July 16th

Turkel committee demands documents ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Atilla Somfalvi - July 16, 2010 - 12:00am Retired Justice Jacob Turkel, head of the commission probing the events surrounding the Gaza-bound flotilla, has issued letters to military and government officials demanding they turn over to him all correspondence that led to the decision to besiege the Gaza Strip. Letters were issued to Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein and Brigadier General (Res.) Giora Eiland. Turkel also asked for all the documentation pertaining to the takeover of the Turkish flotilla in the end of May. » Read more

Beit Yonatan council to fight expulsion ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post July 16, 2010 - 12:00am The council for Jewish residents in Silwan have secret plans to bring in about 2,500 youth to help prevent to their expulsion from Beit Yehonatan should police attempt to force them to leave the disputed building, Channel 10 reported on Thursday evening. According to the plans, the youth will be brought into the area two days before any planned expulsion from the building to assist in preparations for the day of expulsion. » Read more

Palestinians may soon have to swear loyalty to 'Jewish' state ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Jonathan Lis, Dana Weiler-Polak - July 16, 2010 - 12:00am The cabinet is expected to approve a series of measures on Sunday that would make it harder for Palestinians to acquire permanent residency or citizenship in Israel. The most notable would require Palestinians to declare their loyalty to "a Jewish and democratic state" before being granted Israeli citizenship. The measures will primarily affect Palestinian men and women who marry Israeli citizens and then seek citizenship on the basis of family reunification. » Read more

46% say Obama is pro-Palestinian ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Gil Hoffman - July 16, 2010 - 12:00am US President Barack Obama’s efforts to reach out to the people of Israel last week – when he hosted Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for a positive meeting at the White House and gave his first interview as president to an Israeli television station – were not very successful, according to a Smith Research poll for The Jerusalem Post. When asked whether they saw Obama’s administration as more pro-Israel, more pro- Palestinian or neutral, just 10 percent of Israeli Jews said more pro-Israel, 46% said more pro-Palestinian, 34% said neutral and 10% did not express an opinion. » Read more

PNA rejects goodwill gestures as "insult" ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua July 16, 2010 - 12:00am The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) on Thursday rejected moving to direct talks with Israel in exchange for Israeli goodwill gestures as "insult." "Going to direct negotiations in exchange for motivation, including financial support, is insulting," said Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator. Stopping settlement expansions, removing checkpoints and releasing prisoners "are Israeli obligations and can't be considered as motivation or goodwill gestures," Erekat told Voice of Palestine radio. » Read more

Who'd be a travel agent in Gaza? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Independent by Donald MacIntyre - July 16, 2010 - 12:00am Nabil Shurafa breaks off his explanation of the trials of being a travel agent in a territory where the large majority of citizens cannot travel, to take a call from one of his few lucky clients. It is a bank employee booked on a Cairo-Damascus Egyptair flight at 2.30am tomorrow. "You'll get the bus from Rafah at 11. Be sure to tell the [Egyptian] soldier that you have to be at the airport by 1am at the latest. The flight goes from terminal three." » Read more

Arab League chief optimistic over peace talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua July 16, 2010 - 12:00am Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said on Wednesday he is quite optimistic over the peace talks between the Palestinian National Authority (PA) and Israel. During his meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al- Moallem, Moussa confirmed that he would wait for the Arab Follow- up Committee meeting on July 29 which is going to discuss the results of the indirect talks between PNA and Israel. The Israeli siege imposed on Gaza Strip was also discussed as Moussa confirmed that it must be lifted rather than reduced or even frozen. » Read more

Support for Israel near record high, Gallup Poll shows ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) July 16, 2010 - 12:00am Support for Israel among Americans is at a near record high, a new poll showed. According to the Gallup Poll, 63 percent of Americans say their sympathies in the Middle East conflict are with Israel, while 15 percent side with the Palestinians. The rest favor both sides, neither side or have no opinion. Support for Israel was higher only in 1991, shortly after Israel was hit with Scud missiles during the Gulf War, when it was at 64 percent. » Read more

Israeli forces demolish 2 homes near Hebron ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency July 16, 2010 - 12:00am The owner of one of two homes demolished southwest of Hebron said he produced paperwork to prove his home was constructed with a permit, but that bulldozers razed his home anyway. Speaking on behalf of the home owner, head of the Abu Al A'rqan-village council Mohammad Ash-Shawamreh said Israeli troops entered the village with orders to demolish the homes of Fathi Mahmoud Ash-Shawamreh and Mustafa Ibrahim Ash-Shawamreh. Fathi is currently being held in an Israeli prison. » Read more

Waiting for November ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times by George S. Hishmeh - (Opinion) July 16, 2010 - 12:00am The love fest held here for all to see, with Barack Obama escorting Benjamin Netanyahu on the front lawn of the White House and at a joint press conference, was a marked difference from the two leaders’ contentious, behind-closed-doors meeting here last April. But judging from the early assessments, it is not certain that their relationship will bear fruit in the near future. » Read more