May 28th

Amnesty: Israel Harms Palestinian Civilians, Exploits Foreigners ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz May 28, 2008 - 6:19pm An Amnesty International report released on Wednesday finds that Israel attacks innocent Palestinian civilians, exploits foreigners and subverts the general right to freedom of employment. In its annual annual report on the state of the world's human rights, Amnesty writes that six decades after world leaders unanimously signed the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, the record is dismal and urgent action is needed to prevent global chaos. » Read more

Lebanon Falls... And The West Bank Rises ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Ephraim Sneh - (Opinion) May 28, 2008 - 6:18pm Amid the excitement of the latest events - including the announcement of negotiations with Syria and the developments in the latest Olmert corruption scandal - not enough attention was paid to the most significant event of last week: the fall of Lebanon in oil-rich Qatar. » Read more

Gaza: 2 Hamas Gunmen Killed In Idf Strike ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Hanan Greenberg - May 28, 2008 - 6:14pm Two Hamas gunmen were killed Wednesday morning as IDF troops clashed with armed Palestinian groups in southern Gaza. Over a dozen mortar shells were fired at Israeli ground forces operating in the region near the Sufa border crossing in the early morning hours as well as sporadic small arms attacks. Troops were able to get a fix on the point of origin of the mortar barrages and the IAF launched a counterstrike against the cell, killing two gunmen » Read more

Farmers Under Qassam Fire Stop Shipments Of Food To Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Yonat Atlas - May 28, 2008 - 6:13pm A large group of farmers from communities in southern Israel under constant bombardment from Gaza's terror groups arrived at the Sufa border crossing and prevented the transfer of provisions into the Strip. Ailing Aid     The farmers said they were demonstrating against Israel's policy of continuing to ship aid into Gaza while rocket attacks continue to emanate from the territory. » Read more

Report: Israel, Syria Agree On 85% Of Issues ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Roee Nahmias - May 28, 2008 - 6:12pm A senior Israeli source, who took part in unofficial Turkey-mediated talks between Israel and Syria, has said that the two sides are discussing a border line which will be based on the June 4 1967 borders and the future of the Golan Heights' residents, the London-based Arabic-language al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper reported Wednesday. The source confirmed that "serious progress has been made in the talks." » Read more

More Than 3,000 Israeli Demolition Orders Pending ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press May 28, 2008 - 6:10pm More than 3,000 Israeli demolition orders are pending against Palestinian-owned structures in the West Bank and 10 small communities are at risk of being almost entirely displaced by demolitions, a UN agency said in a report Tuesday. From 2000 to 2007, Israel demolished more than 1,600 Palestinian-owned structures, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). During the same period, Israel denied 94 per cent of Palestinian requests for building permits, the agency said, citing Israeli government figures. » Read more

An Unmentionable Truce? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Middle East Times by Sadie Goldman With Jason Proetorius And Ipf Staff - (Opinion) May 28, 2008 - 6:09pm A Hamas-Israel ceasefire could be on its way, but you wouldn't know it. No press conference will be held to announce it. Instead, quiet on Gaza's borders – no rockets going out, no Israeli fire going in – will serve as the declaration that the ceasefire has begun. But this quiet will come with a tension that at any moment the ceasefire could end. And once that happens, major confrontation can be expected. The Ceasefire That Shall Not Be Mentioned » Read more

Syria: Olmert's Political Weakness May Affect Recently Renewed Peace Talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters May 28, 2008 - 6:09pm The recently revived peace talks between Syria and Israel may be hindered by the weakness of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, beleaguered by a political crisis, Syrian analysts said Wednesday. The Syrian comment came shortly after Defense Minister Ehud Barak urged Olmert to step down or face early elections in light of the corruption investigation currently underway against him. » Read more

Ehud Olmert Given Ultimatum: Quit Or Lose Power ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Times by Jenny Booth - May 28, 2008 - 6:08pm The fate of the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert hung in the balance today as his defence minister called on him to resign over corruption allegations or face the collapse of his coalition government. A day after an American businessman told an Israeli court how he handed Mr Olmert envelopes stuffed with thousands of dollars in cash, Ehud Barak held a news conference to lay out the position of his Labour party, the junior partner in Mr Olmert’s coalition. » Read more

Deal Imminent Between Israel And Hezbollah ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Der Spiegel by Ulrike Putz - May 28, 2008 - 6:06pm It was an impressive scene, though hardly a new one: Tens of thousands of Hezbollah supporters gathered in south Beirut on Monday night to celebrate -- as they do every year -- the "Day of Resistance" against Israel. Above the crowd a sea of yellow Hezbollah flags waved and the voice of the group's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, thundered above them. » Read more