September 10th

Why stop with Elbit? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amira Hass - (Opinion) September 9, 2009 - 12:00am The question is not why Norway divested from the defense electronics giant Elbit Systems, but why only now, and why only from that company? The country that gave the name of its capital city to what the world thought of as a peace process is still invested in companies involved in construction and development in the West Bank settlements - the principal factor in destroying any chance for peace (at least any peace other than the belligerent demand that the Palestinians say "thank you" for what Israel is willing to give them). » Read more

Spanish FM: Syria optimistic about talks with Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Roni Sofer - September 9, 2009 - 12:00am President Shimon Peres met in Jerusalem Wednesday evening with Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos, who reportedly relayed a message concerning Syria. According to Moratinos, Syrian President Bashar Assad said during their meeting that he was "optimistic about reigniting the Israeli-Syrian peace process." » Read more

Spain supports Palestinian statehood on 1967 borders: FM ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua September 10, 2009 - 12:00am RAMALLAH, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Foreign Minister of Spain Miguel Angel Moratinos said Wednesday that his country supports the establishment of an independent Palestinian statehood on the borders of 1967. Moratinos made the statement in a joint news conference held in Ramallah with chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, adding that Spain and the European Union "will keep exerting every possible effort to achieve the Palestinian goals." » Read more

Media war rages over Gaza conflict ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Seth Freedman - (Opinion) September 9, 2009 - 12:00am Gone are the days when history was written solely by the victors. In today's democratised climate of instantly disseminated words and images, those on either side of a battlefield have the potential to feed facts and figures to media outlets around the world, or to pass on video footage and photographs that their opponents might prefer never saw the light of day. » Read more

Make the Palestinian state an essential fact on the ground ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Ziad Asali - (Opinion) September 10, 2009 - 12:00am The Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad’s blueprint for what he has called “de facto Palestinian statehood” offers a new and important element to the quest for peace in the Middle East. » Read more

UN chief Ban: Israel settlements in West Bank are illegal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press September 10, 2009 - 12:00am UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed "deep concern" on Wednesday about Israel's decision to approve new settler homes in the occupied West Bank and urged the Jewish state to end all such activity. "Such actions and all settlement activity are contrary to international law and the roadmap," said a statement read out by UN spokesman Farhan Haq. The 2003 Middle East roadmap drawn up by international mediators calls on Israel to halt settlement expansion in the West Bank and for the Palestinians to rein in militants. » Read more

Fayyad's Statehood Plan ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News by Ziad Asali - (Opinion) September 10, 2009 - 12:00am PALESTINIAN Prime Minister Salam Fayyad’s blueprint for what he has called “de facto Palestinian statehood” offers a new and important element to the quest for peace in the Middle East. » Read more

Abbas receives Egypt's vision of reconciliation, response in 2 days ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency September 10, 2009 - 12:00am Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas received Egypt’s conciliation plan and is currently reviewing it, Presidential Spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh said Wednesday. In a statement published on the official government news website WAFA, Abu Rudeineh said it was expected Abbas would take two days to prepare an official response to the submitted plan, or “vision,” as the statement called it. » Read more

Gaza border violence heats up: Israel enters, factions retaliate ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency September 10, 2009 - 12:00am Clashes erupted as Israeli bulldozers and armored vehicles entered 800 meters beyond the Gaza border near Beit Hanoun and began destroying agricultural land near the border, witnesses said Wednesday afternoon. Israeli soldiers reportedly fired on civilians in the area as they began bulldozing lands. Farmers fled the area and shortly after they reported hearing explosions from the same direction. The Military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, claimed they launched a rocket propelled grenade shell at the invading forces. » Read more

A frustrating vicious cycle ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times by Daoud Kuttab - (Analysis) September 10, 2009 - 12:00am Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to approve new Jewish settlements just as a possible settlement freeze was being suggested shows yet again his country’s disregard of reason, a trend exhibited for over 40 years now. » Read more