November 16th

Israel's Economic Blockade Stops Gaza's Strawberry-farmers Selling Their Crop ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Independent by Donald Macintyre - November 16, 2007 - 4:20pm Almost all of Gaza's turbulent story is bound up with Jamil Abu Hmaideh's strawberry fields here in the far north of the strip. Between two wispy clouds high in the blue sky above us, two Israeli Apache helicopters hover on the look-out for the Qassam rocket-launching crews as we bite into the luscious, perfectly ripened fruit Mr Hmaideh has picked for us. » Read more

Leaked E-mail Pitches Prince Charles Into Heart Of Row Over Royal Visit To Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Times by Ruth Gledhill - November 16, 2007 - 4:16pm The Prince of Wales was embroiled last night in a diplomatic row after the leaking of e-mails in which his senior staff made disparaging comments about Israel. Internal e-mails between two of the Prince’s closest aides make clear that there was “no chance ever” of Clarence House accepting an invitation to visit Jerusalem. The e-mails, published in The Jewish Chronicle today, also disclose a fear that Israel would want the Prince “to help burnish its international image”. » Read more

No Clear Way Forward For Middle East Peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Financial Times by Philip Stephens - (Opinion) November 16, 2007 - 4:14pm Some time ago I asked one of Europe’s foreign ministers why we should hold out any hopes for the forthcoming Annapolis conference on the Middle East. Had something changed to suggest Israelis and Palestinians would strike the bargain that has so long eluded them? » Read more

The Gaza-west Bank Divide ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Israel Policy Forum (Editorial) November 16, 2007 - 4:10pm It is now three years since Yassir Arafat’s death on November 11, 2004, and a good time to evaluate the prospects for Palestinian statehood. Perhaps the best evaluation has been provided by Arafat’s successor. » Read more

In Lawless Nablus, The Law Changes At Sundown ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Matthew Gutman - November 16, 2007 - 4:05pm Tawfiq Kalboni fidgets with some wayward bills. A moneylender in this central West Bank city, Kalboni, 42, owed another moneylender about $150,000. When he failed to pay, he said, the creditor collected on the debt, Nablus style. Five weeks ago, masked gunmen kidnapped his 14-year-old son from the doorstep of his house. » Read more

Abbas Calls For Ouster Of Hamas ‘gang’ From Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Isabel Kershner, Taghreed El-Khodary - November 16, 2007 - 4:01pm Three days after Hamas policemen shot and killed at least seven civilians at a rally in Gaza, leading a number of Gazans to express shock and anger at Hamas, Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president and the leader of the rival faction Fatah, called for the ouster of Hamas from power in Gaza. » Read more

November 15th

Who Wants A Jewish State ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Editorial) November 15, 2007 - 6:34pm Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has been speaking enthusiastically about "two states, two nations" ever since her conversion from the Greater Israel ideology. She can easily convince people why Israel must have a right of return only for Jews, while an independent Palestine would grant the same right only to Palestinians. » Read more

Still A Democracy? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Shulamit Aloni - (Opinion) November 15, 2007 - 6:33pm The government of Israel, with all due respect, does not represent the Jewish people but rather the citizens of the State of Israel who elected it. Israel is a sovereign state, which is still considered to be a democracy. In other words, it is a state for all of its citizens. Therefore it must not demand of the Palestinians to recognize it as a Jewish state, because in that way it would be declaring that any citizen whose mother is not Jewish or who did not convert with our strict Orthodox rabbis is a second-rate citizen, and his rights as a human being and a citizen are not ensured. » Read more

The Middle Road ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times (Editorial) November 15, 2007 - 6:31pm So much for Hamas’ hope. Those willing to give the movement the benefit of the doubt, even after its June takeover of the Gaza Strip, have posited the Islamist movement as a necessary cleaning up of the chaotic state of internal Palestinian politics. » Read more

Annapolis At The Crossroads ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by George S. Hishmeh - (Opinion) November 15, 2007 - 6:29pm This is not the best of months, it seems, for Palestinians to undertake major steps because the record to date has not been very promising. If nothing else, there has been the deadly events in the Gaza Strip when about 250,000 Gazans were commemorating the third death anniversary of Yasser Arafat, last Monday. Seven supporters of Arafat's party, Fatah, were killed when surprisingly the police of its rival party, Hamas which is now in control of Gaza, opened fire on the rally. More than 100 were injured and about 400 Fatah supporters were arrested in this ugly encounter. » Read more