June 3, 2008

Middle East News: World Press Roundup

The recent issue of revoked Fulbright Grants prompts the Israeli Supreme Court to weigh in on the mobility of Palestinian students in Gaza (1). Two articles assess the Middle East policies of the potential U.S. Presidential candidates (2) (4). Three new Palestinian operated police stations are slated to open in the West Bank (5). An ATFP translation of an article in Al-Ayyam Daily looks at the potential political fallout from Ehud Olmert’s corruption scandal (9). A Palestinian pharmaceutical company gets approval to export drugs into the EU (10).

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Can Barack Obama Be A Friend Of Israel If He Talks To Iran?

Barack Obama will seek to assuage fears tomorrow about his foreign policy by addressing America’s powerful Jewish lobby — where John McCain yesterday hammered home a warning that his likely Democratic opponent threatened Israel’s security.

Hizb Ut-tahrir And The Fantasy Of The Caliphate

The Islamist movement Hizb ut-Tahrir has revived by tapping energy among Europe’s immigrant communities and appealing to Muslims on the edge of Asia, and to Palestinians. But it is a marginal international grouping; could it retain its appeal if it engaged directly in politics or if its demands were actually met?

Ten thousand Palestinians demonstrated in the streets of Ramallah last August, calling for "a return to the caliphate".

On Middle East, Mccain Vows To Stay The Course

In a major address on Middle East policy Monday, Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican candidate for president, pledged to maintain the Bush administration's hard line against Iran and expressed strong scepticism about the ability of the current Palestinian leadership to reach a peace accord with Israel.

Palestinians Get New Police Stations In W Bank

Israel gave the Palestinian Authority permission on Tuesday to open three police stations in the northern West Bank as part of a U.S.-backed security campaign meant to ready the Palestinians for statehood.

Washington sees the campaign as a chance for Palestinian forces to show they can exert control and rein in militants.

Not In Our Name, Say Checkpoint Watchers

"Get back, get away, move, move," shouted the Israeli soldier as he and two female soldiers aimed their weapons at us threateningly. 

"What is the problem?" I asked as the young, blonde, blue-eyed and red-faced Israeli soldier looked on the crowd in a state of panic. 

"There is a bomb and you must move away for your own protection," he answered. 

Last Sunday this Middle East Times reporter spent the afternoon at the notorious Huwara checkpoint, just south of Nablus in the northern Palestinian West Bank. 

Olmert Seeks To Reassure Abbas On Talks

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas protested Jewish settlement growth near Jerusalem in talks on Monday with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who sought to show it was business-as-usual despite a corruption probe.

“Differences were deep and strong in this area,” Abbas aide Saeb Erekat said of the settlement issue, which has dogged US-sponsored peace talks since they were launched in November.

Assad Wants Us To Sponsor Israel Peace Talks

Syrian President Bashar Assad said on Monday that indirect peace talks with Israel would eventually need “international sponsorship” from the United States.

“The success of these negotiations is dependent on Israeli intentions and political changes in the world,” he was quoted as saying by the United Arab Emirates’ official WAM news agency while on a visit to Abu Dhabi.

Olmert’s “crisis” And The “morality” Of Negotiations

The crisis that Israel is experiencing due to Olmert’s corruption scandal and its effect on the governing coalition is the most important political event today. A sitting prime minister is under investigation for bribery and money laundering like any other citizen, which is something we are not used to in Arab countries. What is more, the defendant continue his governing job as if nothing is threatening his political career. People who are following the corruption allegations will notice that Olmert is acting as if he is untouchable.

Palestinian Pharmaceuticals Company Exporting Painkillers To Eu

A Palestinian pharmaceuticals company is exporting drugs to Europe after passing the required EU quality tests. The first shipment by the Dar al-Shifa company consists of 1.4 million painkiller pills. Next on the list are antibiotics and ulcer medication. The head of the company, Bassem Khoury, said Tuesday that exports for 2008 are expected to reach $1.6 million and $47 million by 2010.

Aipac Instructs Delegates To Stay ‘positive’

This past week, an unusual letter was sent out to the 7,000 delegates expected to attend the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s upcoming annual conference. Reflecting the heightened political tension surrounding the gathering in this campaign year, organizers from Aipac effectively told those planning to attend on June 2 to behave themselves better than they had last year.

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