February 1st

IDF denies disciplining top officers over white phosphorous use in Gaza war
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Anshel Pfeffer - February 1, 2010 - 1:00am

The Israel Defense Forces on Monday denied that two of its senior officers had been summoned for disciplinary action after headquarters staff found that the men exceeded their authority in approving the use of phosphorus shells during last year's military campaign in the Gaza Strip, as the Israeli government wrote in a recent report.

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Hebron governor warns of severe reaction to new settlement
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
February 1, 2010 - 1:00am

Hebron – Ma'an – Governor of Hebron Hussein Al-Araj warned that renewed settlement building in the area "are pushing Palestinians to react seriously," he said on Sunday evening. Israel is not offering Palestinians motivation to return to negotiations by continuing settlement construction in the West Bank, Al-Araj said, which justifies President Mahmoud Abbas' refusal to return to negotiations while building of settlements and the separation wall is ongoing. "Let everyone know that Israeli settlement construction is still in place, contrary to Israeli allegations," he said.

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Abbas: We don't want guarantees
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
February 1, 2010 - 1:00am

Bethlehem – Ma'an – President Mahmoud Abbas told reporters in London on Friday that his government was not interested in US guarantees and denied reports that Arab ministers exerted pressure on him in Washington to resume negotiations with Israel. "The US continued to contact us and the Israelis, and they intended to give what they call 'guarantees,' but we said frankly that we didn’t want guarantees," Abbas added.

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Israel: Hamas commander killed in Dubai was key arms smuggler
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
by Ilene Prusher - January 31, 2010 - 1:00am

Jerusalem Israel declined official comment on Sunday following news of the assassination in Dubai of a key Hamas operative. But analysts and defense officials here say that Mahmoud Mabhouh, who was found dead in his room in a luxury hotel on Jan. 20, was the point man for transferring weapons from Iran to Gaza, and has long been wanted by Israel following his involvement in the kidnapping and killing of two Israeli soldiers more than 20 years ago.

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Israel and Pacific republics, united by an island mentality
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Howard Schneider - February 1, 2010 - 1:00am

As Israeli diplomacy goes, it was a smooth affair, unblemished by any of the policy disputes or disagreements that often follow diplomats or officials here. The visiting heads of state were eager to tour the country and soak up information in briefings by Israeli officials without breaking stride for the typical trip to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah or, as some do, a request to go to the Gaza Strip.

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January 29th

PM Fayyad says Palestinians are working with Special Envoy Mitchell to ensure conditions are right for negotiations. Israel cracks down on nonviolent protesters in the occupied West Bank. The film Avatar stirs controversy in Israel. Human Rights Watch disputes Hamas' claim that it did not target civilians. Hamas demands Palestinian unity before peace talks with Israel. Pres. Obama says the US supports Israel but is sympathetic to the Palestinians. A survey chooses the Palestinian best of 2009. Hamas claims one of its operatives was assassinated by Israel in Dubai. Palestinians object to a new Israeli light rail service in occupied East Jerusalem. A Ha'aretz commentary says a binational state is impossible, and another says Israel must investigate its conduct in the Gaza war. PM Netanyahu promises confidence-building measures with the PA. Historians say Israel destroyed tens of thousands of Palestinian books after its establishment. An Israeli court protects the right to protest. A former PA official says corruption will allow Hamas to seize power in the West Bank. Israel has stolen billions in Palestinian workers' insurance money. Eyad El-Sarraj describes the suffering in Gaza.

Gaza's Agony
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy
by Eyad El-Sarraj - (Opinion) January 28, 2010 - 1:00am

On the night Barack Obama won the U.S. presidency, he announced: "To all those ... who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world ... a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you.... The true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope." Obama's words made the world shiver with anticipation.

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Israel’s silent war
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
by Ahmad Majdoubeh - (Opinion) January 29, 2010 - 1:00am

If you ask Middle Easterners, and many others in the world, about Israel’s contribution to the region, the answer will automatically be: war, violence, dispossession and destruction.

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Goldstone report keeps Israel on tenterhooks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
by Craig Nelson - (Analysis) January 29, 2010 - 1:00am

From Israel’s point of view, the UN report accusing its military of possible war crimes and crimes against humanity during its invasion last winter of the Gaza Strip might be subtitled “The Report That Won’t Go Away”.

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‘State siphoned off Palestinian workers’ insurance money’
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Benjamin L. Hartman - January 29, 2010 - 1:00am

The government of Israel has siphoned over a billion shekels in money taken from Palestinian laborers for national insurance between 1970-1994, a report released on Wednesday states.

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