August 5th

Washington summons Israel envoy over East Jerusalem eviction ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - August 5, 2009 - 12:00am Washington issued another diplomatic protest over Israeli conduct in East Jerusalem on Monday, its second in as many weeks. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman summoned Michael Oren, Israel's ambassador to Washington, to tell him that the United States views Sunday's eviction of two Palestinian families from homes in East Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood as a "provocative" and "unacceptable" act that violates Israel's obligations under the road map peace plan. » Read more

Green Shoots in Palestine ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Thomas L. Friedman - (Opinion) August 4, 2009 - 12:00am In 2002, the U.N. Development Program released its first ever Arab Human Development Report, which bluntly detailed the deficits of freedom, women’s empowerment and knowledge-creation holding back the Arab world. It was buttressed with sobering statistics: Greece alone translated five times more books every year from English to Greek than the entire Arab world translated from English to Arabic; the G.D.P. of Spain was greater than that of all 22 Arab states combined; 65 million Arab adults were illiterate. It was a disturbing picture, bravely produced by Arab academics. » Read more

Evicted Palestinians stand their ground – on thin mattresses ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Ilene Prusher - August 5, 2009 - 12:00am It was 13-year-old Diala who was awoken first, just after 5 a.m. on Sunday morning, by the commotion outside. She rushed to the window, saw special riot police in black uniforms, and ran to wake her parents. By the time she did, the Israeli police were already breaking in through doors and windows, forcing the 17-member Hanoun family – three brothers, their wives, and children – to leave the home their relatives acquired a half-century ago. In all, 58 Palestinians were evicted in this predominantly Arab neighborhood of East Jerusalem, Sheikh Jarrah. » Read more

Abbas's big move to revamp Fatah ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Ilene Prusher - August 5, 2009 - 12:00am For the first time in two decades, the most enduring force in Palestinian politics convened a partywide congress Tuesday to strengthen its position in negotiations with rival Hamas as well as with Israel. "Although peace is our choice, we reserve the right to resistance, legitimate under international law," said Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, the party's pro-West chairman, in his opening speech. » Read more

At Palestinian congress, Abbas urges nonviolent resistance ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Richard Boudreaux - August 5, 2009 - 12:00am Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas opened his Fatah movement's first congress in 20 years Tuesday with a call to step up nonviolent resistance to Israeli occupation and to keep faith in peace talks despite years of setbacks to the dream of statehood. But he stopped short of renouncing a clause of Fatah's founding charter that prescribes "armed revolution" against the Jewish state. "Although peace is our choice, we reserve the right to resistance, legitimate under international law," he said, using ambiguous language that covers violent as well as peaceful action. » Read more

Abbas's Party Holds Convention ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Linda Gradstein - August 5, 2009 - 12:00am Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas sought to reinvigorate his Fatah movement Tuesday, launching the party's first congress in 20 years -- and its first ever in the West Bank. More than 2,000 delegates from around the world have gathered here to choose a new party platform and hold elections for Fatah institutions. » Read more

Abbas Urges ‘New Start’ at Fatah Conference ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Isabel Kershner - August 4, 2009 - 12:00am The mainstream Palestinian movement Fatah came together here on Tuesday for a landmark three-day gathering, its first in 20 years and its first ever on Palestinian soil. The opening ceremony was festive and emotional, though the celebratory tone did not dispel the difficult situation Fatah found itself in. It has struggled to recover from a humiliating defeat by Hamas, its Islamic rival, in the 2006 elections and the subsequent loss of Gaza. Fatah continues to be riddled with internal divisions, and many participants said the conference might be the movement’s last chance to revive. » Read more

August 4th

The continuing Nakba ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The San Francisco Chronicle by Timothy Crawley - August 4, 2009 - 12:00am Walk down what was formerly Al-Borj Street in Haifa, Israel, and you might catch sight of an old Jerusalem-stone building with arched doorways and windows cemented-over and a large Re/Max (an international real estate franchise) banner draped across the front. The house belongs to the Kanafani family, most of whom are living in exile in Lebanon but some of whom are now living as far away from home as San Francisco. » Read more

Backgrounder: Palestinian Fatah General Assembly ATFP World Press Roundup Article from China View August 4, 2009 - 12:00am Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party launches its sixth convention Tuesday for the first time in 20 years to renew its leadership. During the sixth conference since its foundation in 1965, Fatah would elect members for the movement's central committee and the revolutionary council, the highest decision-making bodies. THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE » Read more

US Mideast plan anticipated 'in matter of weeks' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Hilary Leila Krieger - August 3, 2009 - 12:00am Despite recent Arab statements opposing US demands for confidence-building steps towards Israel, the US anticipates it will have the pieces in place to formally re-launch the Arab-Israel peace process in the coming weeks. » Read more