Israel Approves New Homes In East Jerusalem Settlement ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) July 9, 2008 - 5:00pm An Israeli commission has approved the building of 920 new homes in occupied east Jerusalem, the municipality said on Wednesday, in a new blow to shaky peace talks with the Palestinians. "The district commission has approved for construction 920 housing units in Har Homa," a statement said, referring to a neighbourhood in east Jerusalem, known in Arabic as Jabel Abu Ghneim, that has more than 10,000 residents. » Read more

B’tselem: Israel Failed To Dismantle Part Of Separation Fence Despite Court Order ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Ali Waked - July 9, 2008 - 4:50pm The B'Tselem human rights organization says Israel has failed to dismantle a part of the separation fence in the Alfei Menashe area cancelled by the High Court of Justice. A statement released by the organization claims that a court decision from September 2005 on the fence route around the town of Alfei Menashe has not been implemented by Israel.

Aid Pledged To Strengthen West Bank Police ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Inter Press Service (IPS) by Julio Godoy - July 9, 2008 - 4:47pm International donors have promised to channel more aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA), particularly to strengthen the police and the judiciary. » Read more

Palestinian Premier Criticizes Israeli Raids ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press July 9, 2008 - 4:43pm The Palestinian prime minister charged Wednesday that Israeli military operations in the West Bank are hindering his administration's campaign to improve security in the territory. Such operations "undermine grossly our efforts aimed at rebuilding our capacity and re-establishing law and order," Falam Fayyad said at a news conference he held in the West Bank city of Ramallah with visiting Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini. » Read more

Most Attacks On Palestinians Go Unpunished: Israeli Group ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) July 9, 2008 - 4:37pm Nine out of 10 investigations into attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank are closed without anyone being indicted, the Israeli Yesh Din human rights group said on Wednesday. It said that of 163 such completed investigations it monitored in recent years, only 13 led to indictments being filed, 149 files were closed without indictments and one file was lost and never investigated. » Read more

Ever Divided ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Economist July 9, 2008 - 4:35pm The oldest Palestinian party tries to heal its divisions, but new ones fast emerge » Read more

Special Focus On West Bank Barrier ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Jon Dennis - July 9, 2008 - 4:33pm The barrier in the West Bank and East Jerusalem that separates Israelis from Palestinians continues to divide them – and not just in a physical sense. Israelis believe it is vital to their security, while Palestinians say it is a land-grab that cuts them off from their livelihoods. The Guardian's Rory McCarthy reports from Jayyus, a Palestinian village, and from Alfe Menashe, an Israeli settlement. » Read more

Israel’s Impasse: How A Fractured Knesset Hinders Peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Financial Times by Tobias Buck - July 9, 2008 - 4:31pm As the former head of Mossad, Israel’s secret service, Danny Yatom is not a man easily ruffled. » Read more

Palestine: Hizb Al-tahrir Flourishes Where Hope Withers ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Carnegie Endowment: The Arab News Bulletin by Omran Risheq - July 9, 2008 - 4:29pm The failure of the Palestinian national movement and its shaken credibility in the public eye are giving strength to religious movements, which are expanding to fill a widening gap. But the movements that are gaining are not Hamas or Islamic Jihad, which gained their legitimacy more or less as other Palestinian movements did: by taking part in the liberation struggle while upholding the aspiration to establish an independent national state. Rather, there are now other Islamist parties and groups that deny the national project and are hostile toward democratic and social freedoms. » Read more

Planning The Transition ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Middle East Progress by Ghaith Al- Omari - July 9, 2008 - 4:27pm As the Bush administration nears the end of its term, two things are becoming obvious. First, the original objective of the Annapolis process–a peace deal by the end of 2008–is unlikely to materialize. Redefining the process both in terms of approach and public expectations has become necessary. Second, with the inability to achieve a breakthrough, there is a real risk that, the Annapolis process may not be able to withstand the loss of U.S. leadership while the United States is looking inwards during the transition period. » Read more