October 22nd

Israel joins US for defence drill ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News October 22, 2009 - 12:00am The exercise will focus on providing a joint defence against a simulated co-ordinated missile attack on Israel. Up to 2,000 joint military personnel are believed to be taking part, along with at least 15 American ships. The Israeli army said the exercise was not a "response to any world events" but had been planned for a while. It is thought that a highly sophisticated new American radar, based in the Israeli desert, will be central to the exercise. Two-fold significance » Read more

US envoy: Lip service for Mideast peace not enough ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Josef Federman - October 22, 2009 - 12:00am JERUSALEM — The Obama administration's ambassador to the United Nations told Israelis on Wednesday that it is not enough just to pay "lip service" to peace and urged the government to immediately relaunch negotiations, without preconditions, aimed at creating an independent Palestinian state. Ambassador Susan Rice, in an address at a high-powered conference hosted by Israeli President Shimon Peres, assured Israelis — many of whom are wary of Obama's Mideast agenda — that her government is committed to their security. » Read more

No way home: The tragedy of the Palestinian diaspora ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Independent by Judith Miller, David Samuels - October 22, 2009 - 12:00am It is a cynical but time-honoured practice in Middle Eastern politics: the statesmen who decry the political and humanitarian crisis of the approximately 3.9 million Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and in Gaza ignore the plight of an estimated 4.6 million Palestinians who live in Arab countries. For decades, Arab governments have justified their decision to maintain millions of stateless Palestinians as refugees in squalid camps as a means of applying pressure to Israel. » Read more

Goods Flood Gaza’s Tunnels, Turning Border Area Into a Shopping Mecca ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Rafah Journal by Taghreed El-Khodary - October 21, 2009 - 12:00am RAFAH, Gaza — Dusty sacks filled with cans of Coca-Cola were being loaded onto trucks by young boys, headed for supermarkets in Gaza City. Thousands of motorcycles were lined up on display in a nearby stadium, ranging in price from $2,000 to $10,000. » Read more

Press Release: The PLO, the Hijab, the Government, Security and Elections. ATFP World Press Roundup Article from AWRAD by Nader Said - (Analysis) October 17, 2009 - 12:00am Margin of error: +3 % Field work dates: September 31 – October 3, 2009 Publication Date: Saturday - October 17, 2009 (1200 questionnaire in the West Bank and Gaza) » Read more

October 21st

A New Image of Palestine in Washington ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Raya by Khairallah Khairallah - (Opinion) October 17, 2009 - 12:00am (a translation from Arabic, see below for Arabic version) Thank God for the new face of Palestine in Washington, an image that the United States of America can respect along with the rest of the international community. This Palestinian image, which has the potential to permeate the American consciousness, operates under the rubric of an organization called the American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP). A few days ago, on the evening of Oct. 15, the Task Force, which is headed by Dr. Ziad Asali, held its annual dinner in one of the premier hotels of the American capital. » Read more 1 attachment

Accountability: core of Goldstone's report ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star by Rami Khouri - (Opinion) October 21, 2009 - 12:00am The Goldstone Report on the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip that was released by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) late last month generated a brief flash of publicity because it criticized Israel and Hamas over conduct in the war that could be classified as war crimes and crimes against humanity. The deeper and wider implications of the report, however, have not been sufficiently discussed or acted upon, which is a shame. » Read more

Hamas Demands Guarantees before Reconciliation ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat by Saleh Al-Naeimi - October 20, 2009 - 12:00am The Hamas movement has stressed that it needs guarantees for implementing any agreement reached with Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas. Ismail Radwan, a leading movement figure, asserted that the countries sponsoring the reconciliation should offer such guarantees so that any future agreement would not have the same fate as that of agreements reached in the past between the two movements. He stressed at the same time that reconciliation is the movement's strategic option and that it is committed to its success. » Read more

Attacks on J Street as parley approaches ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Eric Fingerhut - October 20, 2009 - 12:00am Days before the inaugural conference of the left-wing pro-Israel group J Street, critics’ attacks on the organization are having an effect on the planned event. » Read more

Trust remains an issue in Obama-Bibi relationship ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Ron Kampeas - October 20, 2009 - 12:00am With the major knots that bedeviled U.S.-Israel ties this summer largely behind them, U.S., Israeli and American Jewish leaders say the relationship between the two countries is much improved. But with some misapprehension and mistrust persisting, all sides appear to agree that things could bear further improvement. Among the thorniest issues: a mutual perception between the Obama and Netanyahu administrations that each side is playing the other using leaks. » Read more