November 27th

Israel: One killed, others injured in airstrike on Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency November 27, 2009 - 1:00am The Israeli military confirmed an air attack on the northern Gaza Strip Friday morning which it said killed one Palestinian. Palestinian sources were quoted in Israeli media as confirming that four men were injured, two seriously. Military sources said a group of Palestinians in the Jabaliya region of northern Gaza were preparing to launch projectiles on southern Israel. An army spokeswoman said the slain Palestinian was a member of a group called "Jaljalat" which she described as a Salafist group in Gaza with "ties to Al-Qaeda." The group is not known to operate in Gaza. » Read more

For Gaza's homeless, holiday is time for despair ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters November 26, 2009 - 1:00am In the days leading up to Eid al-Adha, Zaid Khadar would usually be buying new clothes for his children and stocking up on traditional foods to celebrate one of the most important dates on the Muslim calendar. Instead, he struggles to shield them from the winter rain dripping through the roof of the shelter that has housed his family since they were made homeless by Israel's three-week offensive in the Gaza Strip almost a year ago. "My children are saying: 'Why aren't you bringing us clothes? Why don't you get a sheep to slaughter?'" said Khadar. » Read more

Israel settlement freeze: Benjamin Netanyahu promises 10-month halt, angering allies ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Ilene Prusher - November 25, 2009 - 1:00am In an attempt to jump-start Middle East peace talks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Wednesday for a c. Israel's security cabinet, one of the gatekeeping bodies on major policy decisions, approved the freeze with an 11-1 vote. » Read more

Half-Truths Dim Chances for Renewing Mideast Talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Ethan Bronner - November 26, 2009 - 1:00am In recent years, the international community has made one central demand of Israel and one of the Palestinians to create conditions for a two-state solution: Israel must stop building settlements on land the Palestinians want for their state, and the Palestinians must dismantle terrorist networks and end violent attacks on Israelis. » Read more

November 25th

Abbas: Obama doing nothing for peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post November 25, 2009 - 1:00am Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday accused US President Barack Obama of doing "nothing" to achieve peace in the Middle East. Speaking to Argentinian newspaper Clarin, Abbas said he hoped that Obama would "take a more important role in the future." He went on to say that the Palestinian people were awaiting US pressure on Israel, "so that it respects international law and takes up the Road Map," stressing that the peace process could not be restarted without a halt to settlement construction. » Read more

Israel's pro-settlement soldiers worry leaders ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News November 25, 2009 - 1:00am In Israel, most men and women do military service. As a result, the public's attitude towards their military is rather familial and criticism is mostly expressed in private. But, suddenly, an increasing number of soldiers are openly protesting against their involvement in the evacuation of Jewish settlement outposts in the West Bank, reports the BBC's Katya Adler. » Read more

Netanyahu's Syrian distraction ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Chris Phillips - November 24, 2009 - 1:00am A glimmer of hope in the moribund Middle East peace process surfaced in Paris recently when Nicolas Sarkozy separately hosted both the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, and the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad. Reports suggested that Netanyahu passed on a message to his Syrian counterpart about reopening peace negotiations. Though both leaders were quick to play down any talk of detente, recent announcements in both Tel Aviv and Damascus suggest that talks "without preconditions" may not be far off. » Read more

Obama still has leverage over Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Financial Times by David Gardner - (Analysis) November 23, 2009 - 1:00am Has Barack Obama made a hash of his Middle East peace diplomacy? That seems to be the verdict of international commentators and – more to the point – of Palestinian leaders in despair at ever getting their own state and an Israeli government exulting that it made the US president blink first. Yet, it is worth stepping outside the hothouse for a minute to examine whether it is that simple: whether Mr Obama will be content to see his ambitious strategy of reconciliation with the Arab and Muslim worlds held hostage by the obdurate obstruction of the government of Benjamin Netanyahu. » Read more

Inside Israeli jails, the real victims of a cry for justice ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Jesse Rosenfeld - (Opinion) November 24, 2009 - 1:00am Amid the growing media fever over a possible prisoner swap involving the release of Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier held by Hamas, another young captive has a less visible public profile – but personifies Israel’s chokehold on Palestinian self-expression. » Read more

As the enemy sees us ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Ayyam by Hassan Al-Battal - November 24, 2009 - 1:00am Who is this man, this “dour official leading a revolutionary cultural change?” Salam Fayyad is not always formal, though mostly to be seen wearing a necktie. He did, however, wear shorts and ran in the handicap marathon in Nablus. And what are these “revolutionary cultural changes” as perceived by certain deep Israeli analyses, but dismissed as irrelevant by other Israeli analysts? According to Dr. Einat Wilf of the Jewish People Policy Planning Institute, Israel would do itself a favor if it took Mr. Fayyad seriously. Why? » Read more