Middle East News: World Press Roundup

NEWS: The family of Rachel Corrie awaits the verdict in their civil suit in Israel. Israel stops a large group of visiting activists from entering the occupied West Bank. Egyptian officials say that they have reopened the Gaza crossing point, but only for passengers. Israeli police have arrested suspects in a firebomb attack on a Palestinian taxi. 76 Egyptians are convicted in connection to an attack on the Israeli Embassy in Cairo. Hamas leader Hanniyeh drops plans to travel to Tehran during the Nonaligned Movement conference. Palestinian sources say Iran was “forced” to withdraw its invitation to him. Israel is closing a key Jerusalem checkpoint, relied on by the residents of the Shoafat refugee camp. PM Fayyad reportedly consults with Bank of Israel Governor Fischer on further steps to deal with the PA financial crisis. Qatar is reportedly opening an office in Gaza to oversee reconstruction efforts. PA Attorney-General al-Mughni has reportedly resigned. The US and Israel are reportedly divided over the latest IAEA report on Iran. Amid war rumors, an Israeli cabinet committee approves proposed changes to PM Netanyahu's personal investment portfolio. Former Israeli soldiers issue a booklet detailing their mistreatment of Palestinian children. Palestinians and Israeli settlers are struggling for control over market stalls in occupied Hebron. COMMENTARY: Chemi Shalev argues an Israeli attack against Iran would help Pres. Obama get re-elected. Susan Hattis Rolef says there is no consensus about the Oslo Accords in Israel today. Liron Libman says Israel should take an Egyptian request to modify the peace treaty regarding security in Sinai very seriously. Mohammad Fadhel says Egypt, too, needs to rethink its Sinai strategy. Linda Gradstein looks at FM Lieberman's rhetorical attacks against Pres. Abbas. Emad El Din Adeeb says Arabs need to ask themselves what, exactly, they would do in the event of an Iranian-Israeli war. Ghassan Khatib and Yossi Alpher explain why they are deciding to close their bitterlemons website.

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Family of slain US activist awaits verdict ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Diaa Hadid - August 27, 2012 - 12:00am Almost a decade after their daughter was crushed to death by an Israeli army bulldozer as she tried to block its path in a Gaza Strip conflict zone, Rachel Corrie's parents are preparing for a judge's ruling in their high-profile civil lawsuit against the military. They hope Tuesday's court decision will conclude a case that's turned their daughter into a rallying cry for pro-Palestinian activists, taken years of their life and drained their savings. » Read more

Israel stops activists from entering West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Dale Gavlak - August 26, 2012 - 12:00am Israeli authorities refused entry on Sunday to about 100 pro-Palestinian activists, including three Americans, attempting to cross overland to the West Bank from Jordan, according to their leader. French organizer Olivia Zemor of the "Welcome to Palestine" campaign said Israeli authorities asked no questions and stamped "entry denied" into the passports without an explanation. Israel's Defense Ministry denounced the protesters as "provocateurs and known troublemakers." » Read more

Egypt reopens Gaza border crossing for passengers ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Ashraf Sweilam - August 26, 2012 - 12:00am An Egyptian security official says Egypt has reopened its passenger terminal with the Gaza Strip and resumed normal operations there after nearly three weeks of disruption following a deadly attack on Egyptian soldiers by Islamic militants. The official said from inside the Rafah crossing that it will be open six days a week, with normal security measures. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief reporters. » Read more

Israeli police arrest suspects in firebomb attack ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press August 26, 2012 - 12:00am Israeli police say they have arrested three Jewish youths from a West Bank settlement as suspects in firebomb attack that wounded six Palestinians in a taxi. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said Sunday the three suspects were minors, aged 12-13. They will appear in a Jerusalem court to face charges. The attack 10 days ago targeted a taxi driving in the West Bank. A firebomb struck the vehicle, injuring the six people inside, one seriously. The military suspected Jewish extremists. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders condemned the firebombing. » Read more

Egypt: 76 convicted for attack on Israeli Embassy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press August 26, 2012 - 12:00am A Cairo court has convicted 76 Egyptians on charges linked to last year's attack by protesters on the Israeli Embassy. Seventy-five of the defendants received suspended one-year sentences Sunday, while one defendant tried in absentia was given a five-year prison term. The court listed eight charges, including "an assault against diplomatic missions" and "sabotage." » Read more

