August 3rd

Netanyahu's latest peace initiative not to bear fruits: analysts ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua by Adam Gonn - August 3, 2011 - 12:00am JERUSALEM Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may be willing to renew peace talks with his Palestinian counterpart in an effort to stave off a Palestinian bid for UN- backed statehood. The new negotiations would focus on a formula to set borders of an independent Palestinian state, Israeli officials told local media. They would also include Netanyahu's demand that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state, a demand that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has so far rejected. » Read more

Israel, US race to avert Palestinian UN bid ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Josef Federman - August 2, 2011 - 12:00am JERUSALEM — Israel is working with the United States to find a way to revive peace negotiations with the Palestinians in a desperate attempt to avert a diplomatic showdown at the U.N. next month, an Israeli official confirmed Tuesday. The talks, meant to provide a framework for negotiations, are focusing on two of the most sensitive issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: the borders between Israel and a future Palestine, and Israel's demand that the Palestinians recognize the country as the Jewish homeland. » Read more

Court convicts Palestinian of settler family murder ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Maayan Lubell - August 3, 2011 - 12:00am JERUSALEM, Aug 3 (Reuters) - An Israeli military court found a Palestinian man guilty of murdering five Israeli family members in the occupied West Bank in March, an army spokeswoman said on Wednesday. Hakim Awad, 18, was convicted on Tuesday after he admitted that he and his brother, who is also on trial for murder, had killed a Jewish couple and three of their children, one a three-month-old baby, in their home in the settlement of Itamar. » Read more

UNRWA: Clear link between settlements and demolitions ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency August 2, 2011 - 12:00am JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- The link between Israel's settlement expansion in the West Bank and the displacement of Palestinians from their homes is now "abundantly clear," UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness said Tuesday. "Many displacements are taking place where settlements are expanding and with it we are seeing an upturn in vicious attacks by Jewish settlers. Palestinians are being thrown off their ancestral lands to make way for settlers," Gunness told Ma'an. » Read more

PA announces schedule for local elections in West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency August 3, 2011 - 12:00am RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- The Palestinian Central Elections Committee on Tuesday announced its schedule for the upcoming local council vote, which will be held in the West Bank on October 22. The ministry said in a statement that registration would take place between August 13 - 17. A 10-day candidacy period would begin on September 6, the ministry added. The electoral campaign is scheduled for October 8 - 20, and results of the election will be announced 24 hours after voting closes, the statement added. » Read more

August 2nd

U.N.: Zoning laws driving Palestinians out ATFP World Press Roundup Article from United Press International (UPI) August 1, 2011 - 12:00am RAMALLAH, West Bank, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- Restrictive zoning and planning rules by Israel are forcing Palestinians out of an area in the West Bank, a U.N. report released Monday indicated. The report said factors forcing Palestinians from "Area C" include difficulty in obtaining building permits, construction of a barrier, home demolitions and difficulty in accessing services such as schools and water, among other things, the United Nations said in a release. » Read more

Middle East peace process: Netanyahu offers much and nothing ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Telegraph by Anthony Billingsley - (Blog) August 2, 2011 - 12:00am Israel's Prime Minister, Benyamin Netanyahu, is reported to have offered to resume negotiations with the Palestinians to address the borders between Israel and a future Palestinian state. These negotiations would be based on the borders that existed before the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. According to media reports, Netanyahu would be willing to consider a formula on borders "that would be difficult for Israel to accept". » Read more

Israel's Supreme Court orders state to dismantle largest West Bank outpost ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Chaim Levinson - August 2, 2011 - 12:00am Israel's Supreme Court on Tuesday issued an unprecedented ruling ordering the state to dismantle the largest illegal settlement outpost in the West Bank by April 2012. The decision follows a petition filed by Peace Now movement. Supreme Court President Dorit Beinisch harshly criticized the Israeli government for failing to dismantle the outpost of Migron, which is home to some 50 families, despite earlier promises it would do so and after it had admitted that it was in fact built on lands belonging to Palestinians. » Read more

Amos Oz on Fanatics ATFP World Press Roundup Article from J-Wire by Henry Benjamin - (Opinion) August 2, 2011 - 12:00am Distinguised Israeli author Amos Oz delivered the Ervin Graf Oration in Sydney last night. Under the auspices of the Shalom Institute, the city’s Sofitel Wentworth Hotel’s function room was filled to capacity to hear the gifted wordsmith speak on the subject of fanatics with the inevitable focus on the Middle East. Michael Graf, the son of the late Ervin Graf opened proceedings speaking about his late father’s love of education. Shalom director Dr Hilton Immerman outlined some of the projects currently undertaken by the Institute. » Read more

EU contributes €22.5 million to pay PA salaries ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency August 2, 2011 - 12:00am BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The European Union announced Tuesday that it would contribute €22.5 million to help the Palestinian Authority pay July salaries and pensions for around 83,000 Palestinian public service workers and pensioners. The EU announced that the money would be channeled through PEGASE, the European mechanism for support to the Palestinians, a statement said. "This is a clear message of our solid commitment toward the Palestinian people at this critical time" said Christian Berger, the EU representative. » Read more