September 12th

Hamas PM to visit Egypt Thursday
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
September 12, 2012 - 12:00am


AZA, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Ismail Haneya, prime minister of the Hamas ruler in the Gaza Strip, will travel to Egypt Thursday to discuss security issues and the closure of the Gaza Strip, a Hamas spokesman said Tuesday. Haneya will hold talks with Egyptian Prime Minister Hesham Qandil, said Taher Al-Nounou in a brief statement.


Israeli PM orders transfer of tax revenues to cash-strapped PNA
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
September 12, 2012 - 12:00am


JERUSALEM, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Tuesday night the transfer of 250 million NIS ( around 63 million U.S. dollars) of Palestinian tax revenues to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), which is facing a severe financial crisis.


White House plays down reports of Netanyahu snub
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Los Angeles Times
by Paul Richter - September 11, 2012 - 12:00am


WASHINGTON — The White House struggled Tuesday to dispel reports that it had snubbed a request for a meeting this month from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as friction between the two allies again burst into the open.


US rejects Netanyahu meeting request -Israel official
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Allyn Fisher-Ilan - September 11, 2012 - 12:00am


JERUSALEM, Sept 11 (Reuters) - The White House has rejected a request by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to meet President Barak Obama in the United States this month, an Israeli official said on Tuesday, after a row erupted between the allies over Iran's nuclear programme.


Are W. Bank riots the start of ‘Palestinian Spring’?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Ilene Prusher - September 12, 2012 - 12:00am


Thousands of young Palestinians out on the streets – chanting slogans, throwing rocks, burning tires. Working class drivers striking to protest against the price of gas, middle- class merchants shuttering their shops to avoid damages and the moneyed classes chattering nervously about whether this is really as momentous as it looks.


Salam Fayyad catches Palestinians' flak as West Bank protests continue
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
by Hugh Naylor - September 12, 2012 - 12:00am


RAMALLAH // As large protests sweep the West Bank for a second week, no official has faced as much criticism over the ailing economy as Salam Fayyad. Palestinian demonstrators have burnt effigies of the Palestinian Authority (PA) prime minister in previous rallies and yesterday rallied outside his office and called for his resignation. Video from Monday also showed protesters throwing their shoes at a poster of Mr Fayyad.


Protests renew in Ramallah despite Palestinian PM's measures to ease economic crisis
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
September 12, 2012 - 12:00am


RAMALLAH, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Despite Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's declaration to introduce easing measures against the high cost of living, a new demonstration was organized in the city of Ramallah Tuesday night calling for the immediate end of the economic crisis. In Ramallah, hundreds of angry protesters marched towards the headquarters of President Mahmoud Abbas. They held banners calling for a final resolution to the economic crisis.


Palestinian Tax Increases Canceled in Move to Calm West Bank Protests
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
September 11, 2012 - 12:00am


RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) — In a reversal aimed at ending protests that have swept the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority announced Tuesday that it had canceled recent tax increases. But a union leader rejected the concession and said street demonstrations would continue.


September 11th

India reiterates support for Palestinian state
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
September 11, 2012 - 12:00am


RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- India's prime minister stressed his country's support for a Palestinian state on Tuesday, the official PA news agency Wafa reported. Manmohan Singh made the comments during a joint press conference with President Mahmoud Abbas, who is currently visiting the country for three days. "India has played an active role in supporting the efforts of the state of Palestine to secure full member ship status at UNESCO," Singh said.


NEWS: PM Fayyad announces new economic measures in response to Palestinian protests at the rising cost of living in the occupied West Bank. The protests have focused on the PA leadership, and are beginning to turn violent, but no injuries are reported yet. Palestinian leaders are looking for ways of improving the economic situation. Pres. Abbas says Israeli restrictions are impeding an effective response to the economic crisis. The PA says it is working to facilitate the creation of an industrial zone in Jenin. Palestinians say Israel intends to confiscate land near Nablus for a new settler bypass road. Israeli officials complain about US policy towards Iran. PM Netanyahu suggests the United States has no right to restrain Israel from attacking Iran. UN officials criticize both the blockade of Gaza and rocket attacks against Israel. Israel is creating a new police unit to combat “price tag” violence against Palestinians. Hamas says it has agreed to create a joint security committee with Egypt. Israel instructs its diplomats to raise the issue of Jewish refugees from the Arab world in Israel to “counteract” the Palestinian refugee issue. India reiterates its support for Palestinian independence. Israeli and Palestinian women launch a joint business in handicrafts. The tax exempt status of the Zionist Organization of America has reportedly been revoked. COMMENTARY: Akiva Eldar says a new study demonstrates that Palestinian citizens of Israel and Palestinians living under Israeli occupation have developed separate narratives, and, in a separate column, he argues that those who have given up on the two-state solution are surrendering to defeatism. The Jerusalem Post claims that Palestinians and other Arabs are not only responsible for the Palestinian refugee problem, but also for Jewish refugees in Israel from the Arab world. Sophie Claudet and Saleh Jadallah doubt Pres. Morsy will adopt substantially new policies towards Gaza.

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