August 1st

Israeli cabinet set to approve grants for building hotels in West Bank settlements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Chaim Levinson - August 1, 2012 - 12:00am A special panel will propose that the government give grants for building hotels in West Bank settlements near Jerusalem to absorb some of the the high demand for hotel rooms in the capital. A new interministerial committee of experts convened this year to designate priority areas for the coming years; it is expected to hand its proposals to the cabinet soon. According to a separate study, Jerusalem could suffer a shortage of accommodations in the future. » Read more

Egypt denies Mursi letter sent to Israel's Peres ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency August 1, 2012 - 12:00am Israel said Tuesday it had received a letter from Egypt's President Mohamed Mursi indicating he wanted to work for peace in the Middle East, but Mursi's office later denied sending it. An Israeli official, who asked to remain anonymous, said the denial was to be expected, due to the sensitivity of the issue. Israeli President Shimon Peres's office said earlier Tuesday he had received a letter from the Muslim Brotherhood's Mursi, in the first such missive to Israel since Mursi took office at the end of last month. » Read more

Egyptian president sends peace letter to Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua August 1, 2012 - 12:00am Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi on Tuesday sent a missive to Israeli President Shimon Peres wishing for peace in the Middle East. Although the letter does not specifically mention the peace agreement with Israel, it does include the "Israeli people" as part of Morsi's peace wishes in the region. "I am looking forward to exerting our best efforts to get the Middle East peace process back to its right track in order to achieve security and stability for all peoples of the region, including the Israeli people," the letter read. » Read more

Israeli PM denies rift with military ranks over Iran ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua August 1, 2012 - 12:00am In an interview with Israel's Channel 2, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that he is still deliberating whether or not to strike Iran's nuclear facilities and downplayed report that the military echelon are not in favor of attacking Iran. Netanyahu said that "Israel cannot count on anyone else" when it comes to the Iranian threat. » Read more

1 militant killed, 2 others wounded in Gaza blast ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press August 1, 2012 - 12:00am Palestinians say a Hamas militant was killed and two others were wounded when an explosion went off in the car they were driving near Gaza City. Gaza health official Ashraf al-Kidra confirmed the death. There were no claims of an Israeli attack, suggesting that the blast may have been from an explosive device that went off prematurely.

Israel, Palestinian Authority sign bilateral trade agreements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Moti Bassok - August 1, 2012 - 12:00am Israel and the Palestinian Authority signed agreements on Tuesday to regulate bilateral trade and taxation. The agreements were thrashed out in a series of secret meetings that lasted more than a year and had many ups and downs. Israeli sources said they also have diplomatic ramifications. » Read more