September 21st, 2012

Romney makes no mention of peace process during call with Jewish leaders ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Times of Israel by Yoel Goldman - September 21, 2012 - 12:00am Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney held a conference call with Jewish community leaders on Thursday night, but did not mention the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Romney stressed the need to adopt an aggressive policy toward Iran’s nuclear program, which the Islamic Republic has long insisted is being cultivated for non-military purposes. » Read more

IDF soldier killed in terrorist attack on Egypt border ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Yoav Zitun - September 21, 2012 - 12:00am   Another serious incident on southern border: An Israeli soldier was killed and another was lightly to moderately injured when terrorists in the Sinai Peninsula opened fire on an IDF patrol in the Mount Sagi area, on the Israel-Egypt border, at around noon Friday. Heavy exchanges of fire ensued, during which the terrorists were killed. » Read more

Gaza ministry: Tunnel closures hurt imports ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency September 21, 2012 - 12:00am GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Basic goods are becoming more scarce in the Gaza Strip after Egypt moved to close dozens of tunnels under their border, Gaza's ministry of national economy said Friday. Monthly imports of basic foodstuffs, including flour, rice, sugar, and wheat, have fallen 31 percent since the tunnel closures, the ministry said in a statement. Construction materials brought through the tunnels have declined by 45 percent, it added. » Read more

Aid groups appeal to Quartet to halt demolitions ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency September 21, 2012 - 12:00am BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- The international Quartet of Middle East negotiators must take immediate action to stop 13 Palestinian villages from being destroyed and evacuated in south Hebron, a group of 30 international organizations said Friday. The rare appeal comes after several development agencies received demolition or stop work orders for aid projects in the area. Oxfam said it was given notice by Israeli authorities that it is not permitted to enter the villages to continue its development projects. » Read more

Palestinian forces return 3 Israeli soldiers strayed in West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua September 20, 2012 - 12:00am   RAMALLAH, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian security forces returned three Israeli soldiers who entered a Palestinian- controlled area in the West Bank by mistake, a Palestinian official said Thursday. The governor of Nablus city, Gabreen Al-Bakri, told Xinhua that the soldiers were handed over to the Israeli side at a checkpoint near the city. Witnesses said that the soldiers were armed and entered the city in a red car with Israeli plates. » Read more

News analysis: Abbas' retirement threats an attention-getting bluff ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua by Adam Gonn - September 21, 2012 - 12:00am   JERUSALEM, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) President Mahmoud Abbas has told his staff to start looking for someone to replace him, according to a recent report by Saudi Arabia's Al-Watan newspaper. "You have 10 days until I return from the United States," Abbas reportedly told members of his Fatah party, "You should seek a new president." » Read more

Egypt continues to support Palestinian reconciliation: FM ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua September 21, 2012 - 12:00am CAIRO, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Amr said Egypt is working on the Palestinian reconciliation, state media reported on Thursday. "We hope the disputes between the West Bank and the Gaza strip will be resolved soon," said Amr, adding that differences weaken the reconciliation efforts, official news agency MENA reported. » Read more

PMO: PA's UN statehood bid violates Oslo process ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Herb Keinon, Tovah Lazaroff - September 20, 2012 - 12:00am The Prime Minister’s Office warned Thursday that a Palestinian unilateral statehood bid at the UN, along with attempts to set the territorial boundaries of the conflict through a General Assembly resolution, would be a “mistake” and “a blow to the peace process.” “We hope this does not happen,” said Mark Regev, spokesman for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. “The Palestinians committed themselves to resolving all outstanding issues in negotiations, and such a unilateral action would be viewed as a violation.” » Read more

Year After Effort at U.N., New Aim for Palestinians ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Jodi Rudoren - September 20, 2012 - 12:00am JERICHO, West Bank — One year after the Palestinians’ high-profile failure to win United Nations membership through the Security Council, they are returning to the General Assembly next week seeking largely symbolic “nonmember state” status, with a subdued campaign that many analysts see as a long-shot effort to win back the waning attention of the world. » Read more

September 20th

Poll: Majority of Palestinians, Israelis say attack on Iran would result in major war ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Akiva Eldar - September 20, 2012 - 12:00am Around 80 percent of both Israelis and Palestinians say that an Israeli strike against Iran's nuclear facilities would ignite a major regional war, a joint Israeli-Palestinian survey indicated on Thursday, adding that around 70 percent of respondents say they believe the chances of establishing a Palestinian state in the next five years were practically nonexistent. » Read more