July 2nd

Rights group says no change to Gaza siege ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency July 2, 2010 - 12:00am Maintaining the schedule for Gaza's crossings, Israeli officials informed their Palestinian counterparts Friday that all terminals would be closed for 48 hours. Terminals will stay closed on Saturday, for the regularly scheduled Israeli weekend. Gaza crossings official Raed Fattouh said he expected terminals to reopen Sunday, and limited shipments of aid and supplies to enter, principally via the Kerem Shalom crossing in the southern Gaza Strip. » Read more

A quiet diplomacy on the Mideast peace path ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Martin Indyk - (Opinion) July 2, 2010 - 12:00am The current sturm und drang in U.S.-Israel relations cloaks a surprising development: President Obama and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu are beginning to develop a constructive working relationship sensitive to the legitimate concerns of the other. » Read more

One West Bank Town's "Unarmed Courage" ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Inter Press Service (IPS) by Ellen Massey - July 1, 2010 - 12:00am Morrar is the central figure in the recently released film "Budrus", about the people of the Palestinian village of Budrus in the West Bank who persistently, and peacefully, resisted the encroachment of Israel's "security" wall on their historical lands. » Read more

Obama to press Netanyahu on peace process, settlement freeze ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - July 2, 2010 - 12:00am Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will get a warm reception from U.S. President Barack Obama on his trip to Washington next week, official sources said. But Obama is expected to question Netanyahu closely on where the peace process is heading, around three months before the freeze on West Bank construction expires. The Americans are concerned about the implications that resuming the construction might have on the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, the sources said. » Read more

Obama to press Netanyahu on peace process, settlement freeze ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - July 2, 2010 - 12:00am Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will get a warm reception from U.S. President Barack Obama on his trip to Washington next week, official sources said. But Obama is expected to question Netanyahu closely on where the peace process is heading, around three months before the freeze on West Bank construction expires. The Americans are concerned about the implications that resuming the construction might have on the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, the sources said. » Read more

Obama to press Netanyahu on peace process, settlement freeze ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - July 2, 2010 - 12:00am Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will get a warm reception from U.S. President Barack Obama on his trip to Washington next week, official sources said. But Obama is expected to question Netanyahu closely on where the peace process is heading, around three months before the freeze on West Bank construction expires. The Americans are concerned about the implications that resuming the construction might have on the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, the sources said. » Read more

July 1st

'Flotilla passengers were tortured' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post July 1, 2010 - 12:00am The organization which sent the Gaza aid flotilla which was intercepted by the IDF earlier this month, released a report Thursday outlining the events of the raid. Describing the goal of the aid flotilla as "completely civilian in nature" and "carrying the conscience of the world," the report categorized the IDF interception as a terrorist attack carried out by the Israeli government in "international waters against civilians who had come together for peaceful purposes." » Read more

Palestinian leader gives interview to Israel media ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Matti Friedman - July 1, 2010 - 12:00am The Palestinian president has given a rare interview to Israeli media in an apparent effort to counter the claims in some circles that Israel has no partner for peace talks. Mahmoud Abbas spent three hours with Israeli reporters, discussing subjects from peacemaking efforts to the World Cup and his smoking habit. Abbas' top negotiator, Saeb Erekat, says the president is trying to "reach out" to the Israeli public and seek a partner for peace. The interview took place in his office in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Wednesday and was reported in Israeli newspapers on Thursday. » Read more

Rattling the Cage: Israelis don’t want peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Larry Derfner - (Opinion) July 1, 2010 - 12:00am Soon after I came to this country 25 years ago, I learned that among my relatives, “Tali” was the real Arab-hater, the most extreme right-winger in the family. “For Tali, the only good Arab is a dead Arab, right?” one of my cousins ribbed her one Friday night. “Wrong,” she said. “For me, dead isn’t good enough – he’s got to be buried 40 meters underground, too.” » Read more

Gaza blackouts down to 8 hours per day ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency July 1, 2010 - 12:00am A delivery of 250,000 liters of industrial fuel on Wednesday will allow the Gaza Power Plant to redistribute its electricity supply, providing central Gaza with 16 hours of power each day. With the infusion of fuel, the Gaza Energy Authority said in a statement, power production will once again reach 30 megawatts, bringing capacity back up to 50-60%. For the past week, blackout schedules had 12-16 hours of darkness for each area served by the power station, a schedule that will be reduced to eight hours per day as of Thursday morning. » Read more