July 15th, 2009

Barak: Criticism of IDF should be directed at me
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Amos Harel - July 15, 2009 - 12:00am

Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Wednesday criticized an Israeli human rights organization for publishing an Israel Defense Forces soldier's testimony that troops used Palestinians as human shields during Operation Cast Lead last January, despite a 2005 High Court ruling outlawing the practice.

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Qaddoumi drops a bombshell
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News
by Mohammed Mar’i - July 15, 2009 - 12:00am

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on Tuesday harshly criticized Farouk Qaddoumi, secretary-general of Fatah, for accusing President Mahmoud Abbas of involvement in the alleged poisoning of Yasser Arafat. The PLO said in a statement that as part of Qaddoumi’s efforts “to disrupt the sixth convention of Fatah, he made hysterical remarks to reporters during his visit to Amman in the last two days.”

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What About "Evil" Itself?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat
by Hussein Shobokshi - (Opinion) July 15, 2009 - 12:00am

Travel and Leisure magazine, one of the most respected in its field, has dedicated a number of pages promoting tourism in Israel. In this advertising campaign the map of Israel was shown as including the West Bank and Gaza, and of course - the Golan Heights. This was not a misprint or inadvertent; it was deliberate and came amidst talks of pressure being put on Israel and its extremist rightwing government to force it to take part in serious peace negotiations, to which the government is absolutely opposed.

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Soldiers say received orders to shoot first, worry later in Gaza war
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
July 15, 2009 - 12:00am

A number of IDF soldiers who took part in Israel's recent Gaza offensive say they were urged by commanders to shoot first and worry later about sorting out civilians from combatants. Accordingly, they say, the force went into Gaza with guns blazing. In print and video testimony published on Wednesday by the activist group Breaking the Silence, the 30 soldiers say the army's imperative was to minimize its own casualties to ensure Israeli public support for the operation.

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July 14th

The American Charities for Palestine reports on the progress of a major public works project in the West Bank village of Beit ur al Tahta (1). Middle East Progress features a piece by Ian Bomberg examining the importance of economic growth in the West Bank (2). The Christian Science Monitor looks at visits being made by locally based U.S. diplomats to Israeli settlements (3). Quartet envoy Tony Blair praises recent steps taken by the Israeli government to ease the quality of life in the West Bank (6). The World Bank pledges $12.5 million for Palestinian Authority reconstruction operations in Gaza (7). Haaretz speculates on the slowed construction of the West Bank barrier wall (12).

One Piece of a Larger Puzzle
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Middle East Progress
by Ian Bomberg - July 14, 2009 - 12:00am

As the new U.S. administration lays the groundwork for resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict, it is worth considering how such a process might unfold. On a recent visit to the West Bank and Israel, I witnessed the importance of an integrated approach that combines progress on political negotiations, implementation of Road Map obligations and day-to-day realities. Economic progress is a key component in this strategy and must be fostered, but development will only be sustainable and help bring an end to the conflict if it is carried out in concert with advancement on other fronts.

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Why US diplomats are visiting Israeli settlers
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
by Joshua Mitnick - July 14, 2009 - 12:00am

While the Obama administration keeps up pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to cap Jewish settlement expansion, locally based US diplomats are cultivating ties with the very communities they consider an obstacle to the creation of a Palestinian state.

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Will EU Penalize Exports from Israeli Settlements?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Der Spiegel
by Ralf Beste, Christoph Schult - July 14, 2009 - 12:00am

The Israeli settlement known as Maale Adumim sits fortress-like atop a red stone plateau. In the Bible, the road to the plateau was known as the "steep red road." As the largest Israeli settlement in the Palestinian-administered areas of the West Bank, Maale Adumim is home to 40,000 people. Bulldozers are clearing lots for new houses on its outskirts. Its population is growing by the week and, in recent years, it has grown faster than any other settlement.

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'Settlements aren't Obama's problem'
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
July 14, 2009 - 12:00am

The Peace Now movement launched a new campaign on Tuesday, calling on Israelis to push for a freeze on settlement construction. The campaign focuses around the slogan: "Settlements are not Obama's problem, not the world's problem, but your problem." At a press conference held in Jerusalem Tuesday morning, Peace Now chair Yariv Oppenheimer said, "The Israeli public has been brainwashed, first by the Labor party, and then by Kadima, Likud and obviously the right-wing parties, that settlement building is in the nation's interest."

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Obama tries to allay US Jews' concerns
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Hilary Leila Krieger - July 14, 2009 - 12:00am

In their first official White House meeting, US President Barack Obama tried to reassure American Jewish leaders that there was a mistaken perception that the United States is pressuring Israel more than the Palestinians or Arab countries. Obama considers visiting Israel Instead, he spoke of the need for Palestinian and Arab leaders to take steps toward Israel, suggesting that effort would become more pronounced in the coming weeks and emphasizing his bedrock commitment to Israel's security, according to participants.

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