Occupation, split complicate Palestinian forces' reform: report ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua September 8, 2010 - 12:00am Reforming Palestinian security forces in the West Bank would remain difficult as long as Israel occupies large parts of the area and internal Palestinian political split persists, a new report said. "Security reform is one of the Palestinian National Authority's (PNA) most notable successes," says the report named "Squaring the Circle: Palestinian Security Reform under Occupation," released this week by the Brussels-based International Crisis Group. » Read more

How to Make Peace in the Middle East in Six Months or Less Without Leaving Your Apartment ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Jessica Allen - (Book Review) September 8, 2010 - 12:00am Peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians, brokered by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, are set to resume in two weeks’ time. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says reconciliation is “difficult but possible.” That was last month. » Read more

Another War Zone: Social Media in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Middle East Report by Adi Kuntsman, Rebecca L. Stein - September 9, 2010 - 12:00am In late May 2010, the convoy known as the Freedom Flotilla met off of Cyprus and headed south, carrying humanitarian aid and hundreds of international activists who aimed to break Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip. The organizers used social media extensively: tweeting updates from the boats; webcasting live with cameras uplinked to the Internet and a satellite, enabling simultaneous rebroadcasting; employing Facebook, Flickr, YouTube and other social networking websites to allow interested parties to see and hear them in real time; and using Google Maps to chart their location at sea. » Read more

Europe’s Absence from the Palestinian-Israeli Negotiations ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al-Hayat by Randa Takieddine - September 8, 2010 - 12:00am French President Nicolas Sarkozy expressed a high degree of resentment of the fact that the European Union was not invited to the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, during his meeting with President Hosni Mubarak at the Elysee Palace on his way to Washington. Meanwhile, the French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner was the only European minister who sent a letter to Catherine Ashton, the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union, to say that the absence of the European Union (EU) from the these talks is unacceptable. » Read more

Sanctions shortened for Muslim student group ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) September 8, 2010 - 12:00am A Muslim student group at the University of California, Irvine, had a yearlong suspension shortened to four months. The Muslim Student Union (MSU) on the Irvine campus will be barred from operating this fall semester, the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles reported. The university had recommended a yearlong suspension in May in response to the group’s orchestrated heckling of Israeli U.S. Ambassador Michael Oren during his address to the university last February. Oren walked off the stage twice, unable to continue because of the disruption. » Read more

Hamas militia's secret West Bank stronghold ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News by Jon Donnison - September 8, 2010 - 12:00am Amid the dust at the side of the road at the Bani Nayim junction in the southern West Bank there is a small makeshift shrine - a pile of rocks covered with Israeli flags. It was here, just over a week ago, that four Israeli settlers were shot dead - their car riddled with bullets - in a drive-by attack by Hamas militants. That attack and another the following day at Ramallah, in which two Israeli settlers were injured, were together a message from Hamas: "You can't ignore us." Secret army Both attacks were carried out by the al-Qassam Brigades, the Hamas military wing. » Read more

Clinton: There may never be another chance for peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Yitzhak Benhorin - September 8, 2010 - 12:00am US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reiterated the American administration's optimism as to Israeli-Palestinian peace process' chances of success Wednesday. Speaking before the Council on Foreign Relations, Clinton said that she believed the "pessimists" were wrong to think the talks were doomed to fail. Peace can be achieved, she said, if the parties will overcome "initial obstacles" – a clear hint the settlement freeze set to end on September 26. The Palestinians have already threatened to walk away from the negotiating table should Israel resume its settlement activity. » Read more

PA committed 'treason' in W.Bank terror suspects' arrests ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post September 9, 2010 - 12:00am Hamas accused the Palestinian Authority of "direct cooperation with the enemy" after it arrested Hamas members in conjunction with recent West Bank terrorist attacks that left four Israelis dead and two others injured last week, Army Radio reported Thursday. Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum likened the arrests to "treason" and warned the Fatah run authority not to hand the men over to Israel. "The continuation of this criminal campaign crosses all red lines and is direct cooperation with the enemy in the clear light of day," Barhum continued. » Read more

Hamas: Fatah protecting enemy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews September 9, 2010 - 12:00am Hamas threatened the Palestinian Authority Thursday after members of the organization were arrested in relation to terror attacks that killed four and injured two in the West Bank. "This criminal campaign has crossed all red lines and constitutes direct cooperation with the enemy, in the clear light of day," said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum. On Tuesday the Palestinian Authority announced it had arrested the six terrorists who carried out the attacks one week earlier – four shooters and two accomplices. » Read more

PA official: We won't recognize Israel as a Jewish state ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz September 8, 2010 - 12:00am The Palestinian Authority will not recognize Israel as a Jewish state, even though the PA acknowledges there is a Jewish majority in Israel, senior Palestinian negotiator Nabil Shaath said at a press conference in Ramallah on Wednesday. According to Shaath, the Palestinian negotiating team turned down Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's request to discuss the recognition of Israel as a Jewish state during the upcoming round of peace talks in Sharm el-Sheikh next week. » Read more