July 11th

Obama In Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Israel Policy Forum by M.J. Rosenberg - July 11, 2008 - 2:29pm Senator Obama’s decision to include Israel in his overseas tour makes a lot of sense. Although he has been there before, the ever-changing Israeli scene needs to be experienced firsthand. I only hope Obama is not going to Israel in order to impress a small but vocal minority of Jewish Democrats who are uncomfortable with his candidacy. » Read more

Palestinians: Let Us Tame Wild Jenin ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Ilene Prusher - July 11, 2008 - 2:28pm Throughout most of the decade, Jenin has been synonymous with what Palestinians generally call fawda: a mix of chaos with the might of gun-toting militants trying to impose their own brand of law and order. Today, the Palestinian Authority (PA) police and paramilitary forces, recently returned from US-sponsored training in Jordan, have fanned out around Jenin as part of a new security campaign to regain control of West Bank cities such as this one, which have been in disarray since the start of the Al Aqsa intifada nearly eight years ago. » Read more

U.s. Tries To Help 3 Scholars Barred From Leaving Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Ethan Bronner - July 11, 2008 - 2:26pm American consular officials drove from Jerusalem to the Gazan border on Thursday in an unusual effort to interview three Gazan Fulbright scholars who Israel says are too dangerous to allow into the country. Using a portable fingerprinting machine flown in from Washington for the interviews, the Americans were seeking to expedite the granting of study visas to the three scholars, despite Israeli concerns. » Read more

July 10th

Mostafa: Israel Is Seeking Reviving Negotiations To Buy Palestinian Gas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from by Atef Sa'ad - (Opinion) July 15, 2008 - 8:00pm The managing director of the Investment Fund, Mohammaed Mostafa, has revealed yesterday that Israel is seeking to revive negotiations to buy Palestinian gas, while the Palestinian side and the British Gas company, the main developer of gas from Gaza's beaches, are being cautious in making a decision over this issue until they are certain of Israel's seriousness. » Read more

Pa Official: We'll Freeze Talks If Settlement Building Continues ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz July 10, 2008 - 3:19pm Palestinian negotiator Yasser Abed Rabbo said Thursday that the Palestinians were considering freezing their peace talks with Israel over Israeli construction plans for East Jerusalem. The Palestinians hope to establish the eastern sector of the city as capital of their future state, and see continued Israeli construction there as undermining that goal. » Read more

Wanted Palestinian Shot To Death By Troops Near Jenin ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Erfat Weiss - July 10, 2008 - 3:17pm Israeli troops continue to operate in West Bank: A wanted Palestinian man was shot to death Wednesday by IDF and Border Guard forces operating in the Jenin area. According to security forces, the man was shot after attempting to evade arrest.  Reports on A'abad's organizational affiliation were contradictory. According to intelligence information gathered in Jenin, he belonged to the Fatah's Abu-Amar Brigades, but other sources claimed he was a Hamas member. » Read more

Leftists, Border Guard Officer Hurt During Anti-fence Rally In Naalin ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Ali Waked - July 10, 2008 - 3:15pm At least 10 demonstrators, including five Israelis, were injured Thursday afternoon during a rally held in the town of Naalin, near the West Bank city of Ramallah, in protest of the construction of the West Bank security fence in the area.   According to the organizers, security forces used excessive force and tear gas to disperse the 400 Israeli left-wing activists, Palestinians and foreign nationals who arrived at the Palestinian village, located north of Ramallah. » Read more

2 Qassams Land In Western Negev ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Shumlik Hadad - July 10, 2008 - 3:12pm Two Qassam rockets were fired from northern Gaza towards Israel on Thursday afternoon, one of them landed near a kibbutz in the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council. No injuries were reported and no damage was caused. » Read more

Israel Is At The Receiving End ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by George Hishmeh - July 10, 2008 - 3:10pm Norway, in the hope of reaching a final settlement. None of these magnanimous gestures have brought the Israelis around that. Rather Israel has resorted to occupation as a key instrument in determining the final borders. In other words, grab as much as you can and then negotiate a partial withdrawal. At no point has it thought of reaching out to the Palestinians although the outlines of a settlement are crystal clear - a pull-back to the 1967 borders which would leave the Palestinians only one-fifth of their homeland. » Read more

Israeli Pm’s Party Views September Leadership Vote ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) by Ron Bousso - July 10, 2008 - 3:08pm JERUSALEM (AFP) Israel's ruling party was expected on Thursday to set a mid-September date for a leadership election under a deal reached to quell a crisis over the latest graft scandal to embroil Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The embattled premier was also facing a third police questioning on Friday over suspicions he had unlawfully accepted large sums of cash stuffed in envelopes from a US businessman before becoming premier in 2006. » Read more