May 11th

Mideast peace requires Palestinian self-criticism ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Shlomo Avineri - (Opinion) May 11, 2011 - 12:00am Efforts by members of Israel's far right to forbid the country's Arab citizens from commemorating the Nakba are mean, foolish and destined to fail. But initiatives by the extreme left to turn Nakba Day into a joint memorial day for all of Israel's citizens are also doomed. Israel is not a binational state, and with all due liberalism and humanism, it is hard to treat victory and defeat in the same way. » Read more

Israel is getting away with robbing Palestinian taxes ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amira Hass - (Opinion) May 11, 2011 - 12:00am Once again, Israel is showing everyone who the real man is here. It is busy carrying out (yet another ) robbery in broad daylight of $105 million from the Palestinians. And as usual, it is going off without a hitch. » Read more

Report: Israel freezes West Bank fence near major settlement bloc ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz May 11, 2011 - 12:00am Israel has frozen the construction of the West Bank separation fence near the Gush Etzion settlement bloc over budget concerns, Army Radio said on Wednesday, adding that Defense Ministry documents showed construction could resume in late 2012. According to a Defense Ministry document quoted in the Army Radio report, the defense establishment "realizes the importance of erecting the fence and retains all of the claims to its construction despite a lack of funding." The cost of completing the said section is estimated at around NIS 5 billion. » Read more

Palestinian leadership condemns Israeli finance minister on revenues ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua May 11, 2011 - 12:00am The Palestinian leadership on Wednesday condemned remarks by Israeli finance minister that withholding Palestinian money was an initial warning to the Palestinian National Authority. The statements by the minister, Yuval Steinitz, were "racial," said Yasser Abed Rabbo, a member of the PLO's Executive Committee. "They indicate that collective punishment is the easiest policy Israel resorts to." » Read more

France considers int'l meeting on Israeli-Palestinian peace: official ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua May 10, 2011 - 12:00am France plans to hold an international conference on peace by the end of June, a Palestinian official said Tuesday. Saeb Erekat, a Palestinian negotiator, said that France has informed the Palestinian leadership about its intention to host the peace conference on the sidelines of a meeting for international donors to the Palestinians in Paris next month. » Read more

Hamas, Fatah delegates to meet in Cairo ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua May 11, 2011 - 12:00am Delegations from Palestinian rivals will visit Cairo Saturday to start discussions on forming a unity government, a Hamas official said Wednesday. The delegations will represent Hamas and President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah party, said Salah Al-Bardawil, a Hamas official in Gaza. Last week, the two movements signed a reconciliation agreement brokered by Egypt. The pact is sought to end political split between the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and the West Bank, where Fatah holds sway. » Read more

Palestinians' Fayyad could keep PM job ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Mohammed Daraghmeh - May 11, 2011 - 12:00am Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, facing heavy international pressure, is leaning toward retaining his prime minister in an emerging Palestinian unity government, officials close to Abbas said Wednesday. Abbas's secular Fatah movement signed a reconciliation deal with the rival Islamic Hamas government in the Gaza Strip last week that calls for a joint government to be formed ahead of elections next year. Israel refuses to deal with any government that includes Hamas, which it, the U.S. and European Union consider a terrorist group. » Read more

Netanyahu to address US Congress May 24 - House speaker ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters May 10, 2011 - 12:00am Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress on May 24, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner announced on Tuesday. "It will be an honor to welcome Prime Minister Netanyahu to the Capitol on May 24 as part of his official visit to the United States," Boehner said in a statement. His office last month extended the invitation to Netanyahu, but a date had not been previously announced.

European Commission to allocate €85 million for PA salaries ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency May 8, 2011 - 12:00am The European Commission Friday announced the approval of a $121.85 million financial package for the Palestinian Authority, said to be for the salaries and pensions of PA civil servants. The decision comes as Israel continues to withhold tax revenues paid by Palestinians for goods imported into Palestinian areas, which are due under agreement for transfer to the PA. The EU package was in addition to the $143.35 million already approved from European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument. » Read more

First Palestinian corporate bonds issued ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency May 11, 2011 - 12:00am Palestinian investment firm PADICO announced Tuesday the first issue of corporate bonds in the Palestinian territories worth $70 million. At a press conference in Ramallah, PADICO said it was issuing 7,000 five-year bonds, which will be privately placed and neither traded nor listed on the Palestinian stock exchange. The investment company, which is publicly traded, focuses on investment in the Palestinian economy, and has interests in infrastructure, real estate and tourism projects. » Read more