January 23rd, 2008

Israel Vows To Keep Pressure On Gaza To Stop Rocket Salvoes
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA)
by Leslie Susser - (Analysis) January 23, 2008 - 8:39pm

Despite international and Arab protests, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has indicated Israel will keep up its pressure on the Gaza Strip in an effort to force Hamas and other Palestinian militias to stop their cross-border rocket attacks on Israeli civilians. But Israel relaxed its blockade somewhat on Tuesday after masses of Palestinians tried to cross the Gaza-Egypt border. On Wednesday, the crowds succeeded in knocking down the border fence, and thousands of Palestinians streamed into Egypt to stock up on supplies before returning to Gaza.

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Editorial: Even A President...
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Middle East Times
(Editorial) January 23, 2008 - 8:38pm

Even a president of the United States must get used to being defied by his enemies. But it is far more galling to be defied by one's friends. And when a president of the United States on one of his extremely rare visits to the Middle East manages to get humiliatingly defied by Saudi Arabia and Israel on the same trip, something is clearly very wrong somewhere. That was the hapless fate of U.S. President George W. Bush on his much heralded swing through the region to promote his current favorite causes of peace and democracy.

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Mideast: In Gaza, It's Darkness At Noon
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Inter Press Service (IPS)
by Mohammed Omer - January 23, 2008 - 8:37pm

It gets dark, and cold, and people are getting hungry. Israel closed border crossings Friday, not allowing even UN humanitarian aid trucks carrying basic food. Crossings have been closed frequently since October 2007. "On Wednesday or Thursday we will have to suspend our food distribution programme in Gaza," spokesman for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Christopher Gunness told IPS. "We are running out of fuel for vehicles."

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Gaza Border Breached; Thousands Flood Into Egypt
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Rushdi Abu Alouf, Richard Bourdreaux - January 23, 2008 - 8:37pm

Masked gunmen used explosives to blow holes in the Gaza Strip's border fence early today, enabling thousands of Palestinians to pour into Egypt to buy food, fuel and other supplies that had been cut off because of an Israeli blockade, witnesses said. Egyptian and Palestinian border guards did not resist the mass crossing at the Rafah terminal. Witnesses said Palestinian security officials later closed some of the breaches but kept two open, allowing Gazans to cross into Egypt and return with milk, cigarettes and plastic bottles of fuel.

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Palestinians Blow Up Border Wall, Flood Into Egypt
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Nidal Al-mughrabi - January 23, 2008 - 8:34pm

Tens of thousands of Palestinians poured into Egypt from the Gaza Strip on Wednesday after militants blew up a border wall, and stocked up on food and fuel in short supply because of an Israeli blockade. "Those people are hungry for freedom, for food and for everything," said an Egyptian shopkeeper who gave her name only as Hamida, surveying shelves emptied swiftly by Gazans paying with Egyptian pounds and Israeli shekels.

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January 22nd

The Los Angeles Times reports on the crossing of tens of thousands of Palestinians of the breached Gaza border wall with Egypt in order to seek humanitarian relief (2.) A Middle East Times editorial examines how the recent Bush Mideast visit revealed diminishing U.S. influence among traditional allies (4.) The Jewish Telegraphic Agency looks at official Israeli reaction to international pressure regarding the Gaza situation (5.) A Guardian (UK) comment by UNRWA commissioner general Karen Koning AbuZayd is critical of the international community's reaction to the Gaza situation, warning that only further violence and extremism can result from not resolving the issue (7.) BBC (UK) reports from the Israeli border town of Sderot on the impact of continuing Palestinian militant rocket fire on its inhabitants (9.) An Independent (UK) comment by Deborah Orr accuses Hamas of colluding in Israel's collective punishment of Gaza by manipulating the victimhood issue for its own interests (10.) Al-Jazeera (Qatar) examines how the Israel-Palestine issue factors into the Christian evangelical vote in the U.S. presidential primaries (12.) A Haaretz (Israel) editorial raises concern about how the religious Zionist camp in Israel consider themselves outside the authority of the state (14.)

Siege On Gaza / Paying The Price
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Avi Issacharoff - (Analysis) January 22, 2008 - 7:16pm

Defense Ministry officials yesterday pointed with satisfaction at the low number of Qassam rockets launched at Israel from the Gaza Strip in the past few days. Here was proof of the wisdom of Defense Minister Ehud Barak's decision last weekend to impose a total blockade on Gaza, in response to the ceaseless fire from Hamas. Just last week there were 42 launches a day on average, whereas in the past two days there were only four.

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Israel Fears Int'l Pressure To Hand Over Gaza Borders To Pa Control
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Barak Ravid - January 22, 2008 - 7:15pm

There is growing concern in Israel that the recent tightening of sanctions against the Gaza Strip will result in international pressure to transfer control of the border crossings into the Strip to the Palestinian Authority.

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Abbas And Olmert Far From Taking The "tough Decisions"
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons
by Khader Khader - January 22, 2008 - 7:13pm

Maybe the most important statement that US President George W. Bush made during his historic visit last week was when he told both the Palestinian and Israeli sides that "tough decisions have to be taken". One tends to doubt whether Bush was really serious, considering the domestic political ramifications of such "tough choices" on both the Palestinian president and the Israeli prime minister. No doubt Bush must feel very happy that he has spent two presidential terms without having to face any "tough decisions" vis-a-vis the Arab-Israel conflict.

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Divided They Fall: A Powerful Incentive For Hamas And Fatah To Reconcile
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
(Editorial) January 22, 2008 - 7:12pm

Some of the condemnatory language flowing out of the international community is finally looking commensurate with the appalling tactics employed by Israel's government and military in the Gaza Strip. Direct reprisals against civilians and other forms of collective punishment are war crimes, after all, regardless of whether or not the perpetrator has deigned to sign that part of the Geneva Conventions defining them as such. But it is not enough for outside powers to summon the courage to speak out against Israeli abuses.

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