August 6th

ANALYSIS-Israel watches two hot borders, and maybe a third ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Douglas Hamilton - August 6, 2010 - 12:00am Israel has Iranian-supported enemies in Lebanon to the north and Gaza to the south. Its back to the sea is safe. But security on its eastern border may be threatened if hostile Iran expands into an unstable Iraq. Israeli analysts differ on the risk of encirclement by enemy forces allied to Tehran, on the degree to which Hamas and Hezbollah will do Iran's bidding, and on the chances of Iran gaining greater leverage in Baghdad via its Shi'ite connections. » Read more

Back to the movies in former West Bank outlaw city ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters August 6, 2010 - 12:00am The big screen is back in Jenin after a 23-year intermission, marking a fresh start for the West Bank city that was a bastion of armed militias at the peak of the Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation. Mothballed in the grim atmosphere of 1987, Jenin Cinema was finally reopened on Thursday evening with a screening of "Heart of Jenin", a wrenching documentary that spurred its renovation. » Read more

Business leaders meet at iconic Nablus mansion ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency August 6, 2010 - 12:00am Business leaders from Nazareth in northern Israel met up with their counterparts in the West Bank on Thursday, holding a meeting with Hamas and Fatah officials in a bid to encourage reconciliation. Nablus governor Jibrin Al-Bakri attended the discussion hosted by telecommunications tycoon Munib Al-Masri at his Palladian-style palace atop Mount Gerizim. The talk focused on developing economic ties on both sides of the Green Line. » Read more

Hamas wing welcomes Egyptian resistance ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency August 6, 2010 - 12:00am Hamas' armed wing the Al-Qassam Brigades released a statement late Thursday night attesting total non-involvement with the Monday rocket launches that hit Eilat and Aqaba. "Military acts from the resistance are carried out inside of Palestine," spokesman of the brigades Abu Obeida said, added in a statement that also welcomed "any resistance targeting the occupation, whether from in our outside of Palestine." » Read more

Peace Would Curb Palestinian Need for Donors, Abbas Aide Says ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bloomberg by Jonathan Ferziger - August 6, 2010 - 12:00am The Palestinian economy may grow 20 percent annually if there is peace with Israel and become less dependent on international donors, said Mohammad Mustafa, who runs the Palestinian Authority’s main investment fund. In the meantime, Palestinians are pushing ahead with development of a new West Bank financial center and what may become the biggest initial public offering yet when mobile phone operator Wataniya Palestine Telecom sells shares before the end of the year. » Read more

At the crossroads to peace and war in the Middle East ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Michael B. Oren - August 6, 2010 - 12:00am Rarely have the lines in the Middle East's sands been drawn so distinctly. Arrayed on one side is the peace-seeking camp that opposes militant extremism and favors direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians. On the other are the organizations, many of them surrogates for Iran, that work to undermine moderate governments and violently impede any effort for peace. » Read more

Stand against Israel's extremists ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Washington Jewish Week by Ori Nir - (Opinion) August 6, 2010 - 12:00am Israeli soldiers last week again had to chase lawless settlers on the hills of the West Bank. This time, it was settlers from Yitzhar and Bracha, near Nablus, who vandalized Palestinian property, blocked roads, torched fields, sabotaged Israel Defense Forces vehicles, punched, kicked Israeli police officers, cursed and harassed them and resisted arrest -- all in reaction to the demolition of two illegally built structures at an outpost near Yitzhar. » Read more

From intifada hub to model Palestinian city: How Jenin turned around ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Joshua Mitnick - August 6, 2010 - 12:00am In a dramatic turnaround, the Palestinian city that served as the heart of the second intifada now boasts a new shopping mall. A return of Israeli Jewish shoppers after nearly a decade appears imminent and – as of today – the city boasts its first cinema. » Read more

ATFP Launches New Online Palestinian State and Institution Building Resources Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - August 6, 2010 - 12:00am The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) is pleased to announce the launching of a new section of its website devoted to compiling resources on the Palestinian state and institution building program. As far as we are aware this is the first effort to compile comprehensive set of resources on the Palestinian state building program. Read more

August 5th

Obama Administration Presses Palestinians To Enter Direct Talks With Israel Media Mention of Hussein Ibish In The Jewish Daily Forward - August 5, 2010 - 12:00am State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley strove hard to hit the right note August 2 in describing the Obama administration’s recent effort to push the Palestinians into direct peace talks with Israel. » Read more