June 26th

Israel Keeps Gaza Crossings Closed After Rocket Fire
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
by Mark Lavie - June 26, 2008 - 4:26pm

Israel will keep Gaza border crossings closed another day in response to Palestinian rocket fire that had violated a new cease-fire, the Defense Ministry said late Wednesday. The decision came after Gaza's Hamas rulers said they would not police other militant groups that break the truce that went into effect last Thursday. It was the first major hitch in the truce and raised questions about its ability to hold.

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Palestinian Conference In Berlin Falls Flat
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Der Spiegel
by Michael Scott Moore - June 26, 2008 - 4:21pm

Everyone agreed on Tuesday that the Palestinians need help. And dozens of nations agreed in Berlin to donate money. But the Palestinians still don't have a state, and the Middle East is still a powderkeg.

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The Brass Ring
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New Yorker
by Connie Bruck - June 26, 2008 - 4:16pm

Last October, Sheldon Adelson, the gaming multibillionaire, accompanied a group of Republican donors to the White House to meet with George W. Bush. They wanted to talk to the President about Israel. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was organizing a major conference in the United States, in an effort to re-start the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and her initiative had provoked consternation among many rightward-leaning American Jews and their Christian evangelical allies.

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Movement On Both Sides
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Huffington Post
by Fadi Elsalameen - (Opinion) June 26, 2008 - 4:13pm

After many years of deepening suspicion and estrangement, dramatic political developments in both the Middle East and the United States are starting to improve the perceptions Arabs and Americans have of each other. Arab states are beginning to rethink their national interests, especially regarding Israel. At the same time, across the Atlantic, our own country stands on the brink of a parallel transformation, one that bodes well for the Middle East and its future.

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Another Wedge Issue
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Salam Al-marayati & Steven B. Jacobs - (Opinion) June 26, 2008 - 4:07pm

There's a disturbing trend in this 2008 election. We are witnessing the manipulation and exploitation of Muslim-Jewish differences by political candidates in pursuit of votes. As advocates for our respective communities, we believe it's in America's interest that it stop.

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Hamas: Qassam Fire Is Harming Palestinian Interests
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Avi Issacharoff, Barak Ravid, Yossi Melman, & Jack Khoury - June 26, 2008 - 4:05pm

The Hamas government in the Gaza Strip voiced its rage on Thursday after Gaza militants fired two rockets into southern Israel Thursday, causing no injuries but further straining a shaky, week-old truce between Israel and the Gaza rulers.

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June 25th

In a noticeable change of position Hamas decries the use of Qassam rockets as damaging to the Palestinian national interest (1). An opinion piece in the Los Angeles Times criticizes candidates exploitation of the American Muslim-Jewish divide (2). In The New Yorker Connie Bruck looks at controversial multibillionaire Sheldon Adelson’s political commitment to Israel (5). The tenuous ceasefire between Hamas and Israel continues despite recent rocket fire, though Gaza crossings remain closed (6) (8) (12). A last-minute compromise to between the two main Israeli political parties saves the parliament from dissolution and early elections (7) (9).

Prc: Shalit Will Not See Light Of Day Unless Our Demands Are Met
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Ali Waked - June 25, 2008 - 5:44pm

Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) spokesman Abu Mujahid told Ynet Wednesday that the demands posed by the groups holding IDF soldier Gilad Shalit will not change and that "Israel must comply with our demands otherwise Shalit will not see the light of day. "We demand Israel comply with all of our demands. We demand the release of the prisoners who were sentenced to long jail terms. Without their release, Shalit will remain in our hands for many years to come," said Abu Mujahid.

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Sarkozy Moves To Boost Palestinian Economy
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Khaled Abu Toameh - June 25, 2008 - 5:40pm

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas signed an agreement on Tuesday to establish an industrial zone in the Bethlehem area to boost the Palestinian economy. The agreement was signed during Sarkozy's visit to Bethlehem, where he met with Abbas and other PA leaders. Abbas thanked Sarkozy for agreeing to fund the $21 million project, which is expected to provide thousands of jobs. Abbas also called on the European Union to play a more active role in solving the Israeli-Arab conflict.

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Hope Thrives Amid Israeli-palestinian Violence
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Middle East Times
by Mel Frykberg - June 25, 2008 - 5:38pm

"Islamic Jihad has just fired several rockets into Israel," the U.N. World Health Organization representative told the Middle East Times at the Gaza-Israel border crossing as a convoy of U.N. vehicles and a delegation from the humanitarian organization Oxfam were waiting for Israeli security clearance to cross back into Israel yesterday. The tentative ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, which began at the end of last week, was already looking shaky with seasoned analysts questioning just how committed both sides were to ensuring its success.

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