September 8th

New neighborhood launched in disputed E1 area ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews September 8, 2009 - 12:00am "This is our answer to the international community's demand that Israel halt construction in the West Bank," Deputy Education Minister Meir Porush (United Torah Judaism) said Monday during a groundbreaking ceremony for a new residential neighborhood in E1, a sprawl of land connecting Jerusalem to Maaleh Adumim. The US is opposed to any construction in the area, claiming that it hinders peace negotiations with the Palestinians. » Read more

Fayyad: We need to will Palestinian state ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews September 8, 2009 - 12:00am Some two weeks after going public with his ambitious plans of establishing a de facto Palestinian State within two years, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad of Monday said he was baffled as to Israel's displeasure and silence over his plans. In an interview to Newsweek, Fayyad said he did not understand why Jerusalem was so unwelcoming of his initiative, and said the Israelis were missing the point. "If you look at all the variables around us, we really don't have control over most of them," he told Newsweek. » Read more

Palestinian Paper: Netanyahu visited Arab State ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews September 8, 2009 - 12:00am Palestinian newspaper Al Manar reported Tuesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the capital of an Arab country which does not have diplomatic ties with Israel. Israeli journalists who were scheduled to meet Netanyahu on Monday inquired as to the change in his schedule. Later on in the evening, his office said he had visited a security facility in central Israel with National Security Adviser Uzi Arad and the PM's Military Secretary Maj. Gen. Meir Kalifi. » Read more

IDF general: Israel incapable of West Bank pullout ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Chaim Levinson - September 8, 2009 - 12:00am Almost seven years after he was introduced to Ariel Sharon's disengagement plan, initiated the establishment of the Sela disengagement administration to aid evacuees from Gaza and northern Samaria, and became one of the central figures behind the scenes in carrying out the plan - the head of the National Security Council at the time of the 2005 disengagement, Maj. Gen (res.) Giora Eiland, is convinced that Israel is incapable of evacuating settlements on the West Bank. » Read more

Infrastructure Minister Landau: Arabs are the occupiers ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Yuval Azoulay - September 8, 2009 - 12:00am National Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau on Monday lashed out at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan for a partial construction freeze in the West Bank, deeming the Palestinians "occupiers" and declaring any bounds on settlements a "violation of human rights." Right-wing lawmakers on Monday joined the crowds celebrating the establishment of a new neighborhood in the E-1 corridor connecting Jerusalem to its settlement suburbs. The ceremony was also attended by Supreme Court Judge Eliyakim Rubinstein and Information Minister Yuli Edelstein. » Read more

Haaretz probe: 'New' settlement permits aren't really new ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Chaim Levinson - September 8, 2009 - 12:00am At the West Bank city of Ariel's adventure park, whose construction Defense Minister Ehud Barak approved, nothing special was going on yesterday. Children were trying out the climbing wall and the mayor was walking around, proud as a groom on his wedding day. The facility was actually only approved yesterday, but has been in existence for a year and a half before receiving construction permits. In fact, a demolition order was issued against it. » Read more

Egypt to open Rafah crossing 15, 16 September ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency September 8, 2009 - 12:00am Egypt will open the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the southern Gaza Strip for two consecutive days on 15 and 16 September Egyptian security sources said Tuesday. The source explained that the crossing for patients, foreign visa holders, and students would be able to leave the Gaza Strip to Egypt, while all Gazans stranded at the Egyptian side of the terminal will be able to return to Gaza. Egyptian authorities said they would consider keeping the crossing open for an additional day or two so all those eligible to cross would be able to do so. » Read more

What Carter Missed in the Middle East ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Elliott Abrams - (Editorial) September 8, 2009 - 12:00am In an op-ed on Sunday ["The Elders' View of the Middle East"], former president Jimmy Carter, speaking on behalf of a self-appointed group of "Elders," described a rapacious Israel facing long-suffering, blameless Palestinians, who are contemplating a "nonviolent civil rights struggle" in which "their examples would be Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela." » Read more

The Elders' View Of the Middle East ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Jimmy Carter - September 6, 2009 - 12:00am During the past 16 months I have visited the Middle East four times and met with leaders in Israel, Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, the West Bank and Gaza. I was in Damascus when President Obama made his historic speech in Cairo, which raised high hopes among the more-optimistic Israelis and Palestinians, who recognize that his insistence on a total freeze of settlement expansion is the key to any acceptable peace agreement or any positive responses toward Israel from Arab nations. » Read more

How Israel warms up for a settlement freeze ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Ilene Prusher - September 8, 2009 - 12:00am Israel approved the building of more than 450 new homes in Jewish settlements on Monday, just weeks before possible Israeli-Palestinian talks on the sidelines of the annual United Nations gathering in New York. » Read more