February 19th

Expansion Draws Rice Criticism ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters August 27, 2008 - 12:00am US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called on Israel Tuesday not to undermine peace talks with the Palestinians after a report found it had nearly doubled Jewish settlement construction. On her seventh visit this year in a long-shot push for a peace deal by January, Rice said the two sides were "somewhat closer" in their talks despite deep public scepticism about the chances of ending the six-decade conflict. » Read more

A Summer Camp For Political Dissenters In Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Danna Harman - August 27, 2008 - 12:00am Weeks before her scheduled conscription into the Israeli army, at a time when most other 18-year-olds were gearing up for mandatory service, Saar Vardi was in the forest – talking about pacifism. One of a small group of Israeli conscientious objectors, Ms. Vardi spent her last days of summer at a unique camp – counseling others who might follow in her activist footsteps. » Read more

Bedouin Nomads Under Threat In Holy Land ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Telegraph by Carolynne Wheeler - August 27, 2008 - 12:00am Thanks to drought and increasing Israeli security restrictions on where they can wander, their nomadic lifestyle, which predates the birth of Christ, is likely to die out within a generation. » Read more

Hamas Armed Wing Vows To Continue Battle ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press August 27, 2008 - 12:00am The shadowy leader of Hamas' armed wing on Tuesday broke a two-year silence with a new vow to continue battle until "victory" over Israel. The new comments by Mohammed Deif were published a Hamas Web site. Hamas said his call to battle was part of a new book glorifying comrades killed in fighting with Israel. Deif is one of Israel's most wanted Palestinian gunmen. He has survived several assassination attempts and lives in hiding. It is believed that he remains seriously wounded. In his comments, Deif said he will go on fighting until victory, or until he is killed. » Read more

Rice Says “god Willing” There Is Hope For Israeli- Palestinian Peace, Criticizes Israelis ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Matthew Lee - August 27, 2008 - 12:00am Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Tuesday there is hope for a Mideast peace deal but she offered no reason for optimism beyond the fact that the two sides are speaking. » Read more

Hamas Breaks School Strike By Rival Fatah ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press August 27, 2008 - 12:00am The ruling Hamas movement on Wednesday replaced hundreds of striking teachers with its own supporters, purging Gaza's education system of its political rivals and deepening its control of the coastal territory. The labor strife has disrupted the public school system at the start of the academic year and added to the misery in Gaza, which has suffered from international isolation and Israeli economic sanctions since Hamas violently seized power last year. » Read more

Israel Hails Egypt's 'effective' Crackdown On Gaza Tunnels ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) August 27, 2008 - 12:00am Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak during talks with President Hosni Mubarak on Tuesday voiced rare praise for Egypt's efforts to stem weapons smuggling into the Hamas-run Gaza Strip. Barak hailed Egyptian efforts along the porous border which "have visibly been effective," said a statement from the Israeli Defense Ministry after the talks at one of Mubarak's palaces in the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria. » Read more

Idf Temporarily Bans 3 Rightists From West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Erfat Weiss - August 27, 2008 - 12:00am IDF Central Command chief, Major-General Gadi Shamni, issued three restraining orders against settlers residing in the West Bank settlements of Yitzhar and Adi-Ad, banning them from the area pending the conclusion of the upcoming Palestinian olive harvest. Early Wednesday morning, the men – all known right-wing activists – were presented with the warrants, banning them from the West Bank from several months. » Read more

Israel's Political Limbo Is Just As Thorny For Rice ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - (Analysis) August 27, 2008 - 12:00am U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice may have arrived in Israel with the intention of advancing talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, but her meetings have also dealt with trying to understand Israel's political limbo. An Israeli government source said a key issue Rice's aides discussed with their Israeli counterparts was what happens the day after the Kadima party primary. » Read more

The Faulty Pleasant Approach ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Editorial) August 27, 2008 - 12:00am Underwear was among the many things the United States supplied Israel during the Yom Kippur War. This urgent shipment was somewhat ironic: It completely contradicted the dominant ethos of the previous 15 years and found expression in Haim Hefer's song "Cannons instead of socks." Hefer's lyrics, sung by the Nahal troupe, were part empathy and part criticism of the soldier's willingness to give up comfort and clothing for another gun and another tank. » Read more