Gaza Hamas premier drops plan to go to Iran summit ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press August 26, 2012 - 12:00am A Hamas official says Gaza's Hamas prime minister has dropped plans to attend this week's summit of Non-Aligned Movement in Tehran. The prospect of Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh attending the summit elicited an angry response from the rival Palestinian government in the West Bank. Its foreign minister, Riad Malki, warned he would pull out of the summit and urge other nations to do the same if Haniyeh showed up. » Read more

Sources: Iran was forced to withdraw Khamenei invite to Haniyeh ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency August 27, 2012 - 12:00am Informed sources told Ma'an on Monday that Iran's Supreme Leader had asked Gaza premier Ismail Haniyeh to the Non-Aligned summit in Tehran, but Iran was later forced to withdraw the invitation. Haniyeh announced the invitation on Friday, drawing ire from West Bank officials who said President Mahmoud Abbas would pull out if the Hamas premier attended. An Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman later said only Abbas had been invited to represent Palestine. Haniyeh then insisted he had declined the invitation, citing Palestinian unity. » Read more

Israel closes key Jerusalem checkpoint, limiting Palestinian residents' access ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Oz Rosenberg - August 27, 2012 - 12:00am The Defense Ministry is planning to seal up the Ras Khamis checkpoint, one of the only two exits into Israel for the 65,000 Palestinian residents of the Shoafat refugee camp in northeast Jerusalem. The Palestinian, who are considered residents of Jerusalem, can now enter Israel only through the Shoafat central checkpoint, severely limiting their access to the city. » Read more

Report: Fayyad seeks advice from Bank of Israel governor ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency August 27, 2012 - 12:00am Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad met with the Governor of the Bank of Israel Stanley Fischer last Friday in Jerusalem, Israeli media reported on Monday. Hebrew-language news site Maariv said that the meeting came at Fayyad’s request, and he was seeking advice on future economic steps. The officials, who worked together at the International Monetary Fund in the 1990s, met at the American Colony Hotel in East Jerusalem, the report said. Fischer’s office confirmed that he met with Fayyad, but they gave no further details. » Read more

Official: Qatar to open office to oversee Gaza reconstruction ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency August 24, 2012 - 12:00am Qatar will open an office in Gaza to oversee its reconstruction projects in the enclave, an official in Gaza said Friday. Minister of Public Works and Housing Yousif al-Mansi said a Qatari delegation had agreed to start the first phase of a $224 million project during a visit to Gaza in June. "We're waiting for the delegation to come back in the next week or two to open a Qatari office in Gaza to start signing contracts and start the reconstruction projects," al-Mansi told Ma'an. » Read more

Sources: PA Attorney General resigns ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency August 27, 2012 - 12:00am Palestinian Authority Attorney-General Ahmad al-Mughni resigned his position on Saturday morning, informed sources told Ma'an. The sources said al-Mughni handed in his notice after meeting with a former US State Attorney in Ramallah, without elaborating on the content of the meeting. Al-Mughni could not be reached for confirmation. Earlier this year, Ma'an revealed the attorney-general was forcing private Internet companies to block access to websites loyal to ousted Fatah leader Muhammad Dahlan. » Read more

Israel, U.S. divided over latest IAEA report on Iran ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - August 26, 2012 - 12:00am Israel and the United States are split over the significance of a new International Atomic Energy Agency report expected to accuse Iran of installing hundreds of new centrifuges at its underground enrichment facility near Qom. Israel believes that the IAEA report, due to be published this week, backs up claims that Tehran has accelerated its nuclear project. The White House, however, insists that the findings do nothing to alter the working assumption that there is still time to resolve the crisis diplomatically. » Read more

C'tee okays PM portfolio changes amid war rumors ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post August 27, 2012 - 12:00am A special committee has given its initial approval for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to make changes to his foreign and domestic investment portfolio, amid increased speculation in recent weeks that Israel is considering a strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, a move that would certainly send shockwaves throughout the global economy. » Read more

