Israel continues to oppose peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by Adel Safty - (Opinion) August 10, 2009 - 12:00am The Obama administration continues to pursue a settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict "actively and aggressively", as Obama himself vowed in the first days of his mandate. Central to this pursuit is the issue of a total freeze on Israeli colony construction - an obligation mandated by the road map for peace, which Israeli leaders refuse to honour. » Read more

March 14 and Fatah ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al-Hayat by Walid Choucair - (Opinion) August 10, 2009 - 12:00am It is no coincidence that King Abdel-Aziz of Saudi Arabia has recently sent a letter to the Fatah conference in Bethlehem, urging Palestinians to unite “because if the entire world agrees on a Palestinian state, it will not be established if your house is divided,” and dispatched his minister of culture and information, Abdel-Aziz Khoja, to Beirut to help halt the deterioration in relations among the March 14 coalition, and specifically between Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri and Walid Jumblatt, the head of the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP). » Read more

Israeli jets strike Gaza tunnel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC World News August 10, 2009 - 12:00am Israeli planes have bombed a smuggling tunnel into Gaza after Palestinian mortars fell near the main crossing from Gaza into Israel. The Israeli military said two mortar shells landed a few hundred metres from Erez crossing as urgent Palestinian medical cases were being transferred. It was the first such airstrike since mid-June, with Palestinian rocket attacks much reduced in recent months. No casualties were reported in any of the incidents. The Israeli military said the air strike early on Monday morning was in response to "continued" rocket and mortar fire. » Read more

Palestinian Report: progress made in Shalit talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Roee Nahmias - August 9, 2009 - 12:00am Israel and Hamas are holding intensive Egyptian-mediated talks behind the scenes in an attempt to finalize a prisoner exchange deal, a Palestinian website affiliated with the Islamic Jihad reported Sunday. The report quotes the website's "commentator on Israeli affairs" as saying that an agreement securing the release of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit is about to be finalized and may even be executed before Eid al-Fitr – the holiday marking the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan – in about a month and a half. » Read more

Yishai: If need be we will build without US approval ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Ronen Medzini - August 10, 2009 - 12:00am Interior Minister Eli Yishai, Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin and Maale Adumim Mayor Benny Kashriel visited the E1 area between the city and Jerusalem on Monday with a clear message that this area should be built up, with or without American approval. The tour took place near a police station, the only Israeli building in E1. "At some point, we will have to build, even if we don't manage to convince the Americans, at least in the settlement blocks," Yishai said. » Read more

Lieberman urges Boston consul to resign for rebuking Israel policy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - August 10, 2009 - 12:00am Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Monday called on Israel's Consul-General in Boston Nadav Tamir to resign his post over a confidential memo in which he criticized the government for harming ties with the U.S. last week. "Any official who can't abide by policy dictated by the elected government - must resign," Lieberman declared at a Foreign Ministry meeting. » Read more

Fatah backs two-state solution, sharpening rift with Hamas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press August 10, 2009 - 12:00am Fatah on Sunday endorsed the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, underlining its ideological conflict with the Islamist Hamas and drawing political battle lines for their next election showdown. The movement adopted the program at its convention - Fatah's first in 20 years - that also tried to finesse the key principle of violent resistance against Israel, calling it a right but preferring measures like civil disobedience. » Read more

Yishai: U.S. can't stop settlement expansion ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Nir Hasson - August 10, 2009 - 12:00am Interior Minister Eli Yishai said on Monday that Israel must go ahead with plans to expand a settlement enclave near Jerusalem despite U.S. objections. While touring the E-1 corridor, Yishai called for continued construction in the contentious corridor between the Ma'aleh Adumim settlement and Jerusalem, and said he hoped Israel would succeed in convincing the U.S. to approve construction. » Read more

Abbas re-elected chairman by deeply divided Fatah ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Irish Times by Michael Jansen - August 10, 2009 - 12:00am Fatah's first general congress in 20 years yesterday delayed until this evening the vote for representatives on two key decision-making bodies. By postponing elections for a third time, Fatah revealed that it remains deeply divided between the “old guard” who have controlled the movement since its founding half a century ago and the “young guard” who seek to initiate wide-ranging reforms. » Read more

Young Israeli settlers go hippie? Far out, man! ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Joshua Mitnick - August 9, 2009 - 12:00am Situated just outside this contoversial Jewish settlement in the West Bank, the hilltop stage was dominated Thursday by a Star of David, an olive tree, and musicians who mix blues licks, reggae rhythms, and messianic refrains from Jewish liturgy. The annual "End of Days" festival – which bills itself as a "place of light and unity, inspiration and calm" – has become something of a mini-Woodstock in the settlements, with meditation groups, religious study sessions, and a crowd dressed in colorful flowing clothes. » Read more