Israel Attack Kills a Top Militant in Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Fares Akram - November 3, 2010 - 12:00am A Palestinian leader of an Islamic extremist group inspired by Al Qaeda was killed in an apparent Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Wednesday, according to the Israeli military. The car in which the militant was traveling exploded near a central police compound. Hamas officials said an Israeli missile fired from a drone caused the blast. The Israeli military gave no details about how the attack, which ended a period of relative calm, was carried out. The sound of the blast echoed through the city, and a column of black smoke and fire rose from the car, which was destroyed. » Read more

Israel sets to grant civil marriages ATFP World Press Roundup Article from November 4, 2010 - 12:00am JERUSALEM, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli government plans to begin granting marriage licences for non-Jews and others officially defined as not belonging to a particular religious denomination. Some 300,000 such couples, which have up to now had to travel overseas to marry in civil ceremonies, often to nearby Cyprus, will be able to officially wed without the Chief Rabbinate's approval, possibly by the weekend, Israel army radio reported Wednesday. » Read more

Clinton: U.S. working non-stop to advance Mideast peace process ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz November 4, 2010 - 12:00am U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton confirmed on Thursday her plans to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he visits the United States next week, adding that she believed the Middle East peace process could progress despite recent obstacles. "I do intend to see Prime Minister Netanyahu when he is in the United States next week," Clinton told reporters at a news conference with Prime Minister John Key of New Zealand, the second-to-last stop on her two-week Asia-Pacific tour. » Read more

Israel blocking Palestinian officials from using main Jordan crossing ATFP World Press Roundup Article from by Avi Issacharoff - November 4, 2010 - 12:00am Israeli authorities have decided to block any Palestinian official aside from the president and prime minister from crossing over the Allenby Bridge from the West Bank into Jordan. Coordinator of Government Activities in the West Bank Eitan Dangot announced the decision late Wednesday. The move seems geared specifically at two senior members of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement – Ahmed Qureia and Mahmoud Dahlan – who have made aggressive remarks about Israel of late. » Read more

IDF spokeswoman completely denies hinting Israel coordinated Gaza hit with Washington ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz November 3, 2010 - 12:00am An Israel Defense Forces spokeswoman said Thursday that she had been completely misquoted ina reported that hinted the army's assassination of a Islamist militant leader in Gaza had been cleared in advance with Washington. "I did not, in any way, say that," said the spokesman. Following the clarification. DPA agreed to publish a correction to the article. Asked whether Israel had coordinated the hit on Mohammed Nimnim, a commander in the Army of Islam group, with its American ally, the spokesman did not respond. » Read more

Deputy FM: Israel won't cooperate with UNESCO ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews November 3, 2010 - 12:00am "Israel has no intention of cooperating with UNESCO," Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon told the Knesset on Wednesday in response to the world culture organization's decision to characterize the site of Rachel's Tomb as a Muslim mosque. "We should see the organization's call to remove the Cave of the Patriarchs and Rachel's Tomb from the list of Israel's national sites as part of Palestinian escalation in international organizations," he said. » Read more

Poll: Gazans disappointed with Hamas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Roee Nahmias - November 3, 2010 - 12:00am A recent poll conducted in Gaza has revealed a sharp drop in support for Hamas, but the ruling Islamist movement is preventing the survey's publication, the state-run Egyptian daily Al-Ahram reported Wednesday. A random survey of about 1,000 Gazans revealed a sharp decrease in support for the activities of Hamas' security services and indicated dissatisfaction with the performance of the Hamas government's offices and the Palestinian factions. » Read more

'Israel's aggressive policies threaten peace talks' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post November 4, 2010 - 12:00am Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Kuwait on Wednesday, following a visit to Bahrain earlier in the week as part of a tour of the Gulf region to "exchange views with brotherly leaders and the region on the latest developments of the Palestinian question," Kuwait News Agency reported. According to the report, Abbas praised Kuwaiti support for the Palestinian people, saying "Kuwaiti-Palestinian relations are historical and excellent. It is a great honor for us that the Fatah movement was launched in Kuwait." » Read more

Historic move to expose Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by George S. Hishmeh - (Opinion) November 4, 2010 - 12:00am A recent meeting in the Vatican of some 200 Catholic bishops, mainly from the Arab world, will very likely go down in history for adopting the strongest condemnation by Christian church leaders of present-day Israeli policies and actions. » Read more

PA’s path to independence ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times by Daoud Kuttab - (Opinion) November 4, 2010 - 12:00am I can see the path to the state of Palestine. And education is an integral part of it. Palestinians have always prided themselves on being among the highest educated among all Arabs, but if this was true in the past, it is not true anymore, and it is certainly not true for Palestinians in the occupied territories. » Read more