October 4th

Take a good look at Olmert’s fingertips ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News by Uri Avnery - (Opinion) October 4, 2010 - 12:00am He was talking about the negotiation he had conducted personally with Mahmoud Abbas, just before he himself was forced to vacate the prime minister’s office. That was the climax of the speech he made last week at a meeting of the “Geneva Initiative”. Before analyzing it, a few words about the host and about the speaker. » Read more

Defining 'Jewish state': For many, term has different meanings ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Glenn Kessler - October 2, 2010 - 12:00am Nine years ago, then-Secretary of State Colin L. Powell delivered a speech on the Middle East in which he briefly called on Palestinians to recognize Israel as a "Jewish state." Powell doesn't recall how the phrase ended up in his speech, but David Ivry, then the Israeli ambassador to the United States, says he persuaded an aide to Powell to slip it in. » Read more

Palestinians: Peace talks hinge on Israeli settlement construction ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Joel Greenberg - October 3, 2010 - 12:00am JERUSALEM - The Palestinian leadership said on Saturday that there would be no resumption of peace talks without a halt to Israeli settlement building in the West Bank, backing Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in a dispute that has imperiled recently renewed negotiations. » Read more

Israeli Soldiers Convicted of Using Boy as Shield ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Ethan Bronner - October 3, 2010 - 12:00am JERUSALEM — An Israeli military court convicted two soldiers on Sunday of using a 9-year-old Palestinian boy as a human shield by forcing him to check bags for explosives in Israel’s 2008-9 Gaza war. The court said that the two soldiers, both infantry sergeants, had taken part in an operation to seize an apartment building in Tel al-Hawa, a southern suburb of Gaza City, while under attack from Hamas fighters. » Read more

Palestinians invest $2 billion in Jericho to celebrate its 10,000th birthday ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Irit Rosenblum - (Analysis) October 3, 2010 - 12:00am The Palestinian Authority is launching a new branding campaign for the city of Jericho, one of the oldest cities in the world. Celebrations planned for October 10 will be held in honor of the establishment of the city 10,000 years ago. The city is also expecting to see $2 billion invested in a residential complex and hotels, and the option of an airport is also being discussed. » Read more

October 1st

Report: Four illegal outposts to be built in Hebron ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency October 1, 2010 - 12:00am The infrastructure for four illegal outposts is being constructed around the West Bank city of Hebron, a settlement affairs expert said Thursday. In an interview with Ma'an Radio, Abed Al-Hadi Hantash said the outposts would be integrated to form a new settlement, which would be linked with Kiryat Arba, the largest settlement in the district. » Read more

Peace ball firmly in Obama's court ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by George S. Hishmeh - (Opinion) October 1, 2010 - 12:00am Although some may blame Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and even Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for dropping the ball soon after their peace negotiations began three weeks ago, the more likely person who will be blamed should the talks collapse totally will be no other than US President Barack Obama on whom many had banked. » Read more

Peace ball firmly in Obama's court ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by George S. Hishmeh - (Opinion) October 1, 2010 - 12:00am Although some may blame Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and even Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for dropping the ball soon after their peace negotiations began three weeks ago, the more likely person who will be blamed should the talks collapse totally will be no other than US President Barack Obama on whom many had banked. » Read more

The second intifada, 10 years on ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Seth Freedman - (Opinion) October 1, 2010 - 12:00am This week marks the 10th anniversary of the outbreak of the second intifada, an event that continues to have profound repercussions for millions on both sides of the Israel-Palestine divide. According to statistics released by B'Tselem, the Israeli human rights organisation, 6,371 Palestinians and 1,083 Israelis were killed during hostilities in the last decade, but on top of the list of casualties is the unquantifiable toll taken on the psyches of ordinary citizens throughout the region. » Read more

'Arabs won't forget October 2000 killings' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Sharon Roffe-ofir - October 1, 2010 - 12:00am Ten years on, Israel's Arabs hold memorial rallies in commemoration of the October 2000 riots. Arab towns throughout the north held memorial ceremonies on Friday for the 13 people killed in the October events. Other locales held quiet protest marches to mark the anniversary. Family members of the victims visited their loved ones' graves. There was a general strike in all Arab towns on Friday. Abdul Menem, from Sakhnin, whose son Walid was killed in the October events, said that even a decade later, the families feel disrespected by the country. » Read more