Fire in Hebron: Rightists burn Palestinian flag ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Ali Waked - November 2, 2008 - 8:00pm Several right-wing activists have been documented Sunday burning a Palestinian flag and trampling on it, while threatening Palestinian residents in the West Bank town of Hebron. The incident took place upon the beginning of a Palestinian Authority campaign aimed at "removing the siege from the heart of Hebron." The campaign aims to protest the roadblocks faced by residents within the city. Palestinians are upset that many roads are blocked to Palestinian movement and can only be used by Jewish settlers. » Read more

12-year-old hit by rubber bullet during Naalin riot ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Ali Waked, Erfat Weiss - August 27, 2008 - 8:00pm A 12-year-old Palestinian boy was mildly wounded on Thursday afternoon after a rubber bullet hit his head during an anti-security fence riot in the West Bank town of Naalin. Four Border Guard officers were lightly wounded from rocks thrown at them during a violent riot. Two of those wounded were taken to a Jerusalem hospital for medical attention and two others were treated at the scene. » Read more

Yesh Din report: Only 8% of Palestinian complaints against settlers result in indictment ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz November 2, 2008 - 8:00pm The human rights group Yesh Din on Monday slammed the government for its "faulty" methods of dealing with settlers violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Only 8 percent of Palestinian complaints of settler violence results in indictment, according to the report, which was released on Monday. The report charges that the Appeals Department of the State Prosecution's office tends to "sweepingly accept the decisions of the police and district attorneys to close cases." Often cases are discounted due to lack of reliable evidence, said the report. » Read more

Palestinians: IDF detained pardoned Fatah member ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Ali Waked - August 27, 2008 - 8:00pm Palestinian sources said an IDF force operating in the West Bank town of Nablus during the early hours of Thursday morning apprehended Mahmoud Lubada, a member of Fatah's Al-Aqsa Brigades who was pardoned by Israel as part of the recent Amnesty deal with the Palestinian Authority. » Read more

A New Era for America in the Middle East ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al-Hayat by Ben Fishman - October 31, 2008 - 8:00pm No one knows exactly what will happen on November 4th when Americans vote for a new president, but all signs suggest that Senator Barack Obama will win the election. He is competing in several traditionally Republican states like Virginia and North Carolina and only needs to win one out of a number of swing states to secure victory. The Obama campaign has benefited from record-breaking fundraising and is reported to be outspending the McCain campaign on advertising by more than four times in Florida alone. » Read more

Hamas uneasy over Egyptian plan for unity ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) November 2, 2008 - 8:00pm The Islamist Hamas movement expressed reservations Sunday over an Egyptian plan for reconciliation with the Fateh Party of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. "The Egyptian plan is a document suggested for discussion and Hamas will not treat it as a final draft to be signed," Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told reporters in Gaza City days before the factions were to meet in Egypt. » Read more

Israeli peace pioneer Abie Nathan dies at 81 ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters August 27, 2008 - 8:00pm Abie Nathan, an Israeli peace activist who blazed trails to Egypt and the Palestinians that his country would eventually follow, died on Wednesday. He was 81. Nathan famously piloted a private plane, dubbed Shalom (Peace) 1, to then enemy Egypt in 1966 and was twice imprisoned by Israel for meeting Palestine Liberation Organization chief Yasser Arafat in the late 1980s and early 1990s when such contacts were illegal. "He was a great fighter against war, poverty and discrimination," Israeli President Shimon Peres said in a statement after Nathan's death in a Tel Aviv hospital. » Read more

Abbas sees no peace deal with Israel this year ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters November 2, 2008 - 8:00pm Israel and the Palestinians will not be able to reach a peace agreement before Washington's target date of the end of this year, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Monday. "I don't think it's possible to clear an accord by the end of this year as both the U.S. and the Israeli administrations are now busy with other matters and the very short time does not allow for striking such a deal," Abbas said at the start of a two-day visit to Romania. » Read more

Israel reopens Gaza crossings after two-day closure ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters August 27, 2008 - 8:00pm Israel on Thursday reopened its border crossings with the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, two days after they were shut in response to rocket attacks. Palestinian officials said three of the main commercial crossings were opened but a fourth remained closed. Israel tightened its borders with the Gaza Strip after Hamas Islamists seized the enclave more than a year ago. A June ceasefire has largely ended border violence, but Gaza militants occasionally fire rockets into Israel. Israel usually responds by shutting the crossings the following day.

Livni widens lead in race to replace Olmert ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters August 27, 2008 - 8:00pm Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni will easily win leadership elections in the ruling Kadima party to replace embattled Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, poll results showed on Thursday. The survey in the daily Maariv showed Livni winning 49 percent of the votes among Kadima members, widening her lead over her closest party rival, Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz. The poll showed Mofaz receiving 28 percent. » Read more