Middle East News: World Press Roundup

Israeli soldiers open fire on protesters at the border between Syria and the occupied Golan Heights. Israel’s outgoing intelligence chief Meir Dagan questions the judgment of political leaders. Pres. Abbas says he will attend a French peace conference if talks are based on the 1967 borders, and Israel says it’s considering the issue. Hamas officials close the border crossing with Egypt in protest at ongoing restrictions. Analysts say Egypt’s new government may facilitate a deal on a captured Israeli soldier. Israeli analysts think border incidents leave Israel in a no-win situation. The Israeli military says protesters “caused their own deaths.” The Media Line looks at Palestinian nonviolence and Israeli military responses.

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Israeli Soldiers Shoot at Protesters on Syrian Border ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Isabel Kershner - June 5, 2011 - 12:00am Israeli forces fired at pro-Palestinian protesters on the Syrian frontier on Sunday as they tried to breach the border for the second time in three weeks, reflecting a new mode of popular struggle and deadly confrontation fueled by turmoil in the Arab world and the vacuum of stalled peace talks. » Read more

A Former Spy Chief Questions the Judgment of Israeli Leaders ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Ethan Bronner - June 3, 2011 - 12:00am The man who ran Israel’s Mossad spy agency until January contends that Israel’s top leaders lack judgment and that the anticipated pressures of international isolation as the Palestinians campaign for statehood could lead to rash decisions — like an airstrike on Iran. The former intelligence chief, Meir Dagan, who stepped down after eight years in the post, has made several unusual public appearances and statements in recent weeks. He made headlines a few weeks ago when he asserted at a Hebrew University conference that a military attack on Iran would be “a stupid idea.” » Read more

Abbas agrees to peace talks based on 1967 borders ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency June 6, 2011 - 12:00am President Mahmoud Abbas has told France he is ready to attend a Paris peace conference if Israel accepts talks based on the 1967 borders, an aide told AFP Sunday. Nimr Hammad, a political adviser to Abbas, said the president had told French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe that he agreed officially to a French proposal to host a peace conference in Paris before July. Juppe raised the possibility of the conference during a visit to Israel and the West Bank this week. » Read more

Palestinians close Gaza border in protest ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency June 6, 2011 - 12:00am Palestinian officials closed the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip on Sunday, the terminal's director Ayyoub Abu Sha'ar said. Closed out of frustration, Abu Sha'ar said the Egyptian authority's 'mechanism' at the terminal was unclear, citing Egypt's decision to close the crossing on Saturday without coordinating with Palestinian officials. He said said operations had been halted after disagreements about capacity and coordination, and would not resume until officials on both sides came to an agreement on its operation. » Read more

New Egyptian gov't's influence may facilitate Shalit deal: analysts ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua by Adam Gonn - (Analysis) June 6, 2011 - 12:00am Over the weekend local and regional newspapers were once again filled with reports suggesting that the captive Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, may soon be released. According to the reports, Egypt has recently given Israel new offer to which Israel has responded. The Hamas Al-Resalah newspaper, based in the Gaza Strip, reported Sunday that Hamas Damascus-based politburo deputy chief Moussa Abu Marzouq was planning to give the Egyptians a final response on the release of Shalit. » Read more

Israel to consider French Mideast peace bid: PM ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua June 5, 2011 - 12:00am Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel would consider a new initiative raised by France to relaunch the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. "I heard the proposal brought by French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe," Netanyahu told ministers at the weekly cabinet session. "We very much appreciate our French friends and I will respond to them after we have considered the matters," he said, according to a statement sent to Xinhua. Netanyahu said Israel, while studying the French proposal, would bring up the option with the American interlocutors as well. » Read more

Violence on Syria border leaves Israel in a no-win situation ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amos Harel, Avi Issacharoff - (Opinion) June 6, 2011 - 12:00am There's a major difference between what happened yesterday, on what the Arabs call Naksa Day, the anniversary of the beginning of the Six-Day War, and Nakba Day last month, marking the displacement of Arabs when the State of Israel was established. Most significantly, this time the Israel Defense Forces was prepared for clashes at the Syrian border and in the Golan Heights. » Read more

IDF: Protesters caused their own deaths ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Hanan Greenberg - June 6, 2011 - 12:00am The IDF said Monday morning that many of the Syrian protesters who stormed the border fence and Quneitra crossing in honor of 'Naksa Day' were responsible for their own deaths by igniting mine fields on the border. Meanwhile the army also announced at around 11:30 am that although the border demonstration had ended by late Sunday night, many were gathering once again in an area nearby. No violence was reported. » Read more

Killing Them Softly? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line by Arieh O'Sullivan - (Opinion) June 2, 2011 - 12:00am “Here’s what they did,” says the commander of an Israeli reserve combat company deployed in the northern West Bank. “They dumped on us thousands of rounds of rubber bullets, cases of stun grenades and tear gas and that’s it. That’s the great Israeli army doctrine on how to cope with this Naksa.” “God help us if [the Palestinians] start staging a non-violent march our way,” the officer told The Media Line, on condition he not be identified. » Read more

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