August 4th

Settlers: State colluding with left-wing groups against us ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz August 4, 2009 - 12:00am Tension between the Defense Ministry and the official body representing West Bank settlers reached a boiling point after the latter accused the state of colluding with leftist groups in filing anti-settler petitions to the High Court of Justice, according to Army Radio. » Read more

Palestinian economy isn't recovering thanks to Israel, but in spite of it ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Akiva Eldar - August 4, 2009 - 12:00am Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu misses no opportunity to flaunt the flourishing of the Palestinian economy - in the West Bank, of course; not in Gaza. During a sweaty and well-publicized visit he held last weekend at the Allenby Bridge crossing, Netanyahu boasted of the fact that economic growth in the West Bank had reached 7 percent. At the cabinet meeting on Sunday the growth rate grew to double digits: 10 percent. Thus will be done to good Arabs who maintain Israel's security and don't launch Qassam rockets at the country. » Read more

Fatah holds key party congress ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News August 4, 2009 - 12:00am Speaking at the congress, Mr Abbas said Palestinians sought peace with Israel but "resistance" remained an option. Fatah is widely seen as corrupt and ineffective, the BBC's Middle East correspondent Tim Franks says. Our correspondent says there will be close interest in who is elected to the faction's main internal positions of power. Some 2,000 delegates are convening for Fatah's three-day congress in the West Bank town of Bethlehem. » Read more

Abbas: We choose peace, but reserve right to resistance ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Avi Issacharoff, Jack Khoury - August 4, 2009 - 12:00am Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says his people must not "mar their legitimate struggle with terror" and that while his government seeks peace with Israel, it reserves the right to resort to "resistance." Abbas spoke Tuesday to about 2,200 Fatah delegates gathered in the West Bank. The meeting is the first first convention held by the movement in two decades. Fatah's last conference was held in 1989 in Tunis under late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. » Read more

Why Lieberman, Israel's anti-Arab leader, could resign ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Ilene Prusher - August 4, 2009 - 12:00am Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Monday he will resign from his position if he's indicted, a day after Israeli police recommended that he be tried for charges including bribery, money laundering, and obstruction of justice. Mr. Lieberman's legal woes add to the possibility of a shakeup in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government, as the parliament paved the way Monday for members of the opposition Kadima party to split with leader Tzipi Livni and join the government. » Read more

August 3rd

Poll: 77% of 'Soviet' olim support Arab transfer ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews August 3, 2009 - 12:00am The 2009 Democracy Index, published by the Israel Democracy Institute on Sunday, reveals marked differences between the immigrant population from the former Soviet Union and the general population in Israel. The IDI's 2009 Democracy Index was handed to President Shimon Peres Monday. The survey was carried out in March 2009 on a sample representative of the adult population in Israel of 1,191 respondents. The respondents were interviewed in three languages: Hebrew, Arabic, and Russian. The sampling error is 2.8%. » Read more

Netanyahu plans meeting with Mitchell ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Roni Sofer - August 3, 2009 - 12:00am Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold an important meeting with US Mideast envoy George Mitchell at the end of the month, sources said. Top sources in Jerusalem confirmed to Ynet that Netanyahu will meet with Mitchell in London, as part of the prime minister's European tour in which he will also meet with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. » Read more

Palestinians seek end to trade dependence on Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Erika Soloman - August 3, 2009 - 12:00am At Garden's grocery store in Ramallah, Dalia al-Khatib hands out fliers and showcases Palestinian goods for Intajuna ("Our Products"), one of many campaigns asking Palestinians to avoid Israeli products. But across town, an all-Palestinian crew of labourers heads home after a day of work on the nearby Jewish settlement of Adam, like some 30,000 other Palestinians who help build settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. » Read more

Rights groups: Gov't stifles free speech ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Dan Izenberg - August 3, 2009 - 12:00am Organizations who devote all or part of their efforts towards protecting Palestinian human and legal rights on Sunday delivered a strong protest to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu against "the aggressive efforts of the government of Israel to hurt Breaking the Silence." On July 15, Breaking the Silence, an organization comprising former IDF soldiers, published a report including testimonies by 30 soldiers who provided alleged examples of the army's illegal use of Palestinian civilians in combat situations, wanton destruction of homes and buildings and careless use of weapons. » Read more

Knesset Speaker: Establishment of Israel caused Arabs real trauma ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz August 3, 2009 - 12:00am Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin (Likud) is calling for a fundamental change in relations between Jews and Arabs in Israel, urging the founding of a "true partnership" between the two sectors, based on mutual respect, absolute equality and the addressing of "the special needs and unique character of each of the sides." » Read more