June 1st

Israel flotilla raid deals a blow to ties with Turkey ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Megan K. Stack - June 1, 2010 - 12:00am Turkey, a longtime ally of Israel, recalls its ambassador and calls off joint military exercises as Turks take to the streets in protest. Ties had been deteriorating since the Gaza assault in 2008-09. Israel's raid on an aid flotilla that sailed out of Turkey may have eviscerated, at least for the foreseeable future, any lingering remnants of goodwill among the political elite of Turkey — a country long prized by the Jewish state as its most stalwart Muslim ally. » Read more

The flotilla fiasco ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post (Editorial) June 1, 2010 - 12:00am THE ISRAELI commandos who landed on the deck of the Turkish ferry Mavi Marmara off the coast of the Gaza Strip early Monday were totally unprepared for what they encountered: dozens of militants who swarmed around them with knives and iron bars. The result was a bloody battle in which at least nine passengers were killed -- and a diplomatic debacle for the government of Binyamin Netanyahu. Though the investigations to come will find many to blame, it's already clear that Israel's response to the pro-Palestinian flotilla was both misguided and badly executed. » Read more

Israel says Free Gaza Movement poses threat to Jewish state ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Scott Wilson - June 1, 2010 - 12:00am Once viewed only as a political nuisance by Israel's government, the group behind the Gaza aid flotilla has grown since its inception four years ago into a broad international movement that now includes Islamist organizations that Israeli intelligence agencies say pose a security threat to the Jewish state. » Read more

Raid Complicates U.S. Ties and Push for Peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Ethan Bronner, Helene Cooper - June 1, 2010 - 12:00am WASHINGTON — Israel’s deadly commando raid on Monday on a flotilla trying to break a blockade of Gaza complicated President Obama’s efforts to move ahead on Middle East peace negotiations and introduced a new strain into an already tense relationship between the United States and Israel. » Read more

2,000 financiers to attend Palestine Investment Conference ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency June 1, 2010 - 12:00am Bethlehem - Ma'an - Over 125 projects will be presented to investors attending this year's Palestine Investment Conference in Bethlehem beginning Wednesday, which will see 2,000 conveners, Palestinian Authority Minister of National Economy Hasan Abu Libdeh said. Each projects' feasibility will be discussed during PIC, giving investors the chance to "build relations between businesses," the minister told Ma'an on Sunday. The conference will focus on small to medium enterprises, which Abu Libdeh said the ministry is keen on promoting during the conference. » Read more

UN Security Council statement on Gaza flotilla ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters June 1, 2010 - 12:00am UNITED NATIONS, June 1 (Reuters) - Following is the full text of a formal presidential statement adopted on Tuesday by the United Nations Security Council on Israel's action against an aid flotilla heading for Gaza. The Security Council deeply regrets the loss of life and injuries resulting from the use of force during the Israeli military operation in international waters against the convoy sailing to Gaza. The Council, in this context, condemns those acts which resulted in the loss of at least ten civilians and many wounded, and expresses its condolences to their families. » Read more

ATFP Advocacy Director in CNN Interview on Flotilla Attack ATFP World Press Roundup Article from CNN June 1, 2010 - 12:00am » Read more