October 12th, 2012

Gaza's precious space and the cost of real estate ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News by Jon Donnison - October 11, 2012 - 12:00am On a horse and cart winding his way through his olive grove, sun-kissed in the early evening autumn sunshine, I meet Hamed Talba. A policeman by trade, Hamed has recently become a man of the land. He's not really cut out as a farmer, striking something of an urbane figure. But this was an investment and it has proved very lucrative. "I bought this plot for $90,000 (£56,000) in 2010," he tells me as he shows me round his land on the outskirts of Gaza City. » Read more

Rare twist as Palestinians, Israeli settlers cooperate ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) October 12, 2012 - 12:00am Saed's village, Khirbet Zakariya, is in a part of the West Bank under full Israeli administrative and security control. As a Palestinian, he cannot build without Israeli permission, which is often extremely difficult to secure. "Settlers came to visit the village three years ago and were surprised when they saw how little housing there was," he told AFP. » Read more

Rights groups: Protect Palestinian olive trees ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Tovah Lazaroff - October 12, 2012 - 12:00am Five human rights groups on Thursday penned an urgent letter to the IDF and the police urging security forces to do more to protect Palestinian olive trees in the West Bank. Although the olive harvest only began on Wednesday, there have been a high number of vandalism incidents this week starting on Sunday, said B’Tselem spokeswoman Sarit Michaeli. Her organization – along with Rabbis for Human Rights, Yesh Din, Association of Civil Rights in Israel and Hamoked – plan to send their letter to the security forces in the coming days. » Read more

Israel Police to set up 'Jewish terror' unit in West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Chaim Levinson - October 11, 2012 - 12:00am A new department in the Judea and Samaria District Police will be formed to deal with Jewish terrorists, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided on Wednesday. This unit is set to play a key role in the fight against attacks perpetrated by right-wing ideologues in the West Bank. » Read more

West Bank settlers stealing tons of soil from Palestinian land ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Chaim Levinson - October 11, 2012 - 12:00am Roughly a month ago, infrastructure work began in one of the house-trailer neighborhoods in the West Bank settlement of Ofra. Brown soil was needed to cover the foundations. In properly functioning places, such soil is bought and paid for, but not in Ofra. Tzvi, a local farmer, nicknamed “Kishu,” found an alternative: He sent a rented tractor and truck to the outskirts of the settlement, next to the Palestinian villages of Silwad and Deir Dibwan, where they simply stole dirt. Tzvi claims that the land belongs to him. » Read more

PA, Jordan sign agricultural cooperation agreements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency October 5, 2012 - 12:00am BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- The Palestinian Authority agriculture minister on Friday said a number of cooperation agreements signed with Jordan will benefit Palestinian producers. During a brief trip to the West Bank on Thursday, Jordanian Prime Minister Fayez Tarawneh signed a number of trade deals with the Palestinian Authority. Agriculture minister Walid Assaf said these included exchange of scientific expertise between the two sides to boost agricultural productivity. » Read more

West Bank, Gaza university staff to strike ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency October 10, 2012 - 12:00am BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- University staff will go on strike Tuesday over ongoing wage disputes with the Ministry of Education, a union chief said Thursday. Amjad Barham, head of the union for university professors and staff, told Ma'an that staff in the West Bank and Gaza would strike on Tuesday and for two days the following week. He said the ministry continued to ignore the union's demands, despite a meeting on Wednesday with Minister of Education Ali Jarbawi. » Read more

ADL pulls out of interfaith talks over Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Religion News Service by Michele Chabin - October 11, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM (RNS) The Anti-Defamation League said Thursday (Oct. 11) it has withdrawn from an Oct. 22 U.S. Jewish-Christian interfaith meeting to protest a letter from some Protestant participants that urged Congress to rethink U.S. funding to Israel. Numerous Jewish organizations have condemned the letter, which was signed by leaders of the Presbyterian, United Methodist, Lutheran, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ denominations, as well as the head of the National Council of Churches. » Read more

Hamas bans announcement of new Gaza Islamic party ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua October 11, 2012 - 12:00am GAZA, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- Islamic Hamas movement obstructed Thursday the declaration of a new Islamic party in the Gaza Strip, a spokesman for the Al-Nour Salafi party said. Hamas, which controls Gaza, summoned the members of the party's founding committee for questioning "in order to prevent the launching of the party" that was scheduled Thursday, said the spokesman, who calls himself Abu Outba. » Read more

Poll shows center-left "super party" could win Israeli elections ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua October 12, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- If the main leaders of Israel's center and left political forces would join forces in one party, they could defeat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the early general elections to be held in January, a survey revealed Thursday. » Read more