Israel’s Occupational Hazard ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bloomberg (Editorial) July 10, 2012 - 12:00am Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might have gotten what he wanted from the committee he named to explore ways to legalize unauthorized Jewish settlements in the West Bank. After all, its chairman, retired Supreme Court Justice Edmond Levy, had previously made clear that he rejects the term “occupied territory” to describe the West Bank’s status. » Read more

Abbas to visit Saudi Arab seeking financial aid ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua July 11, 2012 - 12:00am Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will travel to Saudi Arabia on Friday to request urgent help to overcome the financial crisis faced by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), a local official said on Wednesday. Nimer Hammad, Abbas's political adviser, said that the visit is to deal with the financial crisis in order to alleviate it. » Read more

Israel frees hunger-striking Palestinian player ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Ibrahim Barzak - July 11, 2012 - 12:00am Dozens of Islamic militants fired rifles in the air Tuesday in a rousing homecoming for a member of the Palestinian national soccer team who was released by Israel after being held for three years without formal charges. The player, Mahmoud Sarsak, 25, had staged a hunger strike for more than 90 days to press for his release, winning support from international sports organizations. Israel accused Sarsak of being active in the violent Islamic Jihad group, a charge he denied while in custody. » Read more

Wrong Time for New Settlements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times (Editorial) July 10, 2012 - 12:00am Palestinian hopes for an independent state are growing dimmer all the time. Israel is pushing ahead with new settlements in the West Bank and asserting control over new sections of East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians claim as their capital. Meanwhile, peace talks — the best guarantee of a durable solution — are going nowhere. » Read more

Rights groups: Spike in Israeli settler violence ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press July 11, 2012 - 12:00am Human rights groups and U.N. agencies say Israeli settlers in the West Bank have sharply stepped up attacks on Palestinians in a climate of impunity created by lacking law enforcement. The groups said Wednesday that the number of attacks causing injury or damage rose from 168 in 2009 to 411 in 2011. They say 154 attacks occurred in the first half of 2012. » Read more