October 6th

Fayyad cabinet says it still backs Goldstone report ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency October 6, 2009 - 12:00am The caretaker government in Ramallah claimed during its weekly cabinet meeting on Monday that it still supports Judge Richard Goldstone’s report on alleged war crimes in Gaza. According to a government statement, the West Bank cabinet headed by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said that the government reaffirmed its previous stance urging the United Nations Human Rights Council to take up the report at its next session next March. It was “unacceptable” to waste an opportunity to bring alleged Israeli war criminals to justice, the cabinet said. » Read more

Resistance denied ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Ahram by Stephen Lendman - October 6, 2009 - 12:00am Established in 1992, the Addameer (Arabic for conscience) Prisoners Support and Human Rights Association helps Palestinian prisoners, and works to end torture, arbitrary arrests and detentions, other forms of abuse, and unjust, unequal treatment in Israel's criminal justice system, which handles Jews in one way and Palestinians in another. » Read more

Ramallah PLC members side with Abbas over Gaza report fiasco ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency October 6, 2009 - 12:00am Members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) asked Minister of Foreign Affairs Riyad Al-Maliki on Monday for an explanation as to why Palestinian diplomats dropped their endorsement of a key United Nations report on alleged war crimes in Gaza. A statement that emerged from the Ramallah meeting was much less critical of Abbas and his government than a parallel but separate meeting of Hamas-affiliated lawmakers in the Gaza Strip that denounced President Mahmoud Abbas as a traitor for moving to delay international action on the report by Judge Richard Goldstone. » Read more

Israel restricting Arab Americans' travel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News by Barbara Ferguson - October 6, 2009 - 12:00am Arab Americans have reported difficulties in travel since Israel instituted a new entry visa policy early this spring that restricts them from entering Israel from the West Bank. The new passport stamp, issued by the Israelis at entry points, such as the Allenby Bridge border crossing between Jordan and the Israeli-controlled West Bank, says: "Palestinian Authority Only." According to the new policy, those entering with the stated intention to visit the West Bank are being prohibited from crossing the "Green Line" into Israel. » Read more

War criminals must not be shielded ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by Linda S. Heard - (Opinion) October 6, 2009 - 12:00am Once again Palestinians have attempted to procure justice via recognised international channels to no avail. The United Nations Human Rights Council shelved the Goldstone report that compiled evidence that war crimes may have been committed by Israel in Gaza. This means that Israel has once again escaped referral to the International Criminal Court in The Hague. The volte-face was the result of pressure from the White House which discounted the report as flawed and one-sided. » Read more

US denies it pressured Abbas to delay UN action on Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency October 6, 2009 - 12:00am The United States denied reports on Monday that it pressured President Mahmoud Abbas to allow the United Nations to delay action to bring alleged Israeli war criminals to justice. At the daily State Department press briefing on Monday, spokesperson Ian Kelly was asked about reports that US officials demanded that Abbas ask the UN Human Rights Council to delay a vote the report of investigator Richard Goldstone. » Read more

Israel After Iran ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat by Tariq Alhomayed - (Opinion) October 5, 2009 - 12:00am If the agreement that Iran reached with Western states on its nuclear file is real- whereby nuclear enrichment will now take place outside of Iran thus preventing a major crisis- then now it must be Israel’s turn. » Read more

Threats led to deferral of UN Gaza investigation ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Jonathan Cook - (Opinion) October 6, 2009 - 12:00am Israel celebrated last weekend its success at the United Nations in forcing the Palestinians to defer demands that the International Criminal Court investigate allegations of war crimes committed by Israel during its winter assault on the Gaza Strip. The about-turn, following vigorous lobbying from Israel and the United States, appears to have buried the damning report of Richard Goldstone into the fighting, which killed almost 1,400 Palestinians, most of them civilians. » Read more

Palestinians outraged over Abbas bowing to Israel, US ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Ilene Prusher - October 5, 2009 - 12:00am Demonstrators descended Monday on this city's most famous traffic circle, Manara Square, which for years was a launching point of Palestinian protests against the Israeli occupation. » Read more

Syria cancels Palestinian leader's visit ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press October 6, 2009 - 12:00am Syria has postponed a planned visit by the Palestinian President amid controversy about his decision to suspend efforts to have Israeli officials prosecuted for war crimes over last winter's military offensive in Gaza. A Syrian official refused to specify the exact reason for postponing Mahmoud Abbas's trip, which was scheduled to begin today. Yesterday's decision came a day after Syria criticised Mr Abbas's Palestinian Authority for backing down against Israel. » Read more