August 12th

PA formulates policies to avert financial crisis ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency August 12, 2011 - 12:00am BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- Palestinian Authority spokesman Ghassan Al-Khatib said Thursday the PA was formulating ideas for next year's budget in order to avert a financial crisis. The objective is to increase local revenue and reduce expenditures without affecting health, education services or PA employees' salaries, Al-Khatib told Ma'an. The new policies are intended to compensate for the lack of promised funds from donor countries, above all Arab states. » Read more

Abbas tells US lawmakers: NATO role in Palestinian state ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency August 12, 2011 - 12:00am RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told visiting US Congressmen on Thursday that the security of the future Palestinian state will be handed to NATO under US command, his adviser said Friday. The Palestinian state must also be "empty of [Israeli] settlements," the President said, according to official Palestinian Authority news agency WAFA. » Read more

U.S. Threatens to Halt Gaza Aid Over Hamas Audits ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Ethan Bronner - August 11, 2011 - 12:00am JERUSALEM — The State Department sent a message to Gaza’s Hamas leaders on Thursday that it would withdraw some $100 million it is spending in Gaza on health care, agriculture and water infrastructure if they did not back off a demand to audit the books of American-financed charities operating there. The threat, delivered via an intermediary, came after Hamas officials suspended the operation of the International Medical Corps on Sunday for its refusal to submit to a Hamas audit at the charity’s site. » Read more

August 11th

Putting up a big tent in Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy by Dov Waxman - (Opinion) August 10, 2011 - 12:00am When Knesset members from Israel's three largest parties (Kadima, Likud, and Yisrael Beiteinu) announced last week that they were planning to introduce a bill that would officially redefine Israel from being a Jewish and democratic state to simply being "the national home for the Jewish people" -- dropping the democratic aspect altogether -- and end Arabic's status as an official language in Israel, the news was another depressing confirmation of the erosion of Israeli democracy. » Read more

Wrong excuses ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times (Editorial) August 11, 2011 - 12:00am Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to convince countries expected to vote in favour of the Palestinian attempt to gain UN recognition for an independent state within the 1967 borders to change their stances. Recently, Netanyahu invited some 18 ambassadors in Washington, from various regions of the world, to Israel to explain why their countries should vote against a Palestinian state. » Read more

Palestine's Internal Divisions are Crushing its 'Arab Spring' Movement ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Huffington Post by Kieron Monks - (Opinion) August 10, 2011 - 12:00am I lived with core members of the Palestinian youth movement, and I always thought they could make a difference. Given the splendid cue of the Arab Spring, it seemed that the timing was perfect to launch an unrelenting campaign from the street to rise up and challenge the Occupation. » Read more

Solution for Jerusalem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times by Daoud Kuttab - (Opinion) August 11, 2011 - 12:00am Chambers of commerce in some Palestinian cities held elections, over the past few weeks, and municipal elections are planned for October. One Palestinian city that will not see any local elections just happens to be Palestine’s capital in waiting. » Read more

Unbridled bias ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star (Editorial) August 11, 2011 - 12:00am Next month Palestine goes to the United Nations in New York to request recognition of its own state. Globally, this is a far from unpopular motion, with most General Assembly members staying true to their own moral standards in agreeing that the Palestinian people have a right to a country they can officially term their own. It is unfortunate that the staunchest opponent to the notion of Palestinian statehood – Israel aside, obviously – is also the most powerful. » Read more

Will Obama stand up to Israel? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by George S. Hishmeh - (Opinion) August 11, 2011 - 12:00am There is no doubt that US President Barack Obama's plate is full considering the overpowering financial crisis which has led to the downgrading of the US credit rating and its devastating worldwide ripple effect. But whether he can overcome the shock of another international hurdle, namely the Palestinians' drive for UN membership next month, depends on his calculations. » Read more

Don’t annul Oslo Accords ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Dov Weissglas - (Opinion) August 10, 2011 - 12:00am It has recently been reported that Israel is currently mulling the annulment of the Oslo Accords as a means of retribution against the Palestinian Authority, should it indeed go to the UN with a bid to recognize a Palestinian state in line with the 1967 borders. Before Israel finds itself entangled in yet another act of folly, we would do well to examine the practical implications of the proposed move. » Read more