November 13th

US ‘very concerned’ about Palestinian student deportation ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Vita Bekker - November 13, 2009 - 1:00am Two weeks ago, Berlanty Azzam was blindfolded, handcuffed and driven from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip by Israeli soldiers who claimed the Palestinian university student was illegally residing in the occupied territory. Ms Azzam’s expulsion and rough treatment by the Israeli military have drawn wide international media attention and have threatened to deepen a rift between the country and its US ally, the Jersusalem consul general for which was quoted in Israeli newspapers as saying he was “very concerned” by the incident. » Read more

Israel's dark view of the world ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Charles Grant - (Opinion) November 13, 2009 - 1:00am The official explained to Bibi Netanyahu that if there was a peace settlement, extra investment would push Israel's long-term growth rate from 5% a year to 7%. The Israeli prime minister responded that if the country had 5% growth, it did not need peace. Netanyahu was joking, according to the official who recounted the story – but the quip highlights a serious point. There is no prospect of a settlement between Israelis and Palestinians, and many Israelis are fairly relaxed about that. During a recent visit to Israel, I met very few people who were optimistic about the peace process. » Read more

Fatah signals new strategy if Abbas quits ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Financial Times by Tobias Buck - November 12, 2009 - 1:00am Shaken by the prospect of losing their veteran leader, senior Palestinian officials have started debating fresh strategies in their long-running conflict with Israel in the hope of galvanising international support for their cause. » Read more

PA: Israel to focus on Syria ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews November 13, 2009 - 1:00am Despite Israel's denial that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a secret message of reconciliation to Syrian President Bashar Assad, the Palestinian Authority is convinced that something has changed in the Israeli approach, and that Jerusalem is now planning to focus its efforts on renewing talks with Damascus. » Read more

Abbas must unilaterally declare Palestinian state ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Yossi Sarid - (Opinion) November 13, 2009 - 1:00am It is precisely now that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas must not give up hope, and not because of the sweet nothings that Shimon Peres uttered at the rally in the square last Saturday night about people giving up hope in Ramallah. As if at the President's Residence every day is Carnaval, and not only when he's packing his bags for his trip to Brazil. » Read more

Under Lieberman, Foreign Ministry drops peace initiatives as goal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - November 13, 2009 - 1:00am Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has set priorities for his ministry that apparently are at odds with those of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. While Netanyahu is trying to convince U.S. President Barack Obama that he is sincere about advancing the peace process on the principle of two states for two peoples, the foreign ministry's written goals don't even mention the word "Palestinians." The ministry has also dropped assisting Israelis abroad from its list of goals. » Read more

IDF Chief: Israel will fight in Gaza again if needed ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz November 13, 2009 - 1:00am Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi said Friday that the army would not hesitate to respond if Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip continued to fire rockets at Israel. "We are prepared to contend with the whole arc of threats," Ashkenazi told students during a visit to a Be'er Sheva high school, citing both the local defense situation as well as Iran's contentious nuclear program. » Read more

Hamas, Fatah spar over elections delay ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency November 13, 2009 - 1:00am The Central Elections Commission does not have the capacity to hold elections on 24 January, the body's chairman Hanna Nasser announced on Thursday. Nasser said in a Ramallah news conference that the commission sent a letter to President Mahmoud Abbas explaining the situation, and noting that it is not up to the commission to decide when to hold elections, if they are not held on the 24th. The decision will effectively postpone Palestinian presidential and legislative elections to an unknown date. » Read more

Palestinian killed by Israeli fire in Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency November 13, 2009 - 1:00am Israeli forces killed a young Palestinian man and injured three others in the southern Gaza Strip on Friday. Among the injured were two brothers, according to medics, who said the shooting occurred in the Johr Ad-Dik area and that another Palestinian was hospitalized. There were conflicting reports on what led to the incident. Palestinian witnesses said the group was on a hunting trip near the border east of Al-Bureij refugee camp when Israeli forces opened fire. Local medics said the fire was directed at the youths. » Read more

Israelis seen backing possible talks with Hamas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters November 13, 2009 - 1:00am More than half of Israelis would support peace talks with the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas if it recognised Israel, a poll published on Friday said. The results of the survey conducted by the Israeli Dialog Institute seemed to suggest Israelis were blaming Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, a Hamas rival, for a deadlock in peace talks, more than Israel's rightist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Haaretz newspaper wrote. » Read more