August 15th

Israel's West Bank dilemma ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The San Francisco Chronicle by Joel Brinkley - (Opinion) August 14, 2011 - 12:00am Shaul Goldstein knows that most everyone on Earth dislikes him and his kind. For some, it's visceral hatred. For others, he represents the largest obstacle to solving a problem everyone everywhere wants resolved. "We are the enemy of the world," he volunteered without any prompting. "We have to hide behind a curtain." » Read more

Author challenges readers to look at another side of the Middle East ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Gleaner (Opinion) August 13, 2011 - 12:00am We don't often hear about nonviolent resistance in the Middle East, but it happens much more often than we might think. Maxine Kaufman-Lacusta has written a book on the subject called Refusing to be Enemies - Palestinian and Israeli Nonviolent Resistance to the Israeli Occupation. The hardcover came out in January 2010, but the paperback with an updated afterward arrived in North American stores sometime in March of this year. "It's based on interviews with over 100 Palestinian and Israeli nonviolent activists, and a few internationals, and also conference presentations," she says. » Read more

When negotiations result in a net loss ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News (Opinion) August 14, 2011 - 12:00am Palestinians have lost more land to Israel in 20 years and there does not seem to be a wisp of peace on the horizon. The Palestinians have been brought to the negotiating table with the Israelis countless times over the past six decades. The net result has been more usurpation of their land and territory along with civilian casualties to boot. » Read more

Why Australia should back creation of a Palestinian state ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Age (Opinion) August 15, 2011 - 12:00am Many leading Israelis support calls for the recognition of Palestine. Next month, the Palestinian delegation to the United Nations is expected to ask the General Assembly to recognise a Palestinian state. We believe Australia should support such a move. » Read more

The State of Israel and its neighbor, the IDF ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Gideon Levy - (Opinion) August 14, 2011 - 12:00am Since its establishment, the state of the Israel Defense Forces has lived amicably alongside the State of Israel. Borders between the two states are well-known, and are defensible. » Read more

Paranoia and intrigue on the West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Hugh Naylor - August 14, 2011 - 12:00am Juliano Mer-Khamis' legacy weighs heavily on the internationally acclaimed youth theatre he founded inside this turbulent Palestinian refugee camp, where some suspect his killer still lurks. In April, a masked gunman shot dead the 52-year-old Israeli actor and filmmaker, born to a Jewish mother and Palestinian father, as he sat in a car in front of his Freedom Theatre in Jenin. » Read more

Israel approves 227 new homes in West Bank settlement of Ariel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Chaim Levinson - August 15, 2011 - 12:00am Defense Minister Ehud Barak okays largest housing project in single settlement since establishment of the Netanyahu government. Defense Minister Ehud Barak has approved the building of 277 apartments the West Bank settlement of Ariel, defying U.S. criticism of continued settlement construction. Barak authorized the construction in Ariel, the core of the settlement bloc deepest inside the West Bank. One hundred of the apartments will house Israelis evacuated in 2005 from a Gaza Strip settlement. » Read more

Palestinian minister referred to attorney general ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua August 14, 2011 - 12:00am A Palestinian minister was referred to the attorney general Sunday for questioning on corruption charges, a source said. The source, an official at the Palestinian National Authority's anti-corruption commission, said that the consumer protection society filed a suit against Minister of Economy, Hassan Abu Lebda, accusing him of corruption, mismanagement and receiving bribery. This is the first time that a Palestinian minister is referred to prosecution while he is still in office. » Read more

Abbas-Dahlan spat undermining Fatah, bolstering Hamas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Khaled Abu Toameh - August 15, 2011 - 12:00am As he prepares to submit a request to the UN in September for recognition of a Palestinian state, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has also found time to wage a relentless war against his former ally and friend, Fatah strongman Muhammad Dahlan. The rivalry between the two men, which reached its peak last month when Abbas ordered his security forces to raid Dahlan’s villa on the outskirts of Ramallah, has caused severe damage to Fatah and will only serve Hamas’s interests, Fatah officials warned. » Read more

Abbas, Peres held '4 secret meetings' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) August 13, 2011 - 12:00am President Mahmoud Abbas revealed he held four secret meetings with his Israeli counterpart Shimon Peres in a bid to revive stalled peace talks, a Palestinian official said Saturday. He quoted Abbas as saying at a meeting of his Fatah party on Friday that: "I met Shimon Peres four times in Amman and London in an attempt to restart negotiations and the peace process on a correct foundation." The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, added that Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had thwarted those efforts. » Read more