August 28th

Hamas fights the Salafists to gain more legitimacy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star by Mkhaimar Abusada - August 28, 2009 - 12:00am The recent shoot-out in a Gaza mosque between Hamas security officers and militants from the radical jihadist group the Warriors of God brought to the surface the deep tensions that divide Palestinian Islamists. Twenty-two people died, including the Warriors of God’s leader, Abdel-Latif Moussa. But Palestinian security officials doubt that these will be the last casualties. » Read more

Bibi in control until Obama calls settlements illegal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Independent by Alan Philps - (Opinion) August 27, 2009 - 12:00am In June, Barack Obama declared to the consternation of Israel that “the United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements”. Since then the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has chipped away at the principle of a total freeze on settlement building with what looks like increasing success. » Read more

Netanyahu: We haven’t agreed to a settlement freeze ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) August 27, 2009 - 12:00am Israel’s prime minister denied reports that Israel has agreed to halt construction in West Bank settlements. At a news conference in Berlin on Thursday following his meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Benjamin Netanyahu also said the Palestinians first must recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state before negotiations could be held. » Read more

Israel hobbling West Bank economy, says Tony Blair ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Independent by Ben Lynfield - August 28, 2009 - 12:00am Israel's delaying tactics over the launch of a new Palestinian mobile phone network could deal a substantial blow to the West Bank's economy, Tony Blair warned yesterday in his capacity as the international community's Middle East envoy. Wataniya Mobile, based in Qatar, has been preparing for the launch of Palestine's second mobile telecoms company since 2007, with the second largest private investment in West Bank history, amounting to $700m. » Read more

PM faces uprising over 'settlement halt' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Gil Hoffman - August 28, 2009 - 12:00am Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will return from his European trip to find that two Likud rallies have been organized to express opposition to the settlement freeze he reportedly negotiated with US envoy George Mitchell in London. The first, scheduled for Tuesday at Tel Aviv's Azrieli Tower, was organized by Minister-without-Portfolio Yossi Peled. It is not officially an anti-Netanyahu rally but rather a "pro-Jerusalem event," and yet MKs who attend are expected to bash the deal the prime minister is negotiating with the Americans. » Read more

US: Settlements no precondition on Mideast talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews August 28, 2009 - 12:00am The United States indicated Friday that its calls on Israel to freeze settlements were not a precondition for restarting Middle East peace talks, as the Jewish state held firm in its refusal. President Barack Obama's administration insisted it was not changing its stance, which has caused friction with the close US ally, that Israel halt all settlements in the West Bank and in east Jerusalem. But State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said the main US goal was to relaunch talks between Israel and the Palestinians, who will decide for themselves on the contours of a peace deal. » Read more

Israel arrests 5 Palestinians ahead of Ramadan prayers ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz August 28, 2009 - 12:00am Jerusalem Police on Friday arrested five Palestinians in the vicinity of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Temple Mount ahead of Ramadan prayers, Israel Radio reported. One of the men, a resident of the Isawiyah neighborhood in East Jerusalem, attacked a police officer and lightly hurt him after being asked to undergo a security check. Another man, a resident of Rahat, was arrested for carrying a knife, while a Gaza man was detained for being in the area without a permit. » Read more

Report: Meshal to fly to Cairo to approve Shalit deal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - August 28, 2009 - 12:00am Hamas politburo chief Khaled Meshal is expected to fly to Cairo next week to approve a deal that includes the release of captured Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, the London-based Arabic language newspaper al-Hayat reported on Friday. Meanwhile, a German intelligence official has arrived in Cairo to help mediate on the Shalit deal, senior German officials told Haaretz on Thursday. » Read more

U.S.: We will be flexible on conditions for Mideast talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Natasha Mozgovaya - August 28, 2009 - 12:00am A State Department spokesman said on Friday that the Obama administration will be flexible on pre-conditions for all parties involved in Middle East peace negotiations. "We put forward our ideas, publicly and privately, about what it will take for negotiations to be restarted, but ultimately it'll be up to the parties themselves, with our help, to determine whether that threshold has been met," spokesman P.J. Crowley said, adding that the U.S. position on an Israeli settlement freeze remains unchanged." » Read more

Abbas to tour Arab, European countries by year's end ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency August 28, 2009 - 12:00am President Mahmoud Abbas intends to carry out a tour that will include a number of Arab and European countries, according to a leading Palestine Liberation Organization official on Wednesday. Yasser Abed Rabu, the PLO Executive Committee's secretary-general, said Abbas would visit Tunis, Algeria, Morocco, Spain and France. Rabu added that the president's goals were to "rescue" the peace process from Israeli threats and settlement activity, and shore up support from the international community in favor of a just resolution to Palestinian aspirations for statehood.