June 24th, 2008

Israeli Policeman Kills Self At Sarkozy Ceremony ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Dan Balilty - June 24, 2008 - 4:20pm An Israeli police officer fatally shot himself in the head at an airport farewell ceremony Tuesday for French President Nicolas Sarkozy, prompting bodyguards to whisk the visiting leader and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to safety, officials said. A military band was playing at the time of the shooting, and the dignitaries apparently didn\'t hear anything. Dark-suited security men quickly ushered Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, up the stairs of his plane at Ben-Gurion Airport outside Tel Aviv. » Read more

Rockets Hit Israel, Which Says Truce Broken ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Amy Teibel - June 24, 2008 - 4:18pm Palestinian militants on Tuesday fired three homemade rockets into southern Israel, the first such attack since a cease-fire between Israel and Gaza militants took effect last week. Israel condemned the attack as a "gross violation" of the truce, but did not say whether it would retaliate. The barrage wounded two people and capped a day of violence that presented the truce with its first serious test. » Read more

Labour Backs Knesset Dissolution ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bbc News June 24, 2008 - 4:14pm Israel's Labour party is to support a motion to dissolve parliament that could bring down embattled Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government. The bill will have its first reading on Wednesday. It would have to be put to a further two parliamentary votes before it can be passed. Mr Olmert is under investigation for alleged corruption and Mr Barak has previously called for his resignation. The Labour party is Mr Olmert's main coalition ally. » Read more

Cameras Emerge As A Tool In A Conflict Over Land ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Isabel Kershner - June 24, 2008 - 4:12pm The conflict between Arabs and Jews over grazing land and water wells in the ancient, arid hills south of Hebron in the West Bank has a distinctly biblical feel, like the flimsy tent encampments and dank caves in which some local Palestinian farming families dwell. » Read more

Remarks En Route Berlin, Germany ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Department Of State by Secretary Condoleezza Rice - June 24, 2008 - 4:10pm SECRETARY RICE: Good morning, everybody. QUESTION: How are you? » Read more

June 23rd

Eu To Expand Police Mission In Palestinian Territories ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Kuwait News Agency (kuna) June 23, 2008 - 3:27pm The European Union announced Monday that it intends to expand its police mission for the Palestinian Territories, called EUPOL COPPS, in the area of the criminal justice system. "Expanding the mission is a decision already taken and has been accepted by all the parties," EU Special Representative for the Middle East peace process, Marc Otte, told a press conference here today. "We are now in the process of working on the administrative elements for the mission and recruiting people," he noted. » Read more

Poll: 77% Of Arabs Say Won't Replace Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Reuven Weiss - June 23, 2008 - 3:18pm Seventy-seven percent of the State of Israel's Arab citizens would rather live in the Jewish state than in any other country in the world, according to a new study titled "Coexistence in Israel ". The survey was conducted by the John Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University with the assistance of researchers from Haifa University. The study was aimed at examining the relations between Israel's Jewish and Arab citizens on the State's 60th anniversary, and included 1,721 respondents. » Read more

The Strategic Context ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Yossi Alpher - June 23, 2008 - 3:12pm From the standpoint of the Israeli security community as well as PM Ehud Olmert, the Gaza ceasefire that began last week is essentially a tactical move. By and large, they continue to assess that eventually there will be a major Israeli military offensive into the Gaza Strip, aimed at destroying or seriously weakening Hamas. Hence the ceasefire reflects primarily short-term calculations such as ways to free Gilad Shalit, Egyptian pressures, the outcry from the bombarded residents of the Gaza periphery region and Olmert's own political needs. » Read more

Palestine: Lull Before The Storm? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Middle East Times by Maria Appakova - June 23, 2008 - 3:10pm A six-month ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, or an "agreement on a lull" as it is phrased in Arabic, came into effect on June 19. But both sides seem pessimistic about the future. So if this agreement does not lead to peace, why is it needed? "The lull" is even less than a truce, let alone talks leading to peace agreements. Few believe it will last for half a year. » Read more

The Calm: The Natural And The Pretentious ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al Hayat by Mohammad Salah - (Opinion) June 23, 2008 - 3:06pm Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will be in Sharm el-Sheikh on Tuesday to meet Egyptian President Husni Mubarak. There is nothing new in this and what matters is the outcome of the meeting; a new agreement for a calm between the Palestinians and Israel. This would not be the first calm between the two and it will not be the last. The tension at the border crossings has significantly calmed down and the ability of the Palestinians to cross has significantly improved with the easing of the siege. » Read more