Israel must "roll back" and end occupation: Fayyad
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Tom Perry - February 2, 2010 - 1:00am

Addressing an audience alongside Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak, Salam Fayyad said rolling back should start by ending army incursions in the West Bank, where the Palestinians aim to establish their state, along with Gaza. "Unfortunately those incursions continue," Fayyad told the Herzliya Conference, which annually attracts prominent figures in the Israeli political and diplomatic establishment.

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Palestinians irate over new Jerusalem tram
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
by Karin Laub - January 29, 2010 - 1:00am

Jerusalem's first light rail starts test runs this spring, with its sleek silver cars gliding across the city and promising to relieve the perpetual congestion. But Palestinians see no reason to celebrate. They hope to derail the $1 billion tram because they fear it will further entrench Israeli control over east Jerusalem, the part of the city they want as a capital. They've asked a French court to force two French multinationals, Veolia and Alstom, out of the project and are urging Arab countries to cancel contracts with the two companies.

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Israel’s silent war
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
by Ahmad Majdoubeh - (Opinion) January 29, 2010 - 1:00am

If you ask Middle Easterners, and many others in the world, about Israel’s contribution to the region, the answer will automatically be: war, violence, dispossession and destruction.

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Abbas: Palestinians will accept only Jerusalem as our capital
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
January 28, 2010 - 1:00am

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas declared on Thursday that Palestinians would not accept any alternative to Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, despite other proposals. Abbas told Russian television that Jerusalem should not be divided and that there should be free passage for people of various faiths. The Palestinian leader added it must be made clear what belongs to the Palestinians and what belongs to Israel.

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Badge of terror
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
(Editorial) January 28, 2010 - 1:00am

There is no way to describe the West Bank settlers' attack on the Palestinian village of Bitilu but as a well-planned terror attack. The settlers' "military" organization and violent resistance to the cabinet decision to destroy the illegal outpost of Givat Menachem, as described by Chaim Levinson in Haaretz yesterday, are no different from the activities of other terrorist organizations.

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Palestinians working with Mitchell toward talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
January 28, 2010 - 1:00am

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad says conditions aren't yet right to return to peace talks with Israel but that the Palestinians are working with U.S. envoy George Mitchell on ways to break the deadlock. Fayyad, in an interview with The Associated Press at the World Economic Forum, said Mitchell and the Palestinians "are working on trying to get talks restarted."

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Court rules Sheikh Jarrah protests legal
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Ronen Medzini - January 28, 2010 - 1:00am

The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court ruled Thursday that leftist demonstrations in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah are not illegal as claimed by the police. The ruling was issued during a court hearing to discuss the indictments filed against 18 protestors who were arrested in Sheikh Jarrah last Friday, after demonstrating against Jewish settlers who took over houses in the Arab neighborhood.

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Settlers attack Palestinians in retaliation for outpost demolition
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
January 27, 2010 - 1:00am

Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Several dozen Israeli settler youths attacked the village of Beit Ilu on Tuesday, north of Ramallah, in response to Israeli forces razing the Gush Talmonim outpost, Israeli media reported. The attack was coordinated by text message, the Israeli daily Haaretz said, and the settlers began chanting "The police destroy nothing that belongs to Arabs." "The rule of evil is persecuting the settlements." "In 24 hours, we will set this place up anew." "We will not be broken."

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Benjamin Netanyahu rejects freeze on settlements
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Australian
by John Lyons - January 26, 2010 - 1:00am

On a tour of the largest settlements hours after meeting US President Barack Obama's special envoy, George Mitchell, Mr Netanyahu gave his strongest rejection to any permanent freeze in settlement activity and reaffirmed a commitment to "greater Jerusalem". He told settlers during one tree-planting ceremony: "The message is clear: we are here and will remain here. The settlement blocs are an indisputable part of Israel forever. "This is acceptable to the great majority of Israel's citizens and is gradually being instilled in international consciousness."

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Barak: Peace process failures greater threat than Iran nukes
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
January 26, 2010 - 1:00am

Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Tuesday said that Israel's failure to strike a peace deal with the Palestinians was a greater threat to the country than a nuclear Iran, Army Radio reported. "The lack of a solution to the problem of border demarcation within the historic Land of Israel - and not an Iranian bomb - is the most serious threat to Israel's future," Barak told a Tel Aviv conference.

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