September 23rd

A Strong Palestinian State Would Benefit Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Middle East Times
(Editorial) September 22, 2008 - 8:00pm

The murderous attack in East Jerusalem by a man who deliberately crashed his car into a crowd of pedestrians near Jerusalem's Old City around 11 p.m., Monday night, wounding 19 people before being shot and killed by an off-duty policeman, underlines the urgency in finalizing peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

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Everyone Loses in the War of Silencing
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Inter Press Service (IPS)
by Mohammed Omer - September 22, 2008 - 8:00pm

So much is missing as you walk down the street along the shops of Gaza. Food and medicines kept out by the blockade enforced by Israel; but also newspapers once a part of the street landscape. Al-Hayat-Al-Jadeeda and Al-Ayyam, two newspapers loyal to Fatah, are not around any more. And for once, you couldn't blame the Israelis for censorship. Of the two big Palestinian territories, Gaza is ruled by Hamas, and the West Bank by Fatah. Fighting between the two groups has led to a silencing of voices on both sides.

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Retrial of Hamas financing case begins in Dallas
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
by Paul J. Weber - September 21, 2008 - 8:00pm

Federal prosecutors Monday started a second attempt to convict leaders of a Muslim charity on charges of financing terrorism after the first trial last year ended with a mistrial on most of the allegations. The Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development is accused of funneling more than $12 million dollars to the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which the U.S. government considers a terrorist organization.

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Few Palestinians Expect to Form Own State
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Angus Reid Global Monitor
September 19, 2008 - 8:00pm

Few people in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip expect to see the creation of a Palestinian state within the next five years, according to a poll by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research. 27.5 per cent of respondents believe the chances for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state next to Israel are medium to high, while 69.2 per cent are more skeptical.

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Israel fears rise of attacks from East Jerusalemites
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP)
September 22, 2008 - 8:00pm

Israeli media on Tuesday raised fears of a growing trend of attacks by Palestinians from east Jerusalem after a man rammed his car into a group of soldiers, injuring 13 people before being shot dead. Monday's was the latest incident involving vehicle attacks in the Holy City by Palestinians, sparking calls for stepped-up security and harsher punitive measures. The incident took place near Tzahal Square, just outside the 400-year-old walls of Jerusalem's Old City and a few hundred metres (yards) from Jaffa Gate, a major tourist thoroughfare.

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Cash-strapped Palestinians get more aid pledges
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Haitham Haddadin, Sue Pleming - September 21, 2008 - 8:00pm

The cash-strapped Palestinian government on Monday received pledges of nearly $300 million in new aid on top of more than $7 billion promised last year, Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said. "We are grateful for the expressions of additional support over and beyond the Paris pledges," Fayyad told a news conference following a meeting that discussed aid to the Palestinians on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.

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September 22nd

Ehud Olmert formally resigns as Israeli Prime Minister (1). Israeli President Shimon Peres is expected to ask Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, winner of the recent Kadima party elections, to form a new coalition government (4). A commentary in The Times of London discusses the importance of Israel?s continued work towards a peace deal despite distractions (2). A Fatah official states that a military option against Hamas is a possibility (5), resulting in a strong reaction by Hamas leadership (9). Palestinian company PADICO announces a massive investment plan for the West Bank (6).

Hamas: Israel reneging on its promises for Shalit
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Avi Issacharoff - September 21, 2008 - 8:00pm

Mahmoud Zahar, a Hamas leader in Gaza, on Friday accused Israel of reneging on offers made in the negotiations for the return of Gilad Shalit. In an interview with the Palestinian Ramattan News Agency, Zahar claimed Israel had offered to free 450 Palestinian prisoners once Shalit was returned to Israel and an additional 550 prisoners two months later. He said Israel was now offering to release only 450 prisoners and warned that such back-pedaling could lead to the negotiations being scrapped altogether.

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Hamas slams PA threat to use force to regain control of Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Avi Issacharoff - September 21, 2008 - 8:00pm

Hamas government spokesman Taher Nunu urged all the Palestinian organizations on Sunday to refrain from making statements that could escalate the internal Palestinian conflict. Nunu's comment came after Gen. Dhiab al-Ali, who heads the Palestinian Authority's forces in the West Bank and is considered the Palestinian chief of staff, told Haaretz that the PA must be ready to use force against Hamas in the Gaza Strip "to reunify the homeland." Such comments legitimize various groups that want to undermine security and stability in Gaza, Nunu charged.

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Israeli, Palestinian bereaved families meet
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Anat Shalev - September 20, 2008 - 8:00pm

This weekend a series of meetings between Jewish and Palestinian families was held under the auspices of the "Parents Circle," a group connecting bereaved families from both sides. The Palestinians listened to the accounts of families of individuals who were killed by Qassam rockets, while the Israelis heard stories from Palestinian parents who have lost their children in the West Bank village of Naalin. Both sides agreed that peace must prevail to stop the bloodshed.

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