Israel advances PA NIS 180m. to ease finance crisis ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Herb Keinon - July 23, 2012 - 12:00am Israel, in a “goodwill gesture” to the Palestinian Authority, gave Ramallah over the last few days a NIS 180 million advance on tax money it transfers on a monthly basis, The Jerusalem Post has learned. The money was transferred before Ramadan, which began Friday, to help the PA – currently in the midst of a severe financial crisis – pay the monthly salaries of public sector employees. » Read more

EU move to upgrade relations with Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Phoebe Greenwood - July 22, 2012 - 12:00am The EU will offer Israel upgraded trade and diplomatic relations in more than 60 areas at a high-level meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, just weeks after European foreign ministers warned that Israeli policies in the West Bank "threaten to make a two-state solution impossible". In advance of the annual EU-Israel Association Council on Tuesday meeting, a diplomatic source shared with the Guardian details of the package of benefits that will be offered to Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's foreign minister. » Read more

Palestinian Financial Crisis Boosts Support for Hamas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line by Mohammed Najib - July 22, 2012 - 12:00am The Palestinian Authority (PA) is suffering an intensifying financial crisis that is threatening its stability and strengthening the rival Islamist Hamas. Palestinian security officials warn that if the international community fails to pay its pledges to the PA, it will not be able to pay salaries in the coming months. » Read more

Sacha Baron Cohen settles slander suit with Palestinian grocer ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz July 22, 2012 - 12:00am A Palestinian grocer portrayed as a terrorist in the comedy "Bruno" has settled his slander suit against Jewish actor Sacha Baron Cohen and talk show host David Letterman, according to a report by the Daily Mail. » Read more

Contrary to the laws of math ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Shaul Arieli - July 23, 2012 - 12:00am For years, Israelis have ranked low in the sciences and mathematics - 41 out of 64 countries, according to the Program for International Student Assessment tests. That is not surprising when one examines the conduct of the state with respect to teaching these subjects, especially in the past decade. Following are a few simple mathematical problems whose answers could have gotten more than half the country out in the streets demonstrating if we had only studied the way we should have in elementary school. » Read more

Zahhar: Hamas will not separate Gaza from the West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency July 23, 2012 - 12:00am Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Zahhar on Sunday denied media reports that the Islamist group is considering declaring the Gaza Strip a separate entity from the Palestinian Authority controlled West Bank. "Such news is being disseminated by the enemies of Hamas seeking to maintain the siege on Gaza," Zahhar told Ma'an. "This issue hasn’t been addressed officially within Hamas, but some people posed it privately on their own," he added. » Read more

Israel Walls Itself In ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Inter Press Service (IPS) by Jillian Kestler-D'Amours - (Opinion) July 20, 2012 - 12:00am As Israel continues to build walls and fences along virtually each of its borders, analysts say the country’s isolationist policies and unwillingness to deal with the Palestinians and other Arab neighbours through anything other than forceful means spells disaster. » Read more

Israel orders demolition of 8 Palestinian villages, claims need for IDF training land ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amira Hass - July 23, 2012 - 12:00am Defense Minister Ehud Barak has ordered the demolition of eight Palestinian villages in the South Hebron Hills because the territory is needed for Israel Defense Forces training exercises, the state told the High Court of Justice on Sunday. The residents of the targeted villages will be moved to the town of Yatta and its environs; the state claims, based on information it obtained from local informers, that most of these people have permanent homes in that area. » Read more

Palestine Can Wait…For Now ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast by Nathan J. Brown - (Opinion) July 20, 2012 - 12:00am If an Israeli Rip Van Winkle had gone to sleep in 1992 and woken up in 2012 to find a news report that Palestinian leader Khalid Mishal had just concluded a meeting at the Egyptian presidential palace with President Muhammad Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, he might wonder if a previously unknown but particularly jarring piece of apocalyptic literature had somehow found its way into the daily paper.  He might go so far as to frantically turn to the weather page to see if a temperature was still listed for Tel Aviv or i » Read more

Settlers seize over 50 dunams of land across West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency July 23, 2012 - 12:00am Settlers on Monday appropriated over 50 dunams of land in the northern and southern West Bank, official news agency Wafa reported. In the Tubas area of the Jordan Valley, settlers seized nearly 50 dunams of land and began farming it, village council head Aref Daraghmeh said. The land, which belongs to villagers, had previously been used by the Israeli army as a tank yard, he added. In Hebron, settlers from Susiya settlement seized five dunams of private Palestinian land near the town of Yatta, popular committee coordinator Rateb al-Jabour said. » Read more