Middle East News: World Press Roundup

The Washington Post says the Gaza blockade must be eased without strengthening Hamas. Jonah Goldberg says the blockade is working, but Gershon Baskin says it strengthens Hamas. VP Biden says the US is looking for new ways of managing the problem. The CSM profiles the American killed in the flotilla attack. The PA welcomes international calls for ending the blockade, and may present a joint plan with the EU. Flotilla passengers strongly contradict Israel's narrative of the attack. The Palestinian Economy Minister explains the settlement goods boycott at a Tel Aviv event. UN criticism of Israel marks a subtle shift in US policy. Turkey seeks to mobilize regional pressure on Israel. Israeli security forces clash with settlers. The Israeli military is investigating the flotilla attack, and Israel is seeking a US green light for an independent panel. Nahum Barnea says Israel has no leadership. The flotilla crisis may lead Kadima back into the government. Egypt says it will keep its Gaza border open indefinitely. Tariq Alhomayed asks when the Arabs are going to realize the games being played by Iran and others. Abdul Rahman Al-Rashid asks whether Turkey's actions make it part of an Iranian axis or a rival. Ghassan Khatib says the world must confront Israel's behavior. Women are urged to get involved in Palestinian security efforts.

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Managing the Gaza blockade ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post (Editorial) June 8, 2010 - 12:00am ISRAEL'S BLOCKADE of Gaza is crumbling. In the wake of last week's clash between Israelis commandos and militants on a relief flotilla, the world at large has condemned it; the Obama administration has called it "unsustainable." Egypt reopened its crossing into Gaza for humanitarian aid and some travel. But the solution is not as simple as simply ending the checks on sea and land traffic by Israel. What's needed is a new regime that addresses the legitimate needs of Palestinians in Gaza without further empowering Hamas and its patron, Iran. » Read more

Israel's Gaza blockade: It works ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Jonah Goldberg - (Opinion) June 8, 2010 - 12:00am The L.A. City Council wants to boycott the Grand Canyon State. When will the United Nations condemn Los Angeles for its callous pursuit of collective punishment against Arizona in retaliation for its immigration policies? To be sure, the boycott is mainly symbolic, but at least in principle the measure is aimed at hurting all Arizonans regardless of whether they support the "regime" in Phoenix. That's collective punishment. » Read more

Biden says US looking at 'new ways' to address Israel's Gaza blockade ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Kristen Chick - June 7, 2010 - 12:00am After meeting President Hosni Mubarak in Egypt Monday, Vice President Joe Biden said the US is looking for “new ways” to handle the situation in Gaza. “We are consulting closely with Egypt, as well as our other partners, on new ways to address the humanitarian, economic, security, and political aspects of the situation in Gaza,” Mr. Biden said after the meeting, according to a statement released by the White House. » Read more

Israeli raid on Gaza Freedom Flotilla killed US citizen Furkan Dogan ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Scott Peterson - June 3, 2010 - 12:00am An American-Turkish dual citizen killed during an Israeli commando raid on a humanitarian aid flotilla was among activists buried in Turkey on Thursday. Furkan Dogan was struck by five bullets shortly before dawn on Monday while atop the Turkish-flagged Mavi Marmara ship, according to friends who were on board at the time of the Israeli raid and attended the funeral for eight of the nine Turks who died. » Read more

PA welcomes international positions for ending siege ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency June 8, 2010 - 12:00am The Palestinian ministers cabinet officially welcomed several international moves to lift the siege on Gaza during its weekly cabinet meeting Monday, calling for action to ensure recent moves to aid Gaza continue. » Read more

Challenger I passengers: Commandos shot first ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency by Mya Guarnieri - June 8, 2010 - 12:00am Alex Harrison, a British activist who participated in the Freedom Flotilla, was on the neighboring Challenger I when the Israeli army overtook the Mavi Marmara, leaving at least nine activists dead and dozens injured. An eyewitness to the takeover, Harrison told Ma'an what she saw in the moments before the Israeli army boarded the Mavi Marmara. "I was on the Challenger I, on the upper deck," Harrison said. "We were very close to the Marmara. We actually thought [the Israeli navy] was coming for us first." » Read more

Abu Libdeh participates in Tel Aviv seminar on PA boycott ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency June 8, 2010 - 12:00am Palestinian Authority Minister of National Economy Hasan Abu Libdeh arrived in Tel Aviv on Monday afternoon to participate in a seminar on the PA's boycott of settlement goods. Organized by the German Friedrich Ebert Fund, Tel Aviv University, and the Peres Center For Peace, Abu Libdeh said his attendance was meant to inform Israel that the settlement enterprise and its economy in the West Bank "are obstacles to the peace process and the establishment of a Palestinian state." » Read more

ANALYSIS-UN rebukes of Israel permitted in US policy shift ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Louis Charbonneau - June 8, 2010 - 12:00am Under President Barack Obama, the United States no longer provides Israel with automatic support at the United Nations where the Jewish state faces a constant barrage of criticism and condemnation. The subtle but noticeable shift in the U.S. approach to its Middle East ally comes amid what some analysts describe as one of the most serious crises in U.S.-Israeli relations in years. Under Obama, the United States seeks to reclaim its role as an impartial Middle East peace broker which critics say it lost during the previous administration of George W. Bush. » Read more

