July 19th

EU, PA launch program to rebuild Gaza economy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency July 19, 2010 - 12:00am The EU and the Palestinian Authority officially launched the Private Sector Reconstruction in Gaza program Sunday. The launch coincides with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton’s visit to the besieged Strip, where she saw two of the 203 companies to benefit from the scheme. In total the EU will contribute €22 million to the program initiated by the PA in the aftermath of Israel’s war on Gaza which began December 2008, a statement said. Together, the PA and EU will target businesses which were destroyed by the attack, providing machinery, building materials and office furniture. » Read more

Three minutes of honesty from Netanyahu ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National July 18, 2010 - 12:00am The video should be aired on the evening news throughout the world. It reveals in stunning clarity the breadth of the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s disdain for the peace process, the Palestinians, and even Israel’s foremost ally, the US. Aired in Israel, a video shot in 2001 depicts Mr Netanyahu declaring that he personally destroyed the Oslo Accords. He boasts that it was he who prevented the “galloping to the ‘67 lines”. Given that these events transpired nine years ago, it would be possible that Mr Netanyahu’s views have changed; his actions reveal that they have not. » Read more

The War to Save Israel and Iran from their Isolation ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al-Hayat by Raghida Dergham - July 16, 2010 - 12:00am Whatever feelings one might harbor towards international individual and group stances on Arab problems, it would be useful for everyone to carefully analyze these stances. Indeed, such stances are adapted to the nature of relations between international players, most prominently the five nuclear countries that are permanent members of the Security Council: the United States, China, Russia, Britain and France. Arab concerns during this period are focused on what is going through the mind of Israel and Iran, as well as Turkey to a lesser extent. » Read more

Israel continues Jordan Valley demolitions ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency July 19, 2010 - 12:00am Israel's Civil Administration began demolishing over 20 farmer's sheds in the Al-Farisiya area in the northern Jordan Valley on Monday morning, officials said. Director of the Save the Jordan Valley campaign Fathi Khdeirat described the demolitions as an "Israeli policy of collective displacement, aimed at expanding settlement outposts in the northern Jordan Valley." » Read more

The deceptive promise of direct talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star by Rami Khouri - July 17, 2010 - 12:00am I am not privy to the discussions that took place privately between US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this month in the White House. From the noise and chatter that has followed this meeting, I believe we should start pondering the consequences of the likelihood that there will be no resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict during this generation. I base this pessimistic short-term outlook on several premises: » Read more

Egypt's Mubarak urges Israel, Palestinians to move toward direct talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press July 19, 2010 - 12:00am Pressure intensified on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to agree to direct talks with Israel as Egypt held separate, back-to-back meetings with the two sides Sunday in search of a compromise. Abbas says he will not negotiate directly with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu unless Israel agrees to recognize its 1967 frontier as a basis for the borders of a future Palestinian state and accepts the deployment of an international force to guard them. Netanyahu has refused to be pinned down on a framework for negotiations. » Read more

Hamas Moves to Enforce Water Pipe Ban in Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Fares Akram - July 19, 2010 - 12:00am In its latest attempt to try to impose a conservative Islamic way of life on Gaza, Hamas started this weekend to enforce a ban on smoking water pipes in public. Palestinians smoked water pipes, a long-standing pastime, at a cafe in Gaza recently while watching a World Cup match. A spokesman for the Hamas police, Ayman al-Batniji, said that the ban applied only to women and that it was in line with “the Palestinian people’s customs and traditions.” But many cafe owners said they had been ordered to ban water pipes for both men and women. » Read more

Foundation of peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News July 18, 2010 - 12:00am It might seem Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas forgot something when he recently put forth only one condition to resume direct peace talks: That Israel accept its 1967 frontier as a baseline for the borders of a Palestinian state. Abbas did not state the usual prerequisites — the halt of Jewish settlements, that Jerusalem be the capital of the future Palestinian state, the right of return or the return of Palestinian prisoners. » Read more

Ibish, why do you keep talking about what the Israelis will accept? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ibishblog by Hussein Ibish - July 19, 2010 - 12:00am It is frequently asked, although rarely directly to my face, “why does Ibish always talk/only seem to care (some version of that) about what Jewish Israelis will accept rather than what Palestinians want?” This question was recently repeated in a tweet, although not, as usual, directly addressed to me. Nonetheless, I do want to answer it because this confusion lies at the heart of a gulf of misunderstanding between the analyses I have been developing in recent years and much conventional wisdom among Arab-Americans and other pro-Palestinian groups. » Read more

House-by-house struggle for East Jerusalem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News by Jeremy Bowen - July 19, 2010 - 12:00am Sometimes you can see just why it is so difficult to make peace in Jerusalem. This city excites strong passions. Not only is it holy to Muslims, Jews and Christians. It is also a national symbol for Israelis and Palestinians. No piece of ground on the planet is more contested. It has changed hands violently many times. On a dusty, narrow and steep street on the Israeli occupied eastern side of the city stands a battered seven-storey building. Scorch marks smudge the stonework around some of the windows. » Read more