June 28th

Palestinian says women's rights forgotten in Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Edmund Sanders - (Interview) June 28, 2010 - 12:00am Naila Ayesh's path to becoming a Muslim activist for women's rights began when she miscarried in an Israeli detention center in 1987 after being arrested for belonging to a Palestinian student union. Today Ayesh, 49, founder of the Gaza Strip-based Women's Affairs Center, has become one of the only feminist voices in the seaside territory that was seized three years ago by Hamas, an armed Palestinian group that aspires to impose Islamic law. » Read more

Gaza banks to close following forced cash withdrawal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency June 28, 2010 - 12:00am The Palestinian Monetary Authority and the Banking Association in Gaza made a joint call to close all financial institutions at 11am on Monday, in anger over a forced withdrawal by Hamas police the day before. The statement said Gaza government police had stolen cash from the Bank of Palestine, though Gaza leaders said the withdrawal was based on a local court ruling, overturning the PMA decision to freeze the accounts of a local charity. » Read more

We won't relinquish the enemy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Akiva Eldar - (Opinion) June 28, 2010 - 12:00am The Americans are once again disturbing our peace with their "peace process," and are already talking about continuing the settlement construction freeze. Everything was so simple with the three "no"s of Khartoum from September 1967: No peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel and no negotiations with Israel. The Palestine Liberation Organization's armed conflict did cost us lives, but there's need to talk peace with terrorists. When the Arabs refused to recognize us it was 10 times more convenient to settle, to annex and to assassinate. » Read more

Abbas 'waiting for answers' on Israel talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency June 28, 2010 - 12:00am Positive answers from Israel "will encourage us to go into direct talks," President Mahmud Abbas said Monday, describing the status of proximity discussions with Israel under US mediation. Government-run news service WAFA said Abbas made the comment during ceremony opening a PA construction project in Ramallah. He said PLO officials had made their demands clear over borders and responded to Israeli concerns over security, and await the Israeli response from Middle East Peace envoy for the United States George Mitchell. » Read more

Construction at Sheikh Jarrah begins ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Ronen Medzini - June 28, 2010 - 12:00am Construction in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah began Sunday, just a few days before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was scheduled to meet with the US president. The controversial construction plans, set at the site of the Shepherd Hotel, surfaced on the eve of Netanyahu's previous meeting with Barack Obama three months ago, embarrassing the Israeli government. Channel 10 reported Sunday that bulldozers had already arrived at the site, intended for 20 new Jewish homes. » Read more

UNRWA criticizes Palestinian infighting ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press June 28, 2010 - 12:00am The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) called on the different Palestinian factions Sunday to stop the infighting in order to solve a developing electricity crisis in Hamas-run Gaza. "It is such a tragedy that, on top of all the other crises that we have in the Gaza Strip, we now have a crisis of electricity," John Ging, director of UNRWA in Gaza, was quoted by AFP as saying. » Read more

Israeli Ambassador Oren denies statement of 'rift' with U.S., despite reports ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Glenn Kessler - June 28, 2010 - 12:00am Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren denied Sunday that he had told Israeli diplomats a "tectonic rift" was emerging between the United States and Israel -- incendiary words first reported in the Israeli press and then repeated in media outlets around the globe. » Read more

A Tel Aviv day-trip shouldn't be a crime ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Seth Freedman - (Opinion) June 28, 2010 - 12:00am Despite government claims to the contrary, Israel's borders are far from impenetrable to residents of the occupied Palestinian territories. The separation wall is only 60% complete, numerous ways to circumnavigate checkpoints exist throughout the West Bank, and poorly patrolled perimeters provide any would-be terrorist with ample opportunity for security breaches. » Read more

Leader of the Opposition ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Deborah Solomon - June 22, 2010 - 12:00am The Israeli security cabinet just voted to ease the three-year blockade on Gaza, in the wake of the tragic naval attack on the Mavi Marmara by Israeli commandos. What does that mean in practical terms? » Read more

Palestinian refugees demand dignity in Lebanon ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Abigail Fielding-Smith - June 28, 2010 - 12:00am Kamal Suleiman, an electrician from one of Lebanon’s poorest and most violent refugee camps, gestured towards the 5-year-old boy by his side. “I am here for him,” said. “Because of my son.” Mr Suleiman and his little boy were among the thousands who gathered across Lebanon yesterday to demand greater social and economic rights for Palestinians in the country. Organisers estimated that 6,000 attended yesterday’s demonstration in Beirut, and thousands more protested in Tripoli, Tyre and the Chouf mountain region. » Read more