November 5th

UN Gaza leaders given submachine guns for protection 'against Hamas' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Chaim Levinson - November 5, 2010 - 12:00am The defense establishment has taken the unusual step of granting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency approval to take four weapons into Gaza. The weapons, submachine guns, are to serve the security detail guarding the heads of the agency in Gaza. The request to bring in the weapons was made three years ago and approved last week. The director of UNRWA's activities in Gaza, John Ging, said on his website that his life is in constant danger and he needs more suitable protection than the handguns his bodyguards had been carrying. » Read more

Israelis mull leaving settlers in Palestine ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Statesman by Amy Teibel - November 5, 2010 - 12:00am It has become an article of faith in the Israeli-Palestinian equation: Israel's withdrawal from occupied lands must be accompanied by a removal of Jewish settlers. But perhaps there's another option. Although it's hardly mainstream thinking, voices on both sides are quietly contemplating an alternative: Perhaps some Jews can live in a future Palestine, even if only in small numbers, the way Arabs live in Israel. » Read more

Hilltop Youth presents: Cursing lexicon ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Akiva Novick - November 5, 2010 - 12:00am With the end of the construction freeze and the beginning of the outpost-razing season, settlers present a new lexicon of conversational curse words for everyday use. The new pocket book dictionary has been distributed recently among Hilltop Youth, and contains behavioral guidelines to be followed during the razing of outposts, as well as a list of recommended swear words to use against police officers. » Read more

Palestinians to give U.S. peace effort more time ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Andrew Quinn - November 4, 2010 - 12:00am The Palestinians will give the United States several more weeks to try to relaunch direct peace talks with Israel, but will not buckle on their key demand for a halt to Israeli settlement activity, a top Palestinian official said on Thursday. Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said that an Arab League decision on Oct. 9 giving the United States one month to persuade Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop settlements could slip -- but that the core demand would remain unchanged. » Read more

Abbas: Israel building ferociously in Jerusalem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews November 5, 2010 - 12:00am Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated that he would not resume direct peace talks with Israel until it freezes construction in the West Bank's settlements. After meeting US envoy Mitchell in Washington, chief negotiator Erekat says, 'Key is in Netanyahu's hands. The choice is his: settlements or peace. He cannot have both' "Our demand to halt settlement construction is not a precondition," Abbas said in response to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claims. "We reached an agreement with the Israelis on this matter when we accepted the road map back in 1995. » Read more

Abbas: Israel building ferociously in Jerusalem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews November 5, 2010 - 12:00am Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated that he would not resume direct peace talks with Israel until it freezes construction in the West Bank's settlements. After meeting US envoy Mitchell in Washington, chief negotiator Erekat says, 'Key is in Netanyahu's hands. The choice is his: settlements or peace. He cannot have both' "Our demand to halt settlement construction is not a precondition," Abbas said in response to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's claims. "We reached an agreement with the Israelis on this matter when we accepted the road map back in 1995. » Read more

PLO: Settler violence on rise ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency November 5, 2010 - 12:00am A PLO report on settler violence said Friday that a sharp increase in assaults on Palestinians and vandalism of property was recorded for October. According to the report, Palestinians in the West Bank reported a total of 277 cases of settler violence from August through October 2010, with a sharp increase in incidents in the last weeks of October. » Read more

An-Nabi Salih: Army enters home of protest leaders ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency November 5, 2010 - 12:00am The homes of two brothers were raided by Israeli soldiers overnight, with officers warning the men against participation in the village's weekly protest against land confiscation. An-Nabi Salih, a village north of Ramallah bordered by an Israeli guard post in the north and the settlement of Hallamish to the south, is one of four villages that participates in a regular demonstration against land confiscations, held every Friday afternoon following the prayer. » Read more

Unity hinges on security forces deal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency November 5, 2010 - 12:00am Officials commenting on the latest unity rumors say the issue of a re-hauled security service amalgamating the West Bank and Gaza units remains the final stumbling block to inter-party reconciliation. Representative of independent officials seeking unity Yaser Al-Wadieyah said he expected Hamas and Fatah officials in Damascus to discuss the final arrangements of the security issue, saying all other files were all but resolved. » Read more

Obama still wants peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Orly Azoulay - November 5, 2010 - 12:00am In the past two years, Israelis liked to hate the American president, “Hussein Obama” as rightists make sure to refer to him, after he moved closer to the Muslim world and forced Netanyahu to freeze settlement construction. However, as it turned out Wednesday, American Jews think otherwise. An exit poll among 1,600 Jewish voters published by pollster Jim Gerstein showed that 66% of American Jews voted for Democratic candidates for Congress. Most respondents told pollsters that they support Barack Obama’s leadership and endorse his efforts to resolve the Middle East conflict. » Read more