July 5th

UN envoy: Elections commission must be allowed to work in Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency July 5, 2012 - 12:00am UN envoy Robert Serry on Thursday called on authorities in Gaza to allow the Central Elections Commission to operate, after Hamas suspended its work. Serry, the UN special coordinator for the peace process, visited the commission's headquarters in Gaza on Thursday, a statement from his office said. » Read more

Palestinians take anti-Oslo protest to Abbas HQ ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters July 3, 2012 - 12:00am Hundreds of demonstrators marched on the offices of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday to protest against diplomatic contacts with Israel and to denounce police violence at a previous rally. Chanting for an end to the Oslo accords, which were meant to pave the way to permanent peace with Israel, the flag-waving crowd cut through Ramallah's crammed city centre under the watchful eye of scores of plainclothes security officers. » Read more

The mystery of Arafat's death affects friend and foe alike ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Alan Philps - (Opinion) July 6, 2012 - 12:00am Followers of the career of Yasser Arafat, who died in Paris almost eight years ago, will not be surprised that his ghost has now returned to haunt his successors at the head of the Palestinian Authority. Al Jazeera dropped a bombshell this week with an investigation into the still-unexplained causes of his death: a Swiss laboratory has found traces of polonium, the radioactive isotope used to assassinate the former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006, on Arafat's toothbrush and clothing. » Read more

Israel rejects settlement university in West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press July 4, 2012 - 12:00am Israel's council of higher education voted Wednesday not to grant a West Bank college coveted university status, vetoing a move that could have triggered international condemnations and enraged the Palestinians. Sharon Achdut, the council's spokesman, said five out of seven members of the committee voted against upgrading the status of the college in Ariel, one of the largest Jewish settlements in the West Bank. » Read more

Israel rejects settlement university in West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press July 4, 2012 - 12:00am Israel's council of higher education voted Wednesday not to grant a West Bank college coveted university status, vetoing a move that could have triggered international condemnations and enraged the Palestinians. Sharon Achdut, the council's spokesman, said five out of seven members of the committee voted against upgrading the status of the college in Ariel, one of the largest Jewish settlements in the West Bank. » Read more

Israel rejects settlement university in West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press July 4, 2012 - 12:00am Israel's council of higher education voted Wednesday not to grant a West Bank college coveted university status, vetoing a move that could have triggered international condemnations and enraged the Palestinians. Sharon Achdut, the council's spokesman, said five out of seven members of the committee voted against upgrading the status of the college in Ariel, one of the largest Jewish settlements in the West Bank. » Read more

Israel's Coalition With Potential ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Peter A. Joseph - (Opinion) July 5, 2012 - 12:00am The inclination by those in the peace camp, both in Israel and the United States, to react cynically to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s surprise announcement of a coalition agreement with Kadima party chairman Shaul Mofaz was not that shocking. But it is sorely misguided. Worse, it could be detrimental to Israel’s interests. » Read more

Israel rejects settlement university in West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press July 4, 2012 - 12:00am Israel's council of higher education voted Wednesday not to grant a West Bank college coveted university status, vetoing a move that could have triggered international condemnations and enraged the Palestinians. Sharon Achdut, the council's spokesman, said five out of seven members of the committee voted against upgrading the status of the college in Ariel, one of the largest Jewish settlements in the West Bank. » Read more

Israeli journalist reaches plea bargain with state ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press July 5, 2012 - 12:00am An investigative reporter who faced indictment for exposing classified military documents has reached a plea bargain with the government that will allow him to avoid jail time, his newspaper and the justice ministry said Thursday. The government had announced in May that it would charge Uri Blau from the liberal Haaretz newspaper with unauthorized possession of state secrets, stirring up fears of a crusade to stifle the press. Journalists had said charges against Blau would make reporters hesitate to do their jobs, for fear they might end up in jail. » Read more

Hamas PM to meet Islamist president of Egypt ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press July 5, 2012 - 12:00am A Palestinian official says Gaza's prime minister will head to Cairo within the next two weeks to meet with Egypt's new Islamist president, who has close ties with the territory's Hamas rulers. Cabinet secretary Mohammed Askoul says Ismail Haniyeh will meet President Mohammed Morsi and senior Egyptian security officials. Haniyeh wants Egypt to open its border with Gaza. Hamas is an offshoot of Morsi's region-wide Muslim Brotherhood movement. » Read more