Turkey seeks strong regional pressure on Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Tulay Karadeniz - June 7, 2010 - 12:00am Turkey will seek the backing of its Middle Eastern and Asian neighbours at a regional summit on Tuesday to step up pressure on Israel over the killing of nine Turks on an aid ship bound for Gaza. Israel has already rejected a United Nations call for an international inquiry into its seizure of the ship last week, but Turkey, flexing its diplomatic muscle as one of the biggest military and economic powers in the region, is not giving up. » Read more

EU, PNA contact to set plan for ending Gaza blockade: official ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua June 7, 2010 - 12:00am A Palestinian official revealed Monday that there are contacts between Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and the European Union to submit a plan to the international Quartet for ending Gaza blockade. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that a number of European countries, including Spain and Switzerland, are contacting the PNA to discuss the ways possible to lift the blockade imposed on Gaza since 2007. » Read more

Israeli security forces clash with settlers while enforcing construction freeze ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Chaim Levinson - June 8, 2010 - 12:00am A Border Police officer was lightly wounded during clashes in the West Bank settlement of Beit El, as security forces attempted to demolish an illegal structure there. This was the first clash in nearly a month. Two settler youths were arrested following the incident, on suspicion of hurling rocks at the special police unit. The forces were on sire to enforce demolition of a cabin and the foundations of another structure laid following declaration of the settlement freeze last December, The Border Police officer was hurt when a settler hurled a rock his way. » Read more

Israel awaiting U.S. green light for internal Gaza flotilla probe ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Anshel Pfeffer, Barak Ravid - June 8, 2010 - 12:00am The Israel Defense Forces announced Monday that it will conduct its own internal investigation into last week's botched raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla. IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi has appointed Maj. Gen. (res. ) Giora Eiland to head the probe. The panel is charged with analyzing the failures of, and learning lessons from, the commando raid on a Turkish-flagged ship, which left nine Turkish passengers dead and several dozen people wounded. » Read more

In search of a leader ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Nahum Barnea - (Opinion) June 8, 2010 - 12:00am On the day the prime minister headed on his needless journey to France and Canada, he hastily convened the forum of top seven government ministers for a semi-debate on the plan for stopping the Turkish flotilla. The ministers were asked to separately voice their views; as expected, each one of them said “amen” when his turn came. » Read more

Analysis: The flotilla dynamic ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Herb Keinon - (Analysis) June 8, 2010 - 12:00am Syrian President Bashar Assad was quoted recently as saying the Mavi Marmara episode marked a turning point in the Middle East. Assad, as is his wont, was exaggerating. As bleak as things now seem for Israel – and they do indeed seem bleak – there is a need here for perspective. » Read more

Israel’s Gaza policy has strengthened Hamas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Gershon Baskin - (Opinion) June 8, 2010 - 12:00am The recent attempts to break the naval blockade of Gaza are the strongest evidence that the occupation over Gaza has never ended. When the Sharon government completed the disengagement from Gaza in 2005, foreign minister Tzipi Livni planned to announce to the UN General Assembly in September 2005 that Israel no longer occupied Gaza and that the international body is now responsible for the welfare of its people. The Legal Department of the Foreign Ministry informed her that she could not make that claim. » Read more

Egypt keeps border with Gaza open ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National June 8, 2010 - 12:00am After three years of co-operating in the Israeli blockade of Gaza, Egypt said that it will leave its border with the Palestinian territory open indefinitely for humanitarian aid and restricted travel. With international pressure building to ease the blockade, an Egyptian security official said on Monday that sealing off Hamas-ruled Gaza has only bred more militancy. » Read more

Didn't We Tell You? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat by Tariq Alhomayed - (Opinion) June 8, 2010 - 12:00am Didn't we tell you yesterday that Hassan Nasrallah wants to take back his role after the rug was pulled from underneath him by Turkey following what happened on the Freedom Flotilla off the coast of Gaza? Didn't we also tell you yesterday that "the game has been the same game, but the ability of the players is in decline" with regards to the Palestinian Cause? Didn't we tell you, days ago, not to save Israel [from itself] this time? So what happened? » Read more

Bin Laden, Nasrallah, Ahmadinejad and Now Erdogan! ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat by Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed - (Opinion) June 8, 2010 - 12:00am It goes without saying that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan aimed to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza, however – and perhaps without meaning to – he managed to break Iran's blockade of the Arabs. » Read more

Enough ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Ghassan Khatib - (Opinion) June 8, 2010 - 12:00am When is the world going to say to Israel, enough? When will the international community make clear that the situation in this part of the world is too dangerous to allow the Israeli government to act like a rogue state? The moment is now. The world must insist that Israel cease to behave as if it is the one country that can act with impunity, above the law, with no regard for consequences. » Read more

Lt. Col. Wafa’a Ayyad, The Director of the Family Protection Unit Urges Palestinian Women to get more involved in Police Work ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Quds by Zaki Abu Halawe - June 8, 2010 - 12:00am The director of the Family Protection Unit, Lt. Col. Wafa’a Ayyad, urges Palestinian women to take part in the Police service because of their ability in understanding domestic cases. The Lt. Col. (the highest ranking Palestinian female officer) assured the Al-Quds newspaper that the Palestinian Police are working on developing the services provided to citizens and their families - because they are the main pillars in building a strong legal structure. She noted that the strength of Palestinian families is in their ability to argue and discuss problems and difficulties. » Read more

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