December 9th

Israeli settlers threaten to make Palestinians 'pay the price' on the West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Telegraph by Adrian Blomfield - December 9, 2009 - 1:00am Mounting discontent over the building ban, announced at the end of November, has already manifested itself in a series of scuffles between egg-throwing settlers and Israeli police officers. But this week hardline Jewish activists have signalled a change of tactic by circulating calls for Palestinian civilians to pay the price for the settlement freeze. » Read more

Who will save Gaza's children? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Victoria Brittain - December 9, 2009 - 1:00am Among all the complex and long-term solutions being sought in Copenhagen for averting environmental catastrophe across the world, there is one place where the catastrophe has already happened, but could be immediately ameliorated with one simple political act. » Read more

'West Bank building up despite freeze' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Elana Kirsh - December 9, 2009 - 1:00am Housing units are being built at a faster rate in Judea and Samaria than in the rest of Israel, according to data released by Peace Now on Wednesday. The Peace Now report, titled 'Construction Freeze?' noted that despite Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's recently announced 10-month freeze on new housing starts in the West Bank, approved settlement construction is still higher than that in the rest of the country. » Read more

Peace Now opens 'snitches' hotline to battle freeze violations ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Efrat Weiss - December 9, 2009 - 1:00am More housing units are being built in the West bank than in any other areas in Israel, even after the government's decision to freeze construction in the settlements, claimed Left wing organization Peace Now during a Wednesday press conference in Jerusalem, as part of a counter assault on the settlers campaign against the freeze. The organization formed an informant hotline that allows citizens to report on violations of the freeze order. Meanwhile, a massive protest organized by the settlers is slated to take place Wednesday night in Jerusalem. » Read more

Gaza sources: Swap deal up to Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Ali Waked - December 9, 2009 - 1:00am The implementation of a prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas is waiting for an Israeli decision, according to Palestinian sources involved in the negotiations. "Our demands are clear. We made them clear to the German mediator and we have done all we can for the deal to executed," one of the Gaza sources told Ynet. Israel continues to keep silent about the deal. On Tuesday, a Palestinian source told Ynet that the German mediator has asked Hamas to refrain from leaking details of the prisoner swap deal to the Arab press. » Read more

Israel has made settlers of all its citizens ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amira Hass - (Opinion) December 9, 2009 - 1:00am Would any of the settlers who opposed the Civil Administration inspectors this week be living in the territories had the governments of Israel not established and encouraged them? Would the Gush Katif evacuees have moved to mobile homes in Ariel in the expectation of spacious permanent housing had the government clearly declared that this was forbidden - because the settlements will be evacuated in the near future for a peace agreement - and that evacuation-compensation money would not be paid to anyone who moves to the West Bank? » Read more

U.S.: Only Israel, Palestinians should decide Jerusalem's future ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Natasha Mozgovaya, Barak Ravid - December 9, 2009 - 1:00am Shortly after European Union Ministers announced their support for the division of Jerusalem between Israel and a future Palestinian state on Tuesday, the U.S. State Department issued a statement saying that the fate of Jerusalem should only be determined by Israel and the Palestinians in talks. » Read more

Netanyahu: PA has made strategic choice to delay peace talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - December 9, 2009 - 1:00am Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the Palestinian Authority on Wednesday of having chosen to postpone peace negotiations with Israel indefinitely as a "strategy." "It appears that the Palestinians have adopted a strategy of delaying negotiations with Israel, and this is in order to refrain from meeting the demands of Israel and the international community, which require comprises on the Palestinian side," Netanyahu told the cabinet. » Read more

Khreisha: PLO can extend Abbas' term ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency December 9, 2009 - 1:00am The PLO’s Central Council is authorized to extend president Abbas’ term as he is president of both the Palestinian Authority and the PLO, the second deputy speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) Hassan Khreisha said on Wednesday. But, Khreisha told Ma'an that the Central Council is not authorized to extend the PLC’s term because the body is supposed to remain in charge until new lawmakers are elected. Khreisha pointed out that late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat extended his term, and thus it is legal for Abbas to do the same. » Read more

PA officer sentenced to death for collaboration ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency December 9, 2009 - 1:00am A Palestinian military court in Ramallah sentenced a security officer to death by firing squad on Wednesday after he was found guilty of collaboration with Israel, Palestinian judicial sources said. Identified only by the initials AD, the condemned was sentenced to death in accordance with article 131 of the Palestinian Military Law of Punishment of 1979. The defendant confessed to having been recruited by the Israeli intelligence service in 1992 to spy on Palestinian activists and fellow security officers concerning armament and movement. » Read more