December 6th

How West Bank Construction Hampers Progress for a Two-State Solution ATFP World Press Roundup Article from PBS (Interview) December 3, 2012 - 1:00am RAY SUAREZ: For more on what the construction of this settlement could mean for the stalled peace process, I'm joined by David Makovsky of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and Ghaith Al-Omari, executive director of the American Task Force on Palestine. And, David, is this, strictly speaking, in response to the vote on observer status in the U.N., or is this some something that the Israelis have wanted to do anyway? DAVID MAKOVSKY:, Washington Institute For Near East Policy: Well, it's a little of both. » Read more

Palestinians warn Israel must be held accountable over settlements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters December 4, 2012 - 1:00am UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -- The Palestinians accused Israel in a letter to the United Nations of planning to commit further "war crimes" by expanding Jewish settlements after the Palestinians won de facto UN recognition of statehood and warned that Israel must be held accountable. » Read more

Hamas wants a Gaza defense ministry ATFP World Press Roundup Article from United Press International (UPI) December 6, 2012 - 1:00am GAZA, Dec. 6 (UPI) -- A Hamas official said the group plans to establish a defense ministry in the Gaza Strip to enhance resistance efforts against Israel. » Read more

Israel prevents Tunisian charge d'affaires in Ramallah from regaining his post ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua December 6, 2012 - 1:00am TUNIS, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Israel prevented the Tunisian charge d'affaires in the West Bank city Ramallah from regaining his post on Wednesday, the official TAP press agency reported. Israel took this move following the visit by a high-level Tunisian delegation to the Gaza strip, TAP quoted a communique from the Tunisian presidency as saying. » Read more

What exactly is Palestine? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Hugh Naylor - December 6, 2012 - 1:00am RAMALLAH // Mahmoud Abbas declared that Palestine had a state on his triumphant return from the United Nations, but many Palestinians are asking: what do we have and what do we call it? The Palestinian Authority (PA) president on Sunday lauded Palestine's "historic achievement" of being recognised as a non-member state at the UN. » Read more

Hitmen on hold, Israelis might talk to Meshaal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Crispian Balmer - December 6, 2012 - 1:00am (Reuters) - Israel once tried to kill Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal in a botched assassination attempt on the streets of the Jordanian capital, Amman. Fifteen years later, it is starting to view him in a slightly different light and Israeli analysts say he might yet prove the man who can open a dialogue between the Palestinian Islamist movement and the Jewish state.   » Read more

Palestinians warn Israel must be held accountable over settlements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency December 4, 2012 - 1:00am UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -- The Palestinians accused Israel in a letter to the United Nations of planning to commit further "war crimes" by expanding Jewish settlements after the Palestinians won de facto UN recognition of statehood and warned that Israel must be held accountable. » Read more

Israel prevents Tunisian charge d'affaires in Ramallah from regaining his post ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua December 6, 2012 - 1:00am TUNIS, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Israel prevented the Tunisian charge d'affaires in the West Bank city Ramallah from regaining his post on Wednesday, the official TAP press agency reported. » Read more

Hitmen on hold, Israelis might talk to Meshaal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Crispian Balmer - December 6, 2012 - 1:00am Fifteen years later, it is starting to view him in a slightly different light and Israeli analysts say he might yet prove the man who can open a dialogue between the Palestinian Islamist movement and the Jewish state. » Read more

Hamas chief to make first visit to Gaza on Friday ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Nidal al-Mughrabi - December 5, 2012 - 1:00am GAZA, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal will make his first visit to the Gaza Strip on Friday to attend the Palestinian Islamist group's 25th anniversary rally, Hamas sources said on Wednesday. The two-day visit comes in the wake of last month's air offensive by Israel against Hamas and other armed Islamist factions to stop them firing rockets from the enclave at southern Israeli towns. » Read more