December 14th

Abbas mulls forming confederation with Jordan ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Khaled Abu Toameh - December 13, 2012 - 1:00am Palestinian Authority officials confirmed Thursday that they were studying the possibility of establishing a confederation with Jordan, but stressed that this would take place only after the creation of an independent Palestinian state within the pre-1967 line » Read more

Arab League calling in pledges to fund PA ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency December 14, 2012 - 1:00am BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The Arab League has begun calling in donor pledges to Palestine from its members, but cannot confirm the exact date the so-called Arab safety net will be transferred to the government. Assistant Secretary General of Palestine Affairs in the Arab League Mohammad Sbeih told Ma’an on Thursday evening that the group had opened communications with Arab states over the $100 million monthly payment promised on Sunday. » Read more

Israel reservists to equip with new rifle ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua December 4, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli military will soon begin equipping reserve forces with its most advanced assault rifle, Ma'ariv daily reported on Thursday. Plans to train and equip reservists with the rifle Tavor TAR-21 were accelerated in the wake of Operation Pillar of Defense, the army's eight-day airstrike in the Gaza Strip last month to curb rocket attacks. » Read more

Israeli police wanted "for murder" for killing Arab youth ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua December 14, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli female border police who shot an Arab teenager on Wednesday after he held a fake gun to another soldier's head is wanted "for murder" on Arabic Facebook pages. » Read more

Israeli court urges reroute of planned West Bank barrier ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters December 13, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Israel's highest court has urged defence officials to reroute a barrier planned for construction on ancient farmland at a West Bank Palestinian village. Israeli judges have ordered changes in Israel's barrier through occupied land before, but the latest decision followed a rare appeal involving support from an Israeli government environmental agency for a Palestinian challenge. » Read more

Israeli soldiers assault two Reuters cameramen ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters December 13, 2012 - 1:00am HEBRON, West Bank, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Israeli soldiers punched two Reuters cameramen and forced them to strip in the street, before letting off a tear gas canister in front of them, leaving one of them needing hospital treatment. Israel's military said on Thursday it took the allegations seriously, but offered no explanation for the assault that occurred on Wednesday evening in the heart of Hebron. » Read more

Israeli Foreign Minister Faces Indictment on Lesser Charges ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Jodi Rudoren - December 13, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM — Avigdor Lieberman, Israel’s blunt-talking and polarizing foreign minister, will be charged with breach of trust but not with fraud and money laundering, prosecutors announced Thursday, ending an investigation lasting years and throwing a curve into Israel’s coming elections. » Read more

Truce brings extra gleam to Gaza marketplace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Nidal al-Mughrabi - December 13, 2012 - 1:00am GAZA, Dec 13 (Reuters) - The horizon of the claustrophobic Gaza Strip stretches further out to sea after a bloody eight-day battle last month and its main market gleams with extra supplies of locally-caught fish. In a low-key move it has yet to acknowledge, Israel moved a naval blockade it imposed in 2009 back to six miles (10 km) from the Palestinian enclave's coast from three on Nov 23, two days after signing an Egypt-brokered truce with Gaza's Hamas rulers. » Read more

Hamas announces second day of West Bank rallies ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency December 14, 2012 - 1:00am TULKAREM (Ma'an) -- Hamas will hold rallies in the West Bank on Friday in the second day of its celebrations to mark the movement's 25th anniversary. On Thursday, thousands turned out in Nablus to celebrate the founding of Hamas, the first time Hamas was authorized to hold a mass political event in the West Bank by the Fatah-dominated government. » Read more

Hamas subdued despite Gaza victory claim-Israeli military ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Dan Williams - December 14, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Israel's offensive on Gaza has deterred Hamas from new hostilities despite its claims of victory and the front is now at its quietest in 20 years, a senior Israeli military officer said. Vastly lopsided shelling exchanges over eight days killed 170 Palestinians and 6 Israelis before the Nov. 21 truce brokered by Egypt. » Read more