December 8th

U.S. Drops Bid to Sway Israel on Settlements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Mark Landler - December 8, 2010 - 1:00am After three weeks of fruitless haggling with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Obama administration has given up its effort to persuade the Israeli government to freeze construction of Jewish settlements for 90 days, a senior administration official said Tuesday. The decision leaves Middle East peace talks in flux, with the Palestinians refusing to resume direct negotiations absent a moratorium, and the United States struggling to find another formula to bring them back to the table. It is another setback in what has proved to be a star-crossed campaign by President Obama. » Read more

December 7th

Jailed Palestinian atheist sorry ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Statesman by Diaa Hadid - December 7, 2010 - 1:00am A Palestinian atheist jailed for more than a month for sharing his anti-Islam views on the Internet has apologized for offending Muslims, and a Palestinian military spokesman said he expected "positive" developments in the case. Rights groups have criticized his arrest as a demonstration of the limits on free speech under the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, which has trawled Internet sites like Facebook as part of a crackdown on dissent and unpopular views. » Read more

Top Israel rabbis: Don't sell property to non-Jews ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Statesman by Amy Teibel - December 7, 2010 - 1:00am Three dozen top Israeli rabbis threw their support Tuesday behind a religious ruling barring Jews from selling or renting homes to non-Jews — an indication of growing radicalism within the rabbinical community at a time of mounting friction between Israeli Arabs and Jews. » Read more

Israel upset by Argentina Palestinian recognition ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Statesman by Daniel Estrin - December 7, 2010 - 1:00am Israel expressed disappointment Tuesday with Argentina's recognition of a Palestinian state in territories Israel occupied in 1967, saying they undercut American-led efforts to create such a state through negotiations with Israel. Argentina said its move, announced Monday just days after Brazil took a similar step, reflected the country's deep frustration with gridlocked peace efforts. But Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said unilateral recognition was "counterproductive" to peacemaking. » Read more

Hamas court orders execution of 'collaborator' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency December 7, 2010 - 1:00am A Gaza military court has convicted three men of collaborating with Israel, sentencing one to death and two more to prison terms, the Hamas interior ministry said on Monday. "The military court handed down a death sentence against one collaborator with the occupation, and prison terms of seven years and three years for two other collaborators," the ministry said in a statement. No additional details on the men were provided. » Read more

20 diplomats attend hearing of anti-wall activist ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency December 7, 2010 - 1:00am Twenty diplomats attended a military court on Monday to hear an appeal to extend the sentence of non-violent protest leader Abdallah Abu Rahmah, the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee said. Abu Rahmah was due to be released on 18 November, having served a 12-month sentence. The anti-wall activist was convicted of incitement and organizing illegal demonstrations for his role in Bil'in's campaign against the construction of Israel's wall on its lands. He has been kept in detention at the military prosecution's request despite having served the term of his sentence. » Read more

ISRAEL: Concern over Latin American recognition of Palestinian state ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Batsheva Sobelman - December 7, 2010 - 1:00am First came Brazil. In a public letter addressed to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas last week, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said his country "recognizes a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders." The statement came in response to a personal request from Abbas, it said. Next came Argentina, which announced Monday that it would join Brazil in its decision, which U.S. lawmakers had protested as "severely misguided." » Read more

Abbas says dissolution of PNA not an option ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua December 7, 2010 - 1:00am Visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Monday that the Palestinians did not consider dissolving the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) an option as no demands for such an act had been voiced. Abbas told a joint press conference with Turkish President Abdullah Gul that he would press for other states to recognize an independent Palestinian state if peace talks with Israel collapse, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported. However, the dissolution of the PNA was not among the various options of the Palestinians in case talks fail, he was quoted of saying. » Read more

Fatah, Hamas argue over holding new reconciliation meeting ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua December 6, 2010 - 1:00am Palestinian Islamic Hamas movement and its bitter rival Fatah party still argue over holding another round of dialogue to reach an inter-reconciliation deal and end their split, a Hamas official said Monday. Salah el-Bardaweel, a Gaza-based Hamas leader, told Xinhua that the contacts between Hamas and Fatah over setting up a date for holding another round of reconciliation dialogue are severed "and haven't led yet to anything new." » Read more

Europe doesn't delegitimize Israel, only the occupation ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Akiva Eldar - (Analysis) December 7, 2010 - 1:00am The flying squadron of international firefighters that came to extinguish the flames in the Carmel region has poured cold water on the "they are delegitimizing us" campaign. Even Norway - which, heaven help us, keeps an open channel to Hamas and heads the list of critics of Israel's government - offered a pair of helicopters. It is hard to find a diplomat who epitomizes the difference between support for Israel and delegitimization of the occupation better than Svein Sevje, Norway's ambassador to Israel. » Read more