Former Israeli soldiers disclose routine mistreatment of Palestinian children ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Harriet Sherwood - August 26, 2012 - 12:00am More than 30 former Israeli soldiers have disclosed their experiences of the treatment of Palestinian children during military operations and arrests, pointing to a pattern of abuse. A booklet of testimonies, published by Breaking the Silence, an organisation of former Israeli soldiers dedicated to publicising the day-to-day actions of the army in the occupied territories, contains descriptions of beatings, intimidation, humiliation, verbal abuse, night-time arrests and injury. Most of the children had been suspected of stone-throwing. » Read more

Market stalls turn into prime real estate in fight between Jews, Palestinians over Hebron ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Mohammed Daraghmeh, Nasser Shiyoukhi - August 26, 2012 - 12:00am Four stalls in a trash-filled, abandoned outdoor market have turned into hotly contested real estate in the center of biblical Hebron where several hundred ultranationalist Jewish settlers are wrestling with Palestinian residents for control, house by house and storefront by storefront. The stalls’ Palestinian tenants want Israel’s Supreme Court to evict settlers who seized the properties a decade ago, but some in Israel’s pro-settler government believe the small shops should remain in Jewish hands. » Read more

An Israeli attack on Iran would help, not harm, Obama’s reelection ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Chemi Shalev - (Opinion) August 26, 2012 - 12:00am In many of the conspiracy theories that have been presented in recent weeks in the Israeli press concerning the possibility of an imminent Israeli attack on Iran, one theme has been constant: it would put President Barack Obama in a bind and possibly hurt his chances in the November elections as well. » Read more

There is no consensus regarding the Oslo Accords ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Susan Hattis Rolef - (Opinion) August 26, 2012 - 12:00am Since President Shimon Peres went public regarding his opinion that Israel should not attack Iran without fully coordinated with the US, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and others have started attacking the president for overstepping his legitimate role, and have reverted to attacking Peres for what they regard as his mistaken judgments over the years on major political issues. One of these “mistaken judgments” is the 1993 Oslo Accords. » Read more

Egypt and the treaty ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Liron A. Libman - (Opinion) August 26, 2012 - 12:00am Since the beginning of the regional turmoil and the regime change in Egypt, there were Egyptian voices speaking of cancelling or reviewing the peace treaty with Israel. Lately, after the terrorist attack in Sinai that killed 16 Egyptian border guards, Mr. Mohamed Gadallah, legal adviser to the president of Egypt, Mohamed Morsy, was quoted saying that the president is studying whether to amend the Camp David accords to ensure Egypt’s “full sovereignty” over Sinai. » Read more

Sinai: Shift in Egypt’s strategic doctrine? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by Mohammad Fadhel - (Opinion) August 26, 2012 - 12:00am As the army continues its campaign against terrorists in the Sinai peninsula, there are growing calls in Egypt for comprehensive development projects in Sinai. Opposition figures, politicians and former officials are seeing this goal as a strategic effort to enhance the country’s national security. It seems that this topic will become one of the priorities for President Mohammad Mursi and the entire Egyptian leadership. » Read more

Loose-Cannon or Bad Cop Lieberman? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line by Linda Gradstein - (Opinion) August 26, 2012 - 12:00am Give Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas a choice, Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said this weekend. Either he must abandon his campaign for unilateral United Nations recognition and return to the negotiating table with no preconditions, or Israel will no longer see him as a legitimate partner and will launch a campaign to delegitimize him. » Read more

What if a war broke out? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat by Emad El Din Adeeb - (Opinion) August 27, 2012 - 12:00am What would happen if a regional war broke out between Israel and Iran? I'm not here to talk about who would be the "devil" or the "angel" in this political context. I will not enter into the issue of who is right and who is wrong, nor will I touch upon the overwhelming state of hostility towards Israel or the hostility that the majority of Arabs currently display towards Iran. Rather, I will focus my attention on answering the big question. » Read more

The arc of the pendulum ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Ghassan Khatib - (Blog) August 27, 2012 - 12:00am When Yossi Alpher and I sat in my Jerusalem office in the year 2000, discussing plans for the first bitterlemons web magazine, we never imagined that it would grow to encompass four different publications and two books, or that it would span 12 years of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. » Read more

Why we are closing ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Yossi Alpher - (Blog) August 27, 2012 - 12:00am We are closing bitterlemons' two weekly e-magazines. The publications that you, our readers, have known for the past 11 years will, with this special edition, cease to exist. You deserve an explanation as to why this is happening. It is not disconnected from what is transpiring around us in the Middle East and globally. » Read more

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