November 25, 2008

Middle East News: World Press Roundup

ATFP Board Member Daoud Kuttab explains the ongoing centrality of the occupation to Palestinian lives and thinking (1). Disputes emerge among Hamas leaders (2), while the PA contemplates elections in the West Bank only if Hamas blocks them in Gaza (7). Reports suggest economic growth in the West Bank (5) and growing distress in Gaza (6). A UN official compares the Israeli occupation to apartheid in South Africa (4), while Israeli soldiers are again caught on tape abusing Palestinian civilians (3).

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What preoccupies young Palestinian minds

The occupation is foremost on Palestinian youth’s mind. This was made clear in the Palestinian village of Beita, near Nablus, at an event held on November 17: the opening of the youth development resource centre, funded by USAID and some private international technical companies.

Hamas leaders abroad question group's iron grip on Gaza

Internal Hamas correspondence intercepted by the Palestinian Authority
and obtained by Haaretz reveals a deep divide between the organization's
leadership abroad and its West Bank leadership, on the one hand, and the Gaza leadership on the other.

In the documents, the leadership abroad says it does not want "to control Gaza completely while losing the West Bank."

Policeman filmed head-butting East Jerusalem residents

The Justice Ministry's Police Investigation Department (PID) recently launched an investigation in efforts to locate a patrol police officer who was documented head-butting two Arab residents of East Jerusalem, a man and a woman, while evacuating homes slated for demolition.

The policeman was filmed by an activist belonging to the human rights group B'Tselem during the preparation for the demolition of several buildings in the al-Boustan neighborhood in the Silwan village in the city. The footage was recently handed over to PID.

Top UN official: Israel's policies are like apartheid of bygone era

United Nations General Assembly President Miguel D'Escoto Brockmann on Monday likened Israel's policies toward the Palestinians to South Africa's treatment of blacks under apartheid.

Israel's actions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip were like "the apartheid of an earlier era," said Brockmann, of Nicaragua, speaking at the annual debate marking the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

He added: "We must not be afraid to call something what it is."

Boom Times for West Bank Economy

Palestinian businessmen concluded their one-day Palestine Investment Conference "north forum" in the West Bank city of Nablus with a package of seven investment projects with a total value of $510 million.

Five of the projects were in the infrastructure sector, one in industry, and one to finance investments. All are concentrated in the northern part of the West Bank where the Palestinian Authority (PA) has proved, over the course of this year, its ability to impose law and order.

Palestinians line up for dwindling cash in Gaza

Local banks in Gaza, under pressure from Israeli sanctions, are running out of cash and desperate Palestinians lined up at branches Monday hoping to pull money out of frozen accounts.

But most banks have sharply curtailed withdrawals over the past two weeks and some have posted signs telling customers they cannot take out any more money. The U.N. stopped distributing cash handouts to Gaza's poorest last week.

Economists and bank officials are warning that tens of thousands of civil servants will not be able to cash paychecks next month.

West Bank alone could go to polls

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas could hold elections in the occupied West Bank alone if Hamas prevents the ballot from taking place in Gaza, an Abbas aide said on Monday.

"If Hamas forcibly prevents them from preparing for elections in Gaza, this is not going to stop the elections from being held. We will hold the elections in the West Bank and Hamas will be responsible for preventing the elections in Gaza," senior Abbas adviser Nimer Hammad said.

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