September 12th

Hamas PM to visit Egypt Thursday ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua September 12, 2012 - 12:00am AZA, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Ismail Haneya, prime minister of the Hamas ruler in the Gaza Strip, will travel to Egypt Thursday to discuss security issues and the closure of the Gaza Strip, a Hamas spokesman said Tuesday. Haneya will hold talks with Egyptian Prime Minister Hesham Qandil, said Taher Al-Nounou in a brief statement. » Read more

Israeli PM orders transfer of tax revenues to cash-strapped PNA ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua September 12, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Tuesday night the transfer of 250 million NIS ( around 63 million U.S. dollars) of Palestinian tax revenues to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), which is facing a severe financial crisis. » Read more

White House plays down reports of Netanyahu snub ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Los Angeles Times by Paul Richter - September 11, 2012 - 12:00am WASHINGTON — The White House struggled Tuesday to dispel reports that it had snubbed a request for a meeting this month from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as friction between the two allies again burst into the open. » Read more

US rejects Netanyahu meeting request -Israel official ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Allyn Fisher-Ilan - September 11, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM, Sept 11 (Reuters) - The White House has rejected a request by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to meet President Barak Obama in the United States this month, an Israeli official said on Tuesday, after a row erupted between the allies over Iran's nuclear programme. » Read more

Are W. Bank riots the start of ‘Palestinian Spring’? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Ilene Prusher - September 12, 2012 - 12:00am Thousands of young Palestinians out on the streets – chanting slogans, throwing rocks, burning tires. Working class drivers striking to protest against the price of gas, middle- class merchants shuttering their shops to avoid damages and the moneyed classes chattering nervously about whether this is really as momentous as it looks. » Read more

Salam Fayyad catches Palestinians' flak as West Bank protests continue ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Hugh Naylor - September 12, 2012 - 12:00am RAMALLAH // As large protests sweep the West Bank for a second week, no official has faced as much criticism over the ailing economy as Salam Fayyad. Palestinian demonstrators have burnt effigies of the Palestinian Authority (PA) prime minister in previous rallies and yesterday rallied outside his office and called for his resignation. Video from Monday also showed protesters throwing their shoes at a poster of Mr Fayyad. » Read more

Protests renew in Ramallah despite Palestinian PM's measures to ease economic crisis ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua September 12, 2012 - 12:00am RAMALLAH, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Despite Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's declaration to introduce easing measures against the high cost of living, a new demonstration was organized in the city of Ramallah Tuesday night calling for the immediate end of the economic crisis. In Ramallah, hundreds of angry protesters marched towards the headquarters of President Mahmoud Abbas. They held banners calling for a final resolution to the economic crisis. » Read more

Palestinian Tax Increases Canceled in Move to Calm West Bank Protests ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters September 11, 2012 - 12:00am RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) — In a reversal aimed at ending protests that have swept the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority announced Tuesday that it had canceled recent tax increases. But a union leader rejected the concession and said street demonstrations would continue. » Read more

September 11th

India reiterates support for Palestinian state ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency September 11, 2012 - 12:00am RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- India's prime minister stressed his country's support for a Palestinian state on Tuesday, the official PA news agency Wafa reported. Manmohan Singh made the comments during a joint press conference with President Mahmoud Abbas, who is currently visiting the country for three days. "India has played an active role in supporting the efforts of the state of Palestine to secure full member ship status at UNESCO," Singh said. » Read more

ZOA's Uncertain Status ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Josh Nathan-Kazis - September 11, 2012 - 12:00am The Zionist Organization of America’s tax-exempt status has been revoked after the group missed three consecutive years of filings to the Internal Revenue Service, the Forward has learned. The 115-year-old Zionist group has not been allowed to accept tax-deductible donations since February. » Read more