May 6th

Israelis and Palestinians are ready to begin talking -- sort of ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post (Editorial) May 5, 2010 - 12:00am INDIRECT TALKS between Israelis and Palestinians appear finally set to begin, after a two-month delay that showed the Obama administration's diplomacy at its worst. The trouble started with an errant announcement by Israel of new housing construction in East Jerusalem; President Obama chose to escalate what could have been a blip into a public quarrel, in the apparent hope of extracting a series of concessions from Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. » Read more

Palestinian president warns of Hamas arms smuggling in West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press May 6, 2010 - 12:00am The Palestinian president has accused Hamas militants of smuggling large amounts of weapons into the West Bank, just as peace talks with Israel are getting under way. President Mahmoud Abbas said in a newspaper interview published Thursday that his forces have largely thwarted the smuggling efforts. He says they confiscate weapons, explosives and other equipment from Hamas operatives every day. The comments, made to the London-based Arabic daily Sharq al-Awsat, appeared to be aimed at easing Israeli concerns as indirect U.S.-mediated peace talks begin this week. » Read more

US envoy sees indirect Mideast peace talks in days ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Allyn Fisher-Ilan - May 6, 2010 - 12:00am The United States expects to reconvene Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in an indirect format in the coming days, a U.S. spokesman said on Wednesday after the U.S. envoy met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "We hope and expect formally to move forward with proximity talks before Senator (George) Mitchell leaves the region on Sunday," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said in Washington after Mitchell's three hours of talks with Netanyahu. » Read more

Voice of Israel: Settlers plan action against talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency May 6, 2010 - 12:00am Voice of Israel radio hosted a program Thursday morning about a settler plan to "distract" indirect Israeli-Palestinian negotiations "as soon as they start." The program's military guests and settler researchers said West Bank settler-leaders had formed a committee and distributed thousands of leaflets with details on planned protest action as meetings between officials continue. » Read more

Both hindrance and blight ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times May 6, 2010 - 12:00am The Palestinian boycott of Israeli goods that originate in settlements is picking up speed. This is a very laudable initiative and a form of resistance that might, combined with other tactics, gain some result. For a start, it hits Israel where it hurts, namely in the pocket. While the exact market share of settlement goods in the Palestinian economy is not known, since Israel does not label goods properly, estimates suggest that it is as high as 15 per cent. » Read more

Boycott puts the squeeze on Jewish settlers ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Omar Karmi - May 5, 2010 - 12:00am The man selling watermelons on the main road from Ramallah to the Qalandiya military checkpoint had clearly worked on his sales pitch. “These are Arab watermelons,” he said with some feeling. He pointed to the sticker on the melons, which, although it boasted an Israeli mobile phone number, was written in Arabic. “These are not Jewish,” he said. “And they are sweet.” » Read more

Analysis: Boycott puts social cohesion at risk ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Ron Friedman - (Opinion) May 6, 2010 - 12:00am While it is too early to tell if Israel’s Arab population will answer the call to boycott goods made in the settlements, the mere suggestion is enough to anger large portions of Israeli society, which see the Arabs siding with the Palestinians as proof that they cannot be trusted. Arab-Israeli disapproval of the settlements is not new. Nor is Arab-Israeli identification with the Palestinian people. Many in the Arab population consider the Palestinians their brethren; and even if they don’t wish to join them, they do seek to support their quest for national sovereignty. » Read more

Ayalon slams Goldstone on apartheid ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post May 6, 2010 - 12:00am Reports that international jurist Richard Goldstone sent 28 black South Africans to death during the apartheid regime prove he wasn't impartial when compiling the UN report on Operation Cast Lead, Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said Thursday. Speaking to Israel Radio, Ayalon said that, "after [Goldstone's] dubious background was revealed, there is no reason not to think" that the judge had ulterior motives in composing the UN report accusing the IDF of perpetrating war crimes in Gaza. » Read more

My mandate on Gaza was even-handed, my loyalty is to justice ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Richard Goldstone - May 6, 2010 - 12:00am At the outset let me say that I have taken no pleasure in seeing people around the world criticise the South African Jewish community and I commend the South African Jewish Board of Deputies and all responsible for bringing an end to the unfortunate public issues that had arisen relating to my grandson's bar mitzvah. My family and I are delighted that I was able to attend the bar mitzvah on Saturday and that it was such a joyous and meaningful occasion. I am deeply grateful to Rabbi Suchard, the members of the committee and the congregation at Sandton Synagogue for having made this possible. » Read more

Settlers wish destruction on Barak's home ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Shmulik Grossman - May 5, 2010 - 12:00am Settlers from Shavei Shomron scattered building bricks near the homes of the prime minister, defense minister, and Minister Moshe Ya'alon, a day after security forces demolished six structures in the Nablus-area settlement. The blocks were brought from the ruins of the illegal structures that the Civil Administration demolished in the settlement. Outside the defense minister's house in the Akirov Towers in Tel Aviv, a pile of stones was placed with a sign that read: "Barak, minister of destruction, may your home be destroyed soon as well." » Read more