May 8th

Fatah Wins Key W. Bank Student Election
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
May 8, 2008 - 5:32pm

Hebron University officials say Fatah has won student council elections in a former Hamas stronghold. Fatah activists loyal to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas won 21 seats Wednesday, compared to 20 for Hamas. Fatah supporters honked car horns and fired guns in the air when the results were announced. Islamists controlled the university's student council since 1986.

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Arabs Say Racism On Rise As Israel Turns 60
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
by Mohammed Assadi - May 8, 2008 - 5:31pm

Salwa Abu Jaber believes her story shows Israel discriminating against its Arab citizens, 60 years after the state was established as a haven for Jews. The 32-year-old mother of four from northern Israel said her five-year-old daughter has never seen her father, who lives in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Separated from the man for five years, she says she has been forced to divorce him.

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Let There Be Justice For All
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Economist
May 8, 2008 - 5:29pm

ONE of the thorniest questions in an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, if it ever happens, will be what recompense to give the 4.5m Palestinian refugees and their descendants, of whom only a tiny minority, if any, are likely to be allowed to return to what is now Israel. But now a coalition of Jewish organisations has managed to get a no less thorny problem onto the agenda: compensation for Jews who fled the Arab world.

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May 7th

The Economist looks at recent legislation concerning Jewish refugees from their April edition. (1) The Associated Press reports on a Fatah victory in Hebron (3). Tony Blair calls on Israel to work to improve Palestinian lives(4)as Daniel Levy discusses checkpoints (6). Former President Jimmy Carter speaks out against conditions in Gaza in a Daily Star Op-Ed (9).

Israel Is Stronger Than Its Ills
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
(Editorial) May 7, 2008 - 7:01pm

In the weeks preceding the publication of the new suspicions against the prime minister, it seemed as though Israel was progressing toward a peace agreement with the Palestinians and perhaps even with Syria. Now it is very hard to believe that a government in the process of being dismantled can carry this load on its shoulders. The country's intensive and welcome preoccupation with government corruption is determining the national mood on this Independence Day more than any ceremony and celebration.

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Barak: Nothing Can Destroy Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Sima Kadmon Alex Fishman - (Interview) May 7, 2008 - 6:57pm

  Good news first – Israel is under no existential threat. Not yet anyway. According to Labor Chief Defense Minister Ehud Barak. Israel is the strongest nation in the Middle East and will remain so in the foreseeable future; but that doesn\'t mean there are no challenges ahead.

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Israel - 60 And Beyond
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Middle East Times
by Alon Ben-meir - (Opinion) May 7, 2008 - 6:56pm

As Israelis finalize preparations for their momentous 60th anniversary – a date marking 10 years of consistent economic growth and industrious expansion – there remains the underlying question that will go unanswered yet another decade: What will be done with the West Bank and the Golan Heights? Despite all of its considerable achievements, cross-border violence persists and Israel's existence remains fundamentally insecure.

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Israel Braces For Political Shake-up If Olmert Goes
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
May 7, 2008 - 6:55pm

Israel was bracing on Tuesday for a possible eruption in the political landscape if Prime Minister Ehud Olmert resigns or is suspended over the latest corruption probe into his affairs. The atmosphere of uncertainty has been heightened by a whirl of rumours and speculation due largely to a media blackout imposed on details of the case against the 62-year-old premier. The anti-fraud investigation is the fifth such probe of Olmert's dealings before he became prime minister in 2006, although one case against him has been dismissed. He has denied any wrongdoing.

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Villagers Fight For Promised Land
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Inter Press Service (IPS)
by Zack Baddorf - May 7, 2008 - 6:54pm

The Israeli High Court of Justice ordered the government Sep. 4 to re-route the controversial separation barrier built by Israel in the West Bank that divides Bi'lin from 60 percent of its agricultural land. The judges ruled that the current wall placement is "highly prejudicial" to the village residents, and not necessary for "security-military reasons."

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Palestinians See Peace Deal Delay If Olmert Quits
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Mohammed Assadi - May 7, 2008 - 6:52pm

A Palestinian negotiator said on Wednesday any peace deal with Israel would be delayed if a police investigation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert forced his resignation and a new election was held. Saeb Erekat described the case as an internal Israeli matter but said Palestinians were following developments closely. "If they decide to hold a new election then we will be late another year. If (Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi) Livni takes over, we will remain the same," Erekat said, referring to Olmert's designated deputy.

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