November 20th

Palestinian MK: 15,000 settlement homes awaiting approval in Jlem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency November 20, 2009 - 1:00am Palestinian Member of the Knesset Ahmad Tibi said Israel's Jerusalem municipality is preparing to build 15,000 new housing units around the city, mainly in areas beyond the Green Line in occupied Palestine. “These plans are larger and more dangerous than the recent plans to build 900 housing units in Gilo,” Tibi said during a phone interview on Friday. The MK called the plans common knowledge, saying “Everyone who follows up these issues knows that these plans exist," and explained they were just waiting for approval from the government, just like "what happened in Gilo," Tibi said. » Read more

Palestine set to take control of own postal system ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency November 20, 2009 - 1:00am Palestine was allocated a postal code by the Universal Postal Union (UPU) following successful talks with the International Bureau in Berne, Switzerland, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology announced Wednesday. » Read more

'Fatah officials warn of third Palestinian intifada' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Jack Khoury - November 20, 2009 - 1:00am Fatah had made a strategic decision to declare a third intifada against Israel, movement officials told Nazereth-based newspaper Hadith Anas, citing the failed peace talks as the reason for their resolution. The newspaper report quoted Fatah Central Committee members as saying that the movement wished to implement a decision made during its sixth convention, which assembled last August in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. » Read more

USA steps in, expresses concern over Israeli arrest of PA officers ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency November 20, 2009 - 1:00am Israeli forces detained six Palestinians from Nablus and Salfit overnight including the commander and four officers of the Palestinian Authority Intelligence Services. High-level negotiations between Palestinian and Israeli officials have been ongoing since dawn in an effort to have the men released, with American officials entering the debate shortly after 11am local time, expressing "concern" over the Israeli actions, reportedly approved by Israeli government officials before the raids took place, Palestinian security sources said. » Read more

Israel conducting secret talks with Hamas, Abbas says ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz November 20, 2009 - 1:00am Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday that Israel is currently conducting secret negotiations with Hamas. In an interview with the BBC in Arabic, Abbas said that the talks between Israel and Hamas revolved around a Palestinian state with temporary borders. The Palestinian president reiterated his criticism against Israel, saying that Jerusalem wasn't truly interested in peace, adding that "Washington isn't pushing Israel enough to advance the peace process." » Read more

What does Israel have against a Palestinian stadium? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amira Hass - November 20, 2009 - 1:00am A friendly game between an Arab soccer team and a Palestinian team was supposed to inaugurate the new stadium being built in the eastern part of Al-Bireh, near Ramallah, at the end of the year. "Supposed to" because the Civil Administration, an arm of the Defense Ministry, has ordered that the work be halted and is threatening demolition. » Read more

Why Jerusalem matters on the road to peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Sydney Morning Herald by Jason Koutsoukis - November 21, 2009 - 1:00am Palestinian aspirations to establish a capital in East Jerusalem are unwavering, despite this week's announcement by Israel that it is expanding Jewish neighbourhoods in the eastern half of the city. The former Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qureia, now the Palestinian Authority's Minister for Jerusalem Affairs, has told the Herald that Jerusalem is integral to Palestinian sovereignty. ''This is non-negotiable; we will not accept anything less than Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine,'' Mr Qureia said. » Read more

Israel, Egypt squeeze Gaza tunnel business ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters November 20, 2009 - 1:00am Fearing loss of life and money, Palestinians are abandoning tunnels that supply the blockaded Gaza Strip with everything from food to fridges to weapons. On the Gaza side of the border with Egypt, there is little activity in an area that was once as busy as an industrial zone. Many tunnel workers have concluded that the risk of being buried alive by Israeli bombardment and accidental ground collapses or poisoned by gas pumped underground by Egyptian security forces is just not worth it. Around 100 people have been killed in the past year. » Read more

Does sinking Mideast peace process hold any hope? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Douglas Hamilton - (Analysis) November 19, 2009 - 1:00am Efforts to rescue the sinking Middle East peace process are losing support. Influential U.S. pundits have lost faith. Those Israelis who never did believe in it are saying: we told you so. Some Palestinians believe it is as good as dead, strangled by Israel. They talk gloomily of a moment of truth. Middle East veterans say they have seen such hopeless spells before, and seen them lead to outbreaks of violence. » Read more

President Clinton, you're wrong! ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Yoram Ettinger - (Opinion) November 20, 2009 - 1:00am On November 15, 2009, former President Clinton stated in Jerusalem: "Two things remain unchanged since 1993 – geography and demographics. Palestinians have more children than Israelis can have or import." Clinton's intentions are positive. However, he is mistaken and misleading, while trying to convince Israelis to support a policy (withdrawal to the 1967 lines), which could determine the fate of the Jewish State: Oblivion or survival. » Read more