion) July 16, 2010 - 12:00am The love fest held here for all to see, with Barack Obama escorting Benjamin Netanyahu on the front lawn of the White House and at a joint press conference, was a marked difference from the two leaders’ contentious, behind-closed-doors meeting here last April. But judging from the early assessments, it is not certain that their relationship will bear fruit in the near future. » Read more

Dahlan: No direct talks until issues addressed ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency July 16, 2010 - 12:00am Palestinians will not enter direct talks until Israel addresses issues raised in proximity talks, Fatah leader Muhammad Dahlan said Thursday. Speaking to Ma’an Radio, Dahlan affirmed news reports that US President Barack Obama had agreed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pressure the Palestinian side into direct talks, but said a specific date or agenda had not been set. » Read more

Southern Gaza crossing to expand ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency July 16, 2010 - 12:00am Among the goods brought into Gaza on Thursday, officials said, were pebble aggregates to be used for expanding the Kerem Shalom crossing facilities. The expansion comes in line with Israeli announcements that under the new terms of the siege on Gaza, crossings facilities would be upgraded. » Read more

Endgame ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Noam Sheizaf - July 16, 2010 - 12:00am "The prospects of the negotiations with Mahmoud Abbas do not look promising. President Obama undoubtedly thinks otherwise, but if Abbas speaks for anyone, it's barely half the Palestinians. The chances of anything good coming of this are not great. Another possibility is Jordan. If Jordan were ready to absorb both more territories and more people, things would be much easier and more natural. But Jordan does not agree to this. Therefore, I say that we can look at another option: for Israel to apply its law to Judea and Samaria and grant citizenship to 1.5 million Palestinians." » Read more

In diverting Libya aid ship, Israel implements lessons from Gaza flotilla raid ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Joshua Mitnick - July 16, 2010 - 12:00am Israel ducked a sea clash with a Libyan-backed aid ship bound for Gaza with a combination of diplomacy and deterrence, applying some lessons from the fatal intercept of a Turkish ship that left nine pro-Palestinian activists dead and increased Israel's international isolation. » Read more