Hamas: Abbas Thwarting Shalit Deal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Ali Waked - August 20, 2008 - 12:00am Hamas' military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, held a wide-scale exercise Tuesday evening on the ruins of the former settlement of Netzarim. During the exercise, group spokesman Abu Ubaida said that if Israel carries on with its policy regarding a future prisoner exchange deal, kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit's fate will be similar to that of missing IDF navigator Ron Arad. Ubaida accused Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad of thwarting the deal. » Read more

Evacuated Settlement 'reestablished' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Erfat Weiss - August 20, 2008 - 12:00am The Samaria Regional Council and the Homesh First organization decided to mark the third anniversary of the evacuation of the northern West Bank in a special way Tuesday evening. A number of Knesset members, including Yuli Edelstein (Likud), pressured Defense Minister Ehud Barak to let them hold a council meeting at the location of the evacuated settlement of Homesh, and end the event with a wedding. » Read more

Israel Closes Gaza Crossings Over Rocket Fire ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Shumlik Hadad - August 20, 2008 - 12:00am Defense Minister Ehud Barak ordered the commercial crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip closed as of Wednesday morning following the launching of a Qassam rocket towards southern Israel earlier on Tuesday. The crossings are to remain closed over the next two days. On Thursday Barak will conduct a revaluation of the situation Palestinian gunmen launched a Qassam rocket from northern Gaza towards Israel on Tuesday evening. The rocket landed in an open area in a kibbutz belonging to the Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council. » Read more

New land seizure orders issued during the Gaza operation - February 2009 ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Americans For Peace Now February 25, 2009 - 1:00am The Peace Now Settlement Watch Team latest report discloses that a number of new land seizure orders were issued during the Gaza operation, a number of these orders were related to the route of the separation fence. In most cases they were irregular orders signed by a brigadier general, commander of the Judea and Samaria Division (as opposed to the Officer in Command of the Central Command who usually signs seizure orders), and are limited to only 60 days. Peace Now sees these seizure of orders as an attempt to establish quick facts on the ground and to bypass High Court provisions. » Read more

U.S. Middle East envoy takes second trip to region ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters February 24, 2009 - 1:00am U.S. special Middle East envoy George Mitchell has embarked on his second trip to the region to further President Barack Obama's pledge to work for Arab-Israeli peace, the State Department said on Tuesday. Mitchell was in London on Tuesday for talks with British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and would also visit the Turkish capital Ankara, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Israel and the West Bank before returning to Washington on March 4. » Read more

Obama ties Israel talks to ‘new era of engagement’ ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Ron Kampeas - February 24, 2009 - 1:00am President Obama coupled his calls for expanded diplomatic outreach to his quest for peace for Israel and its neighbors. » Read more

World Agenda: why the Middle East could thwart Obama ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Times by Richard Beeston - February 25, 2009 - 1:00am He has dispatched envoys, offered his hand in friendship to old enemies and even raised the matter last night in his first big speech to Congress on the state of the nation. But no matter how hard Barack Obama tries, the Middle East is proving even more challenging a problem than he could have reasonably expected. In the space of a few days the mess he inherited from George Bush has got a lot messier. » Read more

Musical Show of Unity Upsets Many in Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Ethan Bronner - February 24, 2009 - 1:00am Achinoam Nini, a singer and peace activist, has long stirred controversy here. Known abroad by her stage name, Noa, she has recorded with Arab artists, refused to perform in the occupied West Bank, condemned Israeli settlements there and had concerts canceled because of bomb threats from the extreme right. » Read more

A win for women's rights ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Diaa Hadid, Nasser Shiyoukhi - February 25, 2009 - 1:00am The Islamic courts were among the last male-only bastions in Palestinian society, where women have been presidential candidates, police officers and even suicide bombers. Now two stern-looking young women in Muslim head scarves and long black robes have smashed through the thick glass ceiling. Khuloud Faqih, 34, and Asmahan Wuheidi, 31, made history when they became the first female Islamic judges in the Palestinian territories. » Read more

Interview With Mr. Detlev Mehlis, The First Commissioner of UNIIIC In The Assassination Of Former Prime Minister of Lebanon, Mr. Rafik Hariri ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al-Hayat by Raghida Dergham - February 25, 2009 - 1:00am Detlev Mehlis, Former Commissioner of United Nations International Independence Investigation Commission in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and 22 others, stressed that the tribunal which commences its work on Sunday, March 1st, is the "raised finger of the international community to anyone who considers achieving his political goals in Lebanon through assassinations." In his exclusive statement to Al-Hayat, he added that "I hope one day this raised finger will turn into a finger pointing at the perpetrators." » Read more