November 8th

Israel confronts flagging interest in military service ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Janine Zacharia - November 7, 2010 - 12:00am TEL HASHOMER, ISRAEL - Since Israel's founding, the military here has served not just as a defender against outside threats, but as the glue that brings together a patchwork nation of immigrants. Now, the Israel Defense Forces' position as the country's most venerated institution appears to be slipping. While service is compulsory for most young men and women, a growing minority is avoiding conscription, leaving planners to worry the military won't have the troops it says it needs. » Read more

UK and Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News November 8, 2010 - 1:00am During his recent visit to Israel, British Foreign Secretary William Hague believed the stalled Palestinian-Israeli negotiations would top the agenda. But Tel Aviv was more concerned with what Britain planned to do about the prospect of Israeli officials being arrested in Britain to face war crimes charges brought by pro-Palestinian campaigners. » Read more

Israel is right to be concerned ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star by Rami Khouri - (Opinion) November 6, 2010 - 12:00am We can learn much from the Israeli government’s decision this week to suspend a special strategic dialog with the United Kingdom because of concerns that Israeli officials could be arrested and indicted with crimes against humanity in the UK, according to a British law that provides for “universal jurisdiction” in such cases, i.e., a suspect of any country can be charged, detained and tried in a British court even if the alleged crimes occurred in a third country and did not include British citizens among the victims. » Read more

For Family of Slain Activist, No End in Sight for Case ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Ethan Bronner - November 7, 2010 - 12:00am HAIFA, Israel — Seven years after an American student, Rachel Corrie, was killed in Gaza by an Israeli military bulldozer she tried to block, becoming a global symbol of the Palestinian struggle, her parents and her older sister sit in an Israeli court in this northern city with two hopes: to confront the men who ran over her and to prove that the army investigation into her death was flawed. » Read more

November 5th

How will the election affect U.S. efforts for Mideast peace? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua November 5, 2010 - 12:00am GAZA, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- Islamic Hamas movement accused Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday of trying to hinder national reconciliation. The accusation followed Abbas' remarks that security control in the Palestinian territories can not be shared with Hamas. Abbas statements "meant to ruin Damascus meeting" next week, in which Hamas and Abbas' Fatah party will discuss inter- reconciliation, especially the security issue, Hamas Spokesman Ayman Taha told Xinhua. » Read more

Haaretz exposé / State gave East Jerusalem lands to rightist groups without tenders ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Nir Hasson - November 5, 2010 - 12:00am The Israel Lands Administration is transferring properties in the Silwan neighborhood and the Old City of Jerusalem to right-wing groups Elad and Ateret Cohanim for low prices, without issuing a tender as required by law, a Haaretz investigation has found. The state and the groups involved concealed the transactions and refused to give any information about them. At the end of a lengthy legal struggle conducted by left-wing activist Dror Etkes, the court decided to have the ILA release only part of the information, to prevent the properties' identification. » Read more

Hamas accuses Abbas of trying to fail reconciliation ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua November 4, 2010 - 12:00am Islamic Hamas movement accused Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday of trying to hinder national reconciliation. The accusation followed Abbas' remarks that security control in the Palestinian territories can not be shared with Hamas. Abbas statements "meant to ruin Damascus meeting" next week, in which Hamas and Abbas' Fatah party will discuss inter- reconciliation, especially the security issue, Hamas Spokesman Ayman Taha told Xinhua. » Read more

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/how-will-the-election-affect-u-s-efforts-for-mideast-peace-1.323023 ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Lara Friedman - (Opinion) November 5, 2010 - 12:00am The bottom line of this week's midterm Congressional elections: The House of Representatives is now in the hands of the Republicans, while the Democrats still control the Senate, albeit by a smaller majority. What does this election mean for American efforts to promote Israeli-Palestinian peace? The conventional answer is: Buckle your seat belts - we're in for a bumpy ride. The more serious answer is: It depends mainly on President Obama. » Read more

UK: Israeli officials shouldn't fear arrest ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Statesman by Ian Deitch - November 4, 2010 - 12:00am Israeli officials should not fear arrest warrants initiated by pro-Palestinian activists when they travel to Britain on official business, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Thursday. Hague's comments sought to reassure Israeli leaders after they suspended an annual strategic meeting in Britain last month due to fears they could be arrested under the principle of "universal jurisdiction." Pro-Palestinian activists in Britain have sought the arrest of Israeli officials under the principle, which allows courts to prosecute alleged war crimes from elsewhere in the world. » Read more

UN Gaza leaders given submachine guns for protection 'against Hamas' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Chaim Levinson - November 5, 2010 - 12:00am The defense establishment has taken the unusual step of granting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency approval to take four weapons into Gaza. The weapons, submachine guns, are to serve the security detail guarding the heads of the agency in Gaza. The request to bring in the weapons was made three years ago and approved last week. The director of UNRWA's activities in Gaza, John Ging, said on his website that his life is in constant danger and he needs more suitable protection than the handguns his bodyguards had been carrying. » Read more