US to fund installation of Israeli rocket defence system
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News
May 14, 2010 - 12:00am

Barack Obama is to ask the US Congress for an extra $200m in military aid to help Israel get a short-range rocket defence system in place. The system is designed to shoot down mortars and rockets from Gaza or Southern Lebanon with guided missiles. The system, called Iron Dome, has gone through testing and installation will start later this year. According to US State Department figures, direct military aid to Israel was $2.55bn in 2009. This is set to increase to $3.15bn in 2018. Easing tensions

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Imposed solution can end Palestinian conflict
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian
by Omar Rahman - May 14, 2010 - 12:00am

It is a sign of how far the peace process has retrogressed that the Israelis and Palestinians have now entered into proximity talks, more than 16 years after having started direct negotiations. To make matters worse, nobody – including the actual participants – gives the latest round of talks the slightest chance of success. In fact, many fear that failure will only bolster critics of the peace process by further displaying the ineffectiveness of its methods. So why are they entering negotiations to begin with?

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US raises issue of settler violence
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Herb Keinon - May 13, 2010 - 12:00am

A senior US official expressed concern on Wednesday with the violence of some settlers, and – alluding to the recent burning of a West Bank mosque attributed to settlers – said the US would like to see better results in Israeli law enforcement and prevention of these types of activities.

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Barak: Ministers' provocations over Jerusalem harming Israel's interests
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
May 13, 2010 - 12:00am

Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Thursday lambasted several cabinet ministers whose "provocative" comments he said were harming Israel's relations with the United States amid efforts to get the peace process going through indirect proximity talks with the Palestinians. "I recommend everyone, both we and the Palestinians, avoid rash and provocative statements," said Barak, responding to a slew of comments made by ministers over the last few days regarding the contentious issue of construction in Jerusalem.

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Israelis: No halt to east Jerusalem construction
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Statesman
by Amy Teibel - May 13, 2010 - 12:00am

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hawkish coalition partners vowed Thursday to keep building Jewish settlements and demolishing unauthorized Palestinian homes in contested east Jerusalem — despite indications the Israeli leader has put the brakes on both. The United States opposes both at this delicate time, when indirect talks between Israelis and Palestinians have just begun. The remarks by Netanyahu's partners show the thin tightrope he has to walk in trying to address the conflicting demands of his political allies at home and Israel's strongest ally abroad.

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Israel has broken another promise
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News
by George S. Hishmeh - (Opinion) May 13, 2010 - 12:00am

As Palestinians and Israelis take their first steps in resuming much-delayed peace negotiations, there is strong evidence emerging that the hawkish government of Benjamin Netanyahu is about to break its promise to hold off on its illegal expansionist plans in the Occupied Territories.

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Incitement Day in Jerusalem
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
(Editorial) May 13, 2010 - 12:00am

For a long time now, Jerusalem Day has served as an excuse for the far right to excoriate Arab residents of the city's eastern part and violently demonstrate their presence in their neighborhoods. But this year, the baton of incitement has passed from the delusional fringes to the very heart of the political arena - the government.

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GAO faults Israel for limits on Palestinian security
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA)
May 13, 2010 - 12:00am

The U.S. congressional auditor says Israeli restrictions and Palestinian limitations are hampering the effectiveness of an American-led mission to train Palestinian security forces. The General Accounting Office published a report on the $392 million that the U.S. State Department has spent to train and equip Palestinian Authority security forces.

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Israeli ministers squabble over East Jerusalem construction
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
May 13, 2010 - 12:00am

Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Eli Yishai said on Thursday that he would continue approving construction plans in contested areas of Jerusalem, including the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood. "There is not and never has been a freeze on construction in Jerusalem, nor will there ever be," Yishai told his Shas Party newspaper, "day by day." Concerning the Israeli-Palestinian proximity talks, American officials on Thursday asked both sides to refrain from what they termed "provocative" moves, but Yishai said that Israel would not accede to U.S. demands.

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Jerusalem residents attack writer Elie Wiesel over appeal to Barack Obama
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian
by Chris McGreal - May 12, 2010 - 12:00am

An extraordinary row has broken out between Elie Wiesel, the Holocaust survivor, author and Nobel peace prize winner, and a group of Jewish residents of Jerusalem over who speaks for the future of the disputed city.

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