October 3rd

Barak fends off Netanyahu criticism ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Attila Somfalvi - October 3, 2012 - 12:00am Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Wednesday commented on accusations leveled at him by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu relating to the role he plays in Israeli relations with the United States. » Read more

Netanyahu: Barak is trying to stir up trouble between me and Obama ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Jonathan Lis - October 3, 2012 - 12:00am Benjamin Netanyahu's office has declined to comment on a report that the prime minister has accused Defense Minister Ehud Barak of trying to damage relations between Israel and the Obama administration. » Read more

EU foreign ministers pushing to label all settlement products ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - October 3, 2012 - 12:00am The foreign minister of Denmark, Villy Sovndal, is urging the European Union to set down regulations that would force European marketing chains and stores to clearly label products originating in Israeli settlements. The initiative, which is raising fears in Jerusalem, is getting backing from France, Britain and several other EU countries. » Read more

PA preparing to set minimum wage ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency October 3, 2012 - 12:00am BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The Palestinian Authority will announce a minimum wage on October 15, the minister of labor said Tuesday. Ahmad Majdalani declined to reveal figures, but told Ma'an that detailed discussions on monthly, daily and hourly minimum wages had been held for two months. Palestinian labor law regarding internships and probation contracts had also been considered, Majdalani said. "We are close to reaching an agreement on the minimum wages," he said. » Read more

PA to rehire teachers dismissed for 'security reasons' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency October 3, 2012 - 12:00am RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- The Palestinian Authority Ministry of Education will comply with court orders to rehire teachers fired for "security reasons" as jobs become available, the minister said Tuesday. Lamis al-Alami said the ministry had not yet received most of the high court orders to rehire dismissed teachers. » Read more

Qatar invites bids to reconstruct Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency October 3, 2012 - 12:00am GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- The Qatari government on Tuesday invited tenders for four construction projects, in the first stage of a $254 million project to rebuild the war-torn Gaza Strip. Qatar's ambassador to Gaza Muhammad al-Imadi is heading a committee overseeing the work. Consultants have been invited to submit designs for a city to be named after Sheikh Hamad Ben Khalifa al-Thani. » Read more

International rights group accuses Hamas security forces in Gaza of prisoner abuse ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press October 3, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM — An international rights group said Wednesday that Hamas security forces in the Gaza Strip commit rampant abuses against Palestinian prisoners, including beatings with metal clubs and rubber hoses, mock executions and arbitrary arrests, and urged the Islamic militant group to swiftly reform its criminal justice system. » Read more

Gaza Tunnel Demolitions Increase As Hamas Seeks Free Trade Zone ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Ayyam by Mohannad Abdel Hamid - October 2, 2012 - 12:00am Egyptian [security] forces continue to demolish tunnels [running between Gaza and the Sinai], following the Rafah attack that killed 16 Egyptian soldiers. An Egyptian security spokesman declared that 31 tunnels have been demolished out of 225. Despite contradictory information on the actual number of tunnels — which ranges from 225 to 1200 — these tunnels play a major role on the political and economic level, regardless of their numbers. » Read more

Hamas upset about new Egyptian policy towards Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua October 3, 2012 - 12:00am GAZA, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Islamic Hamas movement is upset about Egypt's mounting security campaign on the borderline area between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, a well-informed source in Gaza said Tuesday. The source, close to Hamas and speaking on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that the movement watches with anger and disappointment the latest developments along the border. » Read more

PA seeks help from Europe over resolution draft ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Herb Keinon - October 3, 2012 - 12:00am The Palestinian Authority wants EU countries to help draft a resolution that would admit “Palestine” as a non-member state in the UN General Assembly in an effort to gain EU support for the move, The Jerusalem Post has learned. PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat met with the heads of EU missions in Jerusalem last month and asked them – either as individual countries or collectively as the EU – to help draft the resolution that will be taken to the world body. So far no country has expressed a willingness to do so. » Read more