June 22nd

IDF chief of staff-turned-vice premier: 'We are not bluffing' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Ari Shavit - (Interview) June 14, 2012 - 12:00am Exactly seven years ago, I interviewed the chief of staff. On the eve of his retirement from the Israel Defense Forces, Moshe “Bogie” Ya’alon spoke with an expressionless face against the Gaza disengagement, against a Palestinian state and against giving terrorism a “tailwind.” He predicted that Hamas would seize control of the Gaza Strip and that rockets would rain down on Israeli cities. » Read more

Foreign powers inciting clashes in Lebanon camps ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star by Wassim Mroueh - June 22, 2012 - 12:00am Regional powers are exploiting the hardship of Palestinian refugees in the country in order to spark violence in refugee camps and push their agendas in Lebanon, a top Palestinian official said Thursday. “[Some regional powers] exploited the sufferings of the people of Nahr al-Bared and the fact that they are outraged by the unfinished construction of the camp and strict security measures imposed by the Army,” Azzam al-Ahmad told The Daily Star. » Read more

Israel should wait with peace deal until Mideast unrest ends, former envoy says ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amos Harel - (Opinion) June 22, 2012 - 12:00am For decades Prof. Itamar Rabinovich has studied the Middle East, analyzing Israel's complex status in the region and documenting its attempts to achieve peace with its neighbors. For four years (1993-1996) he himself took an active part in the diplomatic efforts as Israel's ambassador to the United States and head of the Israeli delegation to negotiations with Syria, as Yitzhak Rabin's envoy. (After Rabin's assassination, Rabinovich continued as ambassador under Shimon Peres but not as head of the delegation.) » Read more

Palestinians not to turn their issue into Lebanese dispute ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua June 22, 2012 - 12:00am Visiting Palestinian Fatah Central Committee member Azzam Ahmad said Thursday that the Palestinians refuse to turn their issue into an internal Lebanese dispute, the National News Agency reported. Ahmad, in charge of the issue of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, had met with Lebanese Army Commander General Jean Qahaji and House Speaker Nabih Berri since arrival on Thursday. » Read more

Peres: Israel, Palestine must forget bitter past to achieve Mideast peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua June 22, 2012 - 12:00am Israeli President Shimon Peres Thursday urged Israel and its foes to put behind a bitter past and look to the future if they desire to achieve peace. "The past is dead. You can't correct it. Focus on the future. You have to take risks," Peres said during a panel discussion at the fourth Israel Presidential Conference in Jerusalem on Thursday. » Read more

More rockets fired into southern Israel from Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua June 22, 2012 - 12:00am Two more rockets fired into southern Israel from the Gaza Strip landed in the coastal area of Ashkelon city on Thursday, Israeli media reported. The attack, which caused no casualties and damages, was the latest in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, who rules the Gaza Strip. Early Thursday, two rockets were reportedly landed in southern Israel despite talks of a truce between the two sides. One rocket was intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome rocket-defense system. » Read more

June 21st

Palestinians, Army try to contain fallout of clashes ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star by Mohammed Zaatari - June 21, 2012 - 12:00am SIDON, Lebanon: As calm returned to the Ain al-Hilweh and Nahr al-Bared refugee camps, Palestinian factions across Lebanon worked to contain the repercussions of two days of clashes between residents and the Lebanese Army. In a letter to residents of refugee camps in Lebanon, Maj. Gen, Sobhi Abu Arab, the head of the Palestinian National Security Forces in Lebanon, said there is daily contact between Palestinian leaders in Lebanon and the Lebanese Army command. » Read more

A Palestinian plan to attract Muslims back to Al-Aqsa ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Tom Heneghan - June 21, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The grand mosques in Mecca and Medina, the two holiest in Islam, draw millions of pilgrims annually. Al-Aqsa, the last of the three sacred sites the Prophet Mohammad urged Muslims to visit, sees only a few thousand foreign worshippers a year. The difference is political, not religious. The first two mosques are in Saudi Arabia, a proudly Muslim kingdom, while Al-Aqsa stands on Israeli-controlled land that may be the most disputed religious spot on earth. » Read more

UN expert slams censorship by Israel, Palestinians ATFP World Press Roundup Article from CBS News June 20, 2012 - 12:00am GENEVA — The government of Israel, the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas in Gaza are all unduly limiting free speech through restrictive laws, intimidation and censorship, a U.N. human rights expert said Tuesday. The global body's independent investigator on freedom of expression, Frank La Rue, said the measures have had a chilling effect on the work of journalists and peaceful activists, and urged Israel and the Palestinians to uphold international standards on free speech. » Read more

New Solar, Wind Energy Combo Promising for Israel and Palestine ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'ariv by Yael Darel - June 19, 2012 - 12:00am A new Israeli adaptation that integrates solar energy with wind energy is arousing interest in the Palestinian Authority — precisely in places where connection to electrical infrastructure is inadequate. The “solar turbine,” developed by the Shahar Energy Company, will be on display for the first time at the Clean Tech exhibition being organized by the Mashov Company, which will take place at the beginning of July in the Tel Aviv Exhibition Grounds. » Read more