October 28th

Jewish or Israeli?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
by Daoud Kuttab - October 28, 2010 - 12:00am

I have always tried my best to differentiate between Jews and Israelis. It bothers me when Palestinians use these two terms interchangeably. Every time I cross the Jordan River, I overhear people talk on their cell phones, saying how they just got into the Jewish side, left the Jewish side, or were waiting to go through the Jewish side. Such comments can be heard as people approach or leave an Israeli checkpoint or have any other dealings with Israelis.

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Hamas leader calls for open dialogue with West
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
October 28, 2010 - 12:00am

GAZA, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Hamas is ready to start an open dialogue with the West, deposed Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haneya said on Wednesday. "We need to clarify to the international community our stance and vision about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict," Haneya said in a press statement following a meeting with a French lawyer delegation in Gaza. "The West needs to listen to the Hamas' voice directly, not from the others," Haneya added.

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A shift in epicenter of Palestinian struggle
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
by Jesse Rosenfeld - October 28, 2010 - 12:00am

In a country that continues to call itself “the only democracy in the Middle East,” it would appear that the days of Israel trying to present expanding segregation in the context of liberal values are over. While the legislation calling for non-Jews to declare loyalty to Israel as a Jewish and democratic state has been billed as Netanyahu’s capitulation to his coalition in order to extend a partial settlement freeze, the reality is that Israel has shifted its primary target of controlling Palestinians to its own Arab citizens.

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Britain backs PNA's budget with 55 million dollars
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
October 28, 2010 - 12:00am

RAMALLAH, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- The British government announced Wednesday that it will offer the Palestinian National Authority ( PNA) 35 million pounds (55 million U.S. dollars) in aid to back its budget.

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Gaza's national income shrinks as citruses are gone
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
by Saud Abu Ramadan - October 28, 2010 - 12:00am

BEIT HANOUN, Gaza Strip, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Groves full of green citrus. Gaza farmers proud of their old trees. Businessmen busy with exporting fruits to Jordan. But that was 10 years ago. Around one kilometer before reaching the Erez crossing point between northern Gaza Strip and Israel, the vast land has been barren, although Ahmed Za'aneen, 75, still recalled the town "all in green."

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Israel convicts Israeli-Arab of spying for Hezbollah
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
October 27, 2010 - 12:00am

JERUSALEM, Oct 27 (Reuters) - An Israeli-Arab human rights activist was convicted of spying for the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah by an Israeli court on Wednesday. Amir Makhoul confessed to the charge as part of a plea bargain under which the Haifa District Court dropped a separate charge of aiding the enemy in time of war, for which he could have been sentenced to a much longer term, court papers showed. The spying charge carries a maximum 10-year jail term.

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Arab leaders call for strike in Umm Al Fahm
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
October 28, 2010 - 12:00am

TEL AVIV (Ma'an) -- Arab leaders have called for a strike in the city of Umm Al-Fahm on Thursday in response to police brutality at a far-right march a day earlier, Israeli media reported. On Wednesday, extreme-right protesters marched into the city, which contains the largest Palestinian community inside Israel. The rally was called to demand the outlawing of the Islamic Movement in Israel, an Islamist movement among Palestinian citizens of Israel. Violent clashes ensued as Palestinians threw stones and set fire to tires, and Israeli forces fired stun grenades and tear gas.

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Egyptian officials to meet Abbas in Ramallah
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
October 28, 2010 - 12:00am

RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu Al-Gheit and Egyptian Intelligence chief Omar Suleiman will meet President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Thursday in efforts to revive stalled peace negotiations. The Egyptian officials will try to convince Abbas to accept a partial freeze on construction in settlements, excluding settlements that Israel intends to annex in a peace agreement, the official Palestinian Authority news agency WAFA said.

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Free Jonathan Pollard
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Lawrence Korb - (Opinion) October 28, 2010 - 12:00am

About 25 years ago, Jonathan Jay Pollard, a U.S. naval intelligence analyst, betrayed his country by providing highly classified information to Israel. Even though Israel was and still is a U.S. ally and is routinely supplied with U.S. intelligence, Pollard deserved to be severely punished for his actions. However, the punishment should fit the crime. In his case, it does not.

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October 27th

Israel is expanding a settlement near Nablus. Israeli police and Palestinian citizens clash over a right-wing rally. Palestinian MKs are among the injured. A Palestinian man is killed in a Gaza explosion. Senior Egyptian officials will visit the West Bank. Jordan's PM says resolving the Palestine issue is key to fighting terrorism. Amira Hass says Israel's policies only strengthen Hamas. Ha'aretz asks what a ³Jewish state² really means. Israeli officials row over cutting off water to Bedouins. The UN demands Israel curb settler attacks. An influential Israeli think tank backs the Arab Peace Initiative. Settler leaders complain of a ³silent building freeze.² As settlement construction resumes, some Palestinian laborers go back to work. Jonathan Freedland says the administration needs a new Middle East approach. The JTA says Israel does not know how to respond to Palestinian talk of international recognition for statehood. Ghassan Khatib explains why Palestinians object to PM Netanyahu's demands for recognition of Israel as a Jewish state, but Yossi Alpher finds the positions of both parties problematic.

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