June 10th, 2008

People Vs. Dinosaurs
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Thomas L. Friedman - (Opinion) June 10, 2008 - 4:45pm

Question: What do America’s premier investor, Warren Buffett, and Iran’s toxic president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, have in common? Answer: They’ve both made a bet about Israel’s future. Ahmadinejad declared on Monday that Israel “has reached its final phase and will soon be wiped out from the geographic scene.”

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June 9th

New York Times columnist Tom Friedman argues that Israel is here to stay (1). More violence takes place between Israeli and Palestinians in Gaza (2,10). Speculation continues to grow about a large Israeli operation in Gaza (3, 5,6, 8, 11). Palestinians complain about missing tax revenues (12). Y Net reports that Likud may move to dissolve the Knesset next week (7).

Defense Sources: Talk Of Major Idf Operation In Gaza Premature
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Amoss Harel - June 9, 2008 - 4:36pm

Despite stern warning from Israeli officials about an impending massive operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the big invasion is less certain and imminent than how it is painted in the media, according to defense and military sources. The sources told Haaretz on Saturday that negotiations on a cease-fire will continue for the next two weeks with Hamas, barring Israeli casualties from Qassam rockets. Only after that period, the sources said, will the government formulate and decide on its next moves vis-a-vis the Islamist organization.

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Gaza Op Likely Before J'lem Signs Truce
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Yaakov Katz, Herb Keinon - June 9, 2008 - 4:34pm

In response to the recent string of fatal Hamas rocket attacks, Israel is likely to conduct a medium-size military operation against the Islamist group before agreeing to a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, senior defense officials told The Jerusalem Post on Saturday. A final decision on Israel's course will be made on Tuesday during a meeting between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. Barak, officials said, favored first striking at Hamas and only then agreeing to a truce.

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Palestinian Public Opinion Poll No. 28
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Palestinian Center For Policy And Survey Research
June 9, 2008 - 4:30pm

These are the results of the latest poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip between 5 and 7 June 2008. This period witnessed the declaration by the President of the Palestinian Authority (PA) Mahmud Abbas of his desire to renew dialogue with Hamas. It also witnessed continued closure of the Rafah border crossing despite Hamas’s attempt to open it.

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Drafting To Start On Mideast Peace Deal
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP)
by Hossam Ezzedine - June 9, 2008 - 4:28pm

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AFP) Top Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qorei said Palestinian and Israeli negotiators are to start drafting a document, in remarks published Saturday on progress in US-backed peace talks. In an interview with two Palestinian newspapers, Qorei said the two sides were discussing all the core issues of the decades-old conflict, including borders, Jerusalem, and Palestinian refugees.

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Hamas Takes Responsibility For Attacks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
June 9, 2008 - 4:24pm

Hamas has claimed belated responsibility for a string of terror attacks in Israel carried out several years ago. A Hamas web site lists nine attacks that killed 26 Israelis from 2002 until 2005. Other Palestinian groups claimed responsibility for some of those attacks at the time. The group says it kept quiet about its role until now for security reasons. The web site says all the attackers came from the West Bank.

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Poll: Abbas More Popular Than Haniyeh After Call For Hamas Dialogue
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
June 9, 2008 - 4:20pm

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's popularity rebounded in a survey released on Monday after he renewed his call for dialogue with the Hamas Islamists who control the Gaza Strip. The poll, conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research, suggested that Abbas would win 52 percent of the vote against 40 percent for Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh if a presidential election were held in the Palestinian territories now. A survey by the same group in March showed Haniyeh leading Abbas by 47 percent to 46.

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Talks Seek To Bridge Hamas-fatah Rift
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
June 9, 2008 - 4:16pm

DAKAR, Senegal (Reuters) — The Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas met in Senegal over the weekend for talks aimed at bridging the violent rift between the groups. The two sides released a joint statement on Sunday saying that the meetings had restored “an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect,” though there were no details about progress on specific issues.

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Israel Seals Gaza, West Bank Borders
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from United Press International (UPI)
June 9, 2008 - 4:14pm

RAMALLAH, West Bank, June 8 (UPI) -- Israel Sunday closed the country to entry from the occupied Palestinian territories for the Shavuot holiday, sealing off the West Bank and Gaza. The closure was announced on Israeli radio and was planned to last until Monday, reported KUNA, the Kuwaiti news agency. It said the decision bans entry into the country from the occupied territories except for emergencies, and tightened security at checkpoints and demarcation lines to guard against terrorist attacks. The decision was made by the Israeli Army, KUNA said.



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