August 20th, 2009

U.S. blasts Israeli restrictions on American travelers in West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amira Hass, Natasha Mozgovaya, Barak Ravid - August 20, 2009 - 12:00am The United States has harshly criticized new Israeli restrictions placed on foreign nationals entering the West Bank via the Allenby Bridge, calling the new regulations 'unacceptable'. A report on the restrictions appeared in Haaretz last week. Earlier this week, a senior official at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv met with the head of the Foreign Ministry's consular division, Yigal Tzarfati, for clarifications on the new procedure, by which passports are stamped at the bridge with a directive limiting the bearer to areas of the Palestinian Authority only. » Read more

Taking the Mideast peace plunge ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor (Editorial) August 19, 2009 - 12:00am One of many problems in making Middle East peace is that no one wants to go first. Decades of injustice, violence, and false promises have sown such distrust that the players look for proof of sincerity from others before considering a move themselves. As a consequence, they all stand frozen, waiting – as if on the shore of a cold lake – for the other one to jump in. » Read more

Momentum Slows for Israel's Barrier ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Linda Gradstein, Howard Schneider - August 20, 2009 - 12:00am Cost overruns, court rulings and a decline in violence have led Israel to slow construction of a barrier through and around the occupied West Bank, and many analysts predict the project, which is a deep source of contention between Israelis and Palestinians, will not be completed. » Read more

Boycott Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Neve Gordon - (Opinion) August 20, 2009 - 12:00am Israeli newspapers this summer are filled with angry articles about the push for an international boycott of Israel. Films have been withdrawn from Israeli film festivals, Leonard Cohen is under fire around the world for his decision to perform in Tel Aviv, and Oxfam has severed ties with a celebrity spokesperson, a British actress who also endorses cosmetics produced in the occupied territories. Clearly, the campaign to use the kind of tactics that helped put an end to the practice of apartheid in South Africa is gaining many followers around the world. » Read more

August 19th

Why is Israel limiting movement of Palestinian-Canadian businessman? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amira Hass - August 19, 2009 - 12:00am Mohammed Sabawi, 65, could have played a leading role in all the stories about the economic revival in the West Bank's cities. His goal of "strengthening the economy of Palestine by utilizing its own capabilities" sounds like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's vision of "economic peace." In recent months, however, the Palestinian-Canadian businessman has been considering reducing his business activity here, after Israel started limiting his freedom of movement and that of his son and business partner, Khaled. The Sabawis are considering Cyprus as an alternate location. » Read more

The grand bargain that is the Mideast’s best hope ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Financial Times by Shai Feldman, Gilead Sher - (Opinion) August 19, 2009 - 12:00am Saudi Arabia recently rejected America’s request that it reciprocate an Israeli freeze on settlement construction by beginning to normalise relations with the Jewish state. “Incrementalism and a step-by-step approach, has not and, we believe, will not lead to peace. Temporary security and confidence-building measures will also not bring peace,” Prince Saud al-Faisal, the Saudi foreign minister, said in Washington on July 31. » Read more

More E. Jerusalem evictions likely ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News by Mohammed Mar’i - August 19, 2009 - 12:00am The Jewish-dominated Jerusalem municipality is planning to seize more Palestinian homes and real estate in East Jerusalem even as Israel has quietly stopped approving new West Bank projects in an attempt to heal a rift with the United States , Palestinian and Israeli sources said. » Read more

J Street unveils grassroots field effort ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Hilary Leila Krieger - August 18, 2009 - 12:00am J Street announced Tuesday that it would be launching field operations around America to encourage grassroots activists to become involved in shaping local debates on Israel and US Middle East policy. » Read more

Swedish daily: IDF killed Palestinians for organs ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Roni Sofer - August 19, 2009 - 12:00am Leading Swedish daily Aftonbladet claimed in one of its articles that IDF soldiers killed Palestinians in order to trade in their organs. On Tuesday the Israeli Foreign Ministry responded by saying that the article "is a shocking example of Israel's demonization." According to the ministry, the Stockholm-based paper accused the Israeli army of organ theft. » Read more

Fatah's gauntlet ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amira Hass - (Analysis) August 19, 2009 - 12:00am The decision by Fatah's Sixth Congress that the movement is sticking to negotiations as a means of achieving independence, statehood and peace is an admission that the use of arms during the second intifada was disastrous. That is a difficult admission for a movement founded on the sanctification of the armed struggle. And despite being tacit, it is a brave admission for Fatah at a time when most Palestinians are convinced that Israel does not want peace. Nevertheless, the decision has sparked a few questions from the side of the occupied. » Read more