November 4th

Egypt uncovers 13 Gaza smuggling tunnels ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) November 2, 2008 - 8:00pm Egyptian security forces have uncovered 13 tunnels used by smugglers to slip contraband into the Gaza Strip, a security official said on Monday. Three of the tunnels collapsed after heavy rain along Egypt's border with the Palestinian territory, the official said, adding that the remaining tunnels would also be destroyed. There were no reports of casualties after the tunnels collapsed. At least 40 Egyptian and Palestinian smugglers have died in tunnel accidents and demolitions by Egyptian security forces this year. » Read more

Palestinian unity talks at crossroads - diplomat ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters November 3, 2008 - 8:00pm Efforts by the Arab world to reconcile the Palestinian Fateh and Hamas factions could be put back for years if unity talks in Cairo next week end without agreement, a diplomat involved in the process said on Monday. The Islamist group Hamas has threatened to boycott the November 10 negotiations unless Fateh halts its “arrests and repression” of Hamas activists in the West Bank and releases some 400 Hamas prisoners it says are held in West Bank jails. » Read more

Farming Palestine ATFP World Press Roundup Article from New Statesman by Ben White - October 30, 2008 - 8:00pm n what is becoming somewhat of an annual tradition, recent weeks have seen dozens of stories in the international media about the difficulties facing Palestinians during the olive harvest season. Ever since the start of the Second Intifada in 2000, the West Bank olive harvest has been extensively covered by the press, with reporters accompanying Palestinian farmers and villagers out to the groves. » Read more

Israel in a Showdown with West Bank Settlers ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Time by Tim McGirk - November 2, 2008 - 8:00pm The hill named Oush Grab lies a stone's throw from the Shepherd's Field, near Bethlehem. Christian pilgrims flock to the place where the Bible says an angel tipped off a shepherd that Jesus Christ had been born, but most visitors are unaware of the battle raging over this obscure hilltop. Oush Grab is an undistinguished rocky outcrop of limestone, dotted with thorny shrubs. And it has no political, strategic or Old Testament significance. » Read more

Barak holds meeting with Mubarak in Egypt on talks to free Shalit ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amos Harel - August 25, 2008 - 8:00pm Defense Minister Ehud Barak told Egyptian President Husni Mubarak on Tuesday that Israel views Egypt as a central factor in the return of kidnapped Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit. Shalit was abducted by Gaza militants in a cross-border raid in 2006. Egyptian-mediated talks with Hamas for his release have apparently reached a standstill. » Read more

Amnesty for dozens of wanted Palestinians ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Ali Waked - August 25, 2008 - 8:00pm Less than 24 hours after the release of 198 Palestinian prisoners as a gesture to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in the region to further the diplomatic negotiations – Israel on Tuesday has granted 'amnesty' to dozens of wanted Palestinians. A senior Palestinian source told Ynet that 45 wanted men would receive full amnesty, allowing them complete freedom of movement in the Territories and even beyond their borders. Other will be restricted to the 'A' Territories. » Read more

Mohammed Deif back in spotlight ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Ali Waked - August 25, 2008 - 8:00pm The notorious leader of Hamas' military wing, Mohammad Deif, is alive and kicking. And, apparently, writing as well. The shadowy leader has broken his two-year silence in the forward to a new book issued by Hamas in honor of group members killed in Gaza. Deif vowed Hamas would continue it fight. » Read more

Two State Solution is Best For Israelis ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Angus Reid Global Monitor August 25, 2008 - 8:00pm The vast majority of people in Israel think that the best solution to the ongoing conflict with the Palestinians is to establish a separate Palestinian state alongside Israel, according to a poll by Market Watch. 74 per cent of respondents share this view, while 14 per cent think the best way to solve the problem is by creating a bi-national state including both Israelis and Palestinians. However, 62 per cent of respondents do not believe it will be possible to reach a final agreement with the Palestinians. » Read more

Israel Shuts Gaza Crossings After Rocket Attack ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Allyn Fisher-Ilan - August 25, 2008 - 8:00pm Israel shut its border crossings with the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, a day after two rockets were fired into the Jewish state, an Israeli official said. The official said Defence Minister Ehud Barak had "ordered the closure of crossings with Gaza" without saying for how long. The Israeli military said two rockets were fired from Gaza at Israel on Monday, causing no damage or casualties. The measure came as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited the region to press ahead with efforts to achieve an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal in the coming months. » Read more

Israel settlement surge draws Rice criticism ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Arshad Mohammed - August 25, 2008 - 8:00pm Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called on Israel on Tuesday not to undermine peace talks with the Palestinians after a report found it had nearly doubled Jewish settlement construction. On her seventh visit this year in a long-shot push for a peace deal by January, Rice said the two sides were "somewhat closer" in their talks despite deep public skepticism about the chances of ending the six-decade conflict. Rice offered no further details, but said: "God willing, and with the goodwill of the parties and the tireless work of the parties, we have a good chance to succeed." » Read more