May 14th

E. J'lem demolitions on hold ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Yaakov Lappin - May 14, 2010 - 12:00am Demolition orders for illegally constructed Arab homes in east Jerusalem are highly unlikely to go ahead in the near future, it emerged on Thursday, despite a recent announcement to the contrary by Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch. The U-turn came after the US State Department sought clarifications over comments by Aharonovitch, who said on Wednesday that “police have no instructions to refrain from carrying out the demolitions. They will be carried out in the coming days.” The comments threatened to reignite a US-Israeli row over Israeli policy in east Jerusalem. » Read more

Pins in the Goldstone voodoo doll ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Hagai El-Ad - May 13, 2010 - 12:00am What will they come up with next? The campaign to discredit Judge Richard Goldstone, his fact-finding commission and the report that now bears his name seems to reach new heights every week. The latest installment in this high-drama farce has been the revelations about Goldstone's record during apartheid-era South Africa, and the implication that his report can therefore be disregarded. » Read more

Thus spoke the dairy farmer ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Yoel Marcus - May 13, 2010 - 12:00am Many years ago, the incumbent chief of staff spoke at a prestigious club that used to host a prominent government figure every Friday. Mostly, reporters were also invited, and if there were no scoops to be had, at least they got a nice free lunch. I was present at that luncheon, and the CoS spoke such a lot of nonsense that I wrote a critical piece about his speech. Astonishingly, the military censor blue-penciled the whole article. » Read more

Israeli ministers squabble over East Jerusalem construction ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua May 13, 2010 - 12:00am Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Eli Yishai said on Thursday that he would continue approving construction plans in contested areas of Jerusalem, including the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood. "There is not and never has been a freeze on construction in Jerusalem, nor will there ever be," Yishai told his Shas Party newspaper, "day by day." Concerning the Israeli-Palestinian proximity talks, American officials on Thursday asked both sides to refrain from what they termed "provocative" moves, but Yishai said that Israel would not accede to U.S. demands. » Read more

Qrei'a: Negotiations will bring nothing ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency May 14, 2010 - 12:00am PLO's Jerusalem Affairs department chief and former prime minister Ahmad Qrei'a said Thursday that he expected very little from the next four months if indirect negotiations. Speaking with journalists in Amman, the PLO leader said that beyond his expectation for a fruitless series of talks, that he anticipates real problems, noting the necessity to have a joint track that pulls peace with Syria onto the field. The official said he had advised President Mahmoud Abbas on his suggestions, but said the leader had so far not heeded his advice.

J'lem woman says broken nose from settler assault ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency May 14, 2010 - 12:00am Following her release from hospital, a 32 year old Palestinian woman from the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah reported being assaulted by a settler on Wednesday afternoon. Mother of five and Sheikh Jarran resident Hamlat Al-Mughrabi was admitted to the Augusta Victoria Hospital on Wednesday evening with a broken nose, saying a settler had hit her in the face with a heavy tool and run away. » Read more

Palestinian boy shot, sources say by settlers ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency May 14, 2010 - 12:00am A Palestinian boy was shot dead by settlers, security sources confirmed late on Thursday, saying the child was targeted after throwing stones at his attackers' car. Military sources told Israeli media that the boy's body was found, but did not confirm that the cause of death was shooting and said an investigation would be launched into the incident. However, the sources did confirm shots fired in the area, as well as reports that children were throwing rocks at settler cars. » Read more

Analysts befuddled by Israeli leaders' claims on Jerusalem on eve of peace talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua by David Harris - May 14, 2010 - 12:00am JERUSALEM, May 13 (Xinhua) -- As Israelis celebrated Jerusalem Day on Wednesday, the country's leaders outraged Palestinians by pledging that Jerusalem would remain Israel's indivisible capital. The comments from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several of his cabinet colleagues and MPs from his Likud party came on the eve of the commencement of indirect talks with the Palestinians, befuddling some analysts. » Read more

Boycott Blues ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Newsweek by Dan Ephron - May 14, 2010 - 12:00am By presidential decree, Palestinians this month began boycotting products manufactured in Israeli settlements—part of the nonviolent campaign to end Israel's 43-year occupation of the West Bank. Considering the numbers involved and the overall strength of Israel's economy, the direct effect of the ban will probably be negligible. About 2 or 3 percent of the $44 billion in goods Israel exports are made in the settlement areas, according to estimates by economists (Israel does not break down manufacturing data by region). » Read more

Beyond negotiations: Palestinian strategies for advancing peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Common Ground News Service by Hussein Ibish - May 14, 2010 - 12:00am WASHINGTON, DC - The Obama administration was successful in arranging for the resumption of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations through “proximity talks”, which began last week, but expectations in all quarters are correctly low for any near-term breakthrough. Consequently, Palestinians have been systematically developing a new set of peaceful strategies to achieve independence and advance a resolution to the conflict. » Read more