August 1st, 2012

Dennis Ross denies ‘split’ with Obama ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) July 31, 2012 - 12:00am Dennis Ross emphatically denied any indication that he no longer supported President Obama. "The idea of trying to get a sense that there is a split with the president is completely untrue," Ross, Obama's former top Iran adviser, told JTA on Tuesday. Ross repeated comments he made to the Daily Beast/Newsweek over the weekend, in which he said that his position as a counselor to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy -- an educational nonprofit subject to tax exemptions -- keeps him from directly advising campaigns. » Read more

Israeli cabinet set to approve grants for building hotels in West Bank settlements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Chaim Levinson - August 1, 2012 - 12:00am A special panel will propose that the government give grants for building hotels in West Bank settlements near Jerusalem to absorb some of the the high demand for hotel rooms in the capital. A new interministerial committee of experts convened this year to designate priority areas for the coming years; it is expected to hand its proposals to the cabinet soon. According to a separate study, Jerusalem could suffer a shortage of accommodations in the future. » Read more

Egypt denies Mursi letter sent to Israel's Peres ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency August 1, 2012 - 12:00am Israel said Tuesday it had received a letter from Egypt's President Mohamed Mursi indicating he wanted to work for peace in the Middle East, but Mursi's office later denied sending it. An Israeli official, who asked to remain anonymous, said the denial was to be expected, due to the sensitivity of the issue. Israeli President Shimon Peres's office said earlier Tuesday he had received a letter from the Muslim Brotherhood's Mursi, in the first such missive to Israel since Mursi took office at the end of last month. » Read more

Egyptian president sends peace letter to Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua August 1, 2012 - 12:00am Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi on Tuesday sent a missive to Israeli President Shimon Peres wishing for peace in the Middle East. Although the letter does not specifically mention the peace agreement with Israel, it does include the "Israeli people" as part of Morsi's peace wishes in the region. "I am looking forward to exerting our best efforts to get the Middle East peace process back to its right track in order to achieve security and stability for all peoples of the region, including the Israeli people," the letter read. » Read more

Israeli PM denies rift with military ranks over Iran ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua August 1, 2012 - 12:00am In an interview with Israel's Channel 2, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that he is still deliberating whether or not to strike Iran's nuclear facilities and downplayed report that the military echelon are not in favor of attacking Iran. Netanyahu said that "Israel cannot count on anyone else" when it comes to the Iranian threat. » Read more

1 militant killed, 2 others wounded in Gaza blast ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press August 1, 2012 - 12:00am Palestinians say a Hamas militant was killed and two others were wounded when an explosion went off in the car they were driving near Gaza City. Gaza health official Ashraf al-Kidra confirmed the death. There were no claims of an Israeli attack, suggesting that the blast may have been from an explosive device that went off prematurely.

Israel, Palestinian Authority sign bilateral trade agreements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Moti Bassok - August 1, 2012 - 12:00am Israel and the Palestinian Authority signed agreements on Tuesday to regulate bilateral trade and taxation. The agreements were thrashed out in a series of secret meetings that lasted more than a year and had many ups and downs. Israeli sources said they also have diplomatic ramifications. » Read more

July 31st

Israeli spending on West Bank settlements up 38% ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Harriet Sherwood - July 31, 2012 - 12:00am Israeli government spending on West Bank settlements has increased by 38% under prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu, according to official figures disclosed as the cabinet voted to implement an austerity package of tax increases and budget cuts. According to data from the Central Bureau of Statistics, obtained by the business newspaper Calcalist, spending on Jewish settlements in the West Bank was 1.1bn shekels (£160m) in 2011, up from 0.8bn the previous two years. The overall state budget increased by 2.7% in 2011, Calcalist reported. » Read more

MK: Netanyahu must 'unmask' US spying on Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Gil Hoffman - July 31, 2012 - 12:00am If US President Barack Obama does not commute the life sentence of Israeli agent Jonathan Pollard by the November 6 US election, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu should expose American efforts to spy on Israel, National Union MK Arieh Eldad said Tuesday at a Knesset State Control Committee meeting monitoring progress in efforts to bring about Pollard's release. » Read more

Rivlin comes out against Arab draft ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Hassan Shaalan - July 30, 2012 - 12:00am Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin on Monday came out against the call to enlist Arabs to the IDF during a Ramadan feast in Kafr Qara. "Any sensible person understands that one cannot draft the Arab sector," he said. "Any such call is tinted with hypocrisy and even malevolence." » Read more