Supporting Salaam Fayad's vision for statehood ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Alon Ben-meir - September 1, 2009 - 12:00am Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salaam Fayad's unveiling of his government program to build the apparatus of a Palestinian state within two years is a bold and welcome initiative. » Read more

Gaza and Bilin ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al-Hayat by Husam Itani - (Blog) September 1, 2009 - 12:00am In Bilin a weekly march takes place in protest of the racist Israeli separation wall, in which activists from all over the world participate and which witness clashes with occupation forces and settlers, usually resulting in a number of wounded and victims of Israeli gases. The protest marches are organized by a broad coalition of political forces, Palestinian civil society institutions and international organizations that combat racial discrimination, in addition to local inhabitants from the village and neighboring area. » Read more

Not one penny has reached Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Omar Karmi - September 1, 2009 - 12:00am It has been six months since the international community pledged nearly US$5 billion (Dh18bn) in aid to the Palestinian people, chiefly for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip after Israel’s devastating offensive there this year. None of this aid has reached Gaza and no reconstruction has started. » Read more

Jewish settlers plan massive construction ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Vita Bekker - September 1, 2009 - 12:00am The accelerating pace of Jewish settlement expansion in East Jerusalem this year may spur violence between Israelis and Palestinians in the city and cripple new efforts by the Obama administration to kick-start peace talks, an Israeli anti-settlement group warned yesterday. The “massive” construction being planned by Jewish settlers within Palestinian neighbourhoods in East Jerusalem is likely to prompt clashes, said Yudith Oppenheimer, the executive director of Ir Amim, a Jerusalem-based advocacy group. » Read more

PA blames Israel for prisoners' sickness ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post September 1, 2009 - 12:00am A Palestinian Authority minister said Israel was not doing enough to maintain the health of Palestinian prisoners. Prisoner Affairs' Minister Issa Karaki was quoted by the Palestinian Ma'an news agency on Monday as saying that the recent discovery of cancer in 25 Palestinian prisoners "was a troubling phenomenon which indicates the decline in Palestinian prisoners' health conditions and the lack of minimal medical care." » Read more

Encountering Peace: President Obama: Pro-Israeli, pro-Palestinian, pro-peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Gershon Baskin - (Analysis) September 1, 2009 - 12:00am President Obama's popularity in Israel is at an all time low for a US president. Only 4% of Israelis believe that the president is pro-Israeli, according to a survey published last week by the Jerusalem Post. President Obama does not face elections in Israel so perhaps he does not need to be overly concerned with this statistic but in order for Obama's Middle East peace plans to succeed, the Israeli public must have a "buy-in". » Read more

IDF cuts down West Bank raids for fear U.S. diplomats will see ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Anshel Pfeffer - September 1, 2009 - 12:00am The Israel Defense Forces has canceled a number of planned arrest operations in the West Bank fearing soldiers will be seen by American diplomats touring the territories. IDF officers serving with their units in the West Bank said they were instructed by brigade commanders in recent weeks to call off the planned arrests of wanted men inside Palestinian towns, because of these diplomats' presence. » Read more

Obama envisions two years until Mideast peace deal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Akiva Eldar, Barak Ravid - September 1, 2009 - 12:00am Washington will announce the renewal of talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority through a trilateral summit of U.S. President Barack Obama, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The meeting would take place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly late this month; two years would be allotted to completing talks on a peace agreement. On Monday President Shimon Peres confirmed that such a summit was being considered, under facilitation by Obama. » Read more

Fayyad defends plan: Establishing state our responsibility ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency September 1, 2009 - 12:00am Palestinian caretaker Prime Minister Salam Fayyad defended his plan for a de facto independent Palestinian state against Israeli criticism on Sunday night. "Establishing the state and its institutions is a Palestinian responsibility," Fayyad said in a joint press conference with European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana. "We are interested in this project and we are working towards implementing it," he added. Earlier Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman criticized the Fayyad plan. » Read more

Haniyeh: Hamas will not recognize Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency September 1, 2009 - 12:00am De facto Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Monday evening reiterated Hamas’ refusal to recognize Israel repeating his famous line, “Castles will not fall, neither will they determine our attitudes by force, and we will not recognize Israel.” Haniyeh’s comments came during an iftar, the sundown meal breaking the Ramadan fast along with dignitaries from the eastern Gaza Strip. “The pledge between us and the Palestinian people is that we do not remiss martyrs’ blood, nor Jerusalem, nor our holy land. Our prisoners will be freed for sure.”