Israel joins US for defence drill
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News
October 22, 2009 - 12:00am

The exercise will focus on providing a joint defence against a simulated co-ordinated missile attack on Israel. Up to 2,000 joint military personnel are believed to be taking part, along with at least 15 American ships. The Israeli army said the exercise was not a "response to any world events" but had been planned for a while. It is thought that a highly sophisticated new American radar, based in the Israeli desert, will be central to the exercise. Two-fold significance

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Israeli warplanes strike Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from
October 22, 2009 - 12:00am

Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Israeli military said its warplanes bombed two smuggling tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip and a building that it alleged was used to produce weapons near Gaza City early on Thursday morning. No injuries were reported in the strikes. The Israeli military spokesperson also said that it verified that the targets were accurately hit.

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Israel’s failure to investigate war only hurts itself
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
(Editorial) October 22, 2009 - 12:00am

The first Israeli inquiry into Gaza war crimes was concluded after just a few days and completely exonerated the military of wrongdoing. It was a whitewash so glaring, conducted so quickly and with such an obvious and predetermined agenda, that it cast an even more negative light on the country. It also squandered an opportunity to deal with these serious allegations before they got out of control.

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Kouchner and his Postponed Visit to Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al-Hayat
by Randa Takieddine - (Opinion) October 22, 2009 - 12:00am

The French foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner, deserves to be congratulated, because he canceled his visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories. He did not submit to the will of Israel, which wants to prevent him from heading to Gaza. This minister, who enjoys great popularity in France and the world for his humanity and sympathy for tragedies, was in fact late in visiting Gaza, which witnessed a humanitarian catastrophe and Israeli war that were unprecedented in their destructiveness.

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Netanyahu needs to explain his intentions
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News
by George S. Hishmeh - (Opinion) October 22, 2009 - 12:00am

Slowly but surely, Israel, especially under its extremist leaders, as is the case nowadays, is driving itself into a defenceless corner even if it still hopes its sometimes fickle allies in the West may come to its defence.

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Goldstone doubts Security Council to debate war report
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Israel News
by Ali Waked - October 22, 2009 - 12:00am

Richard Goldstone said he believes Russia, France and China will oppose having the report on Operation Cast Lead in Gaza debated in the UN Security Council. In an interview to Aljazeera television, he said that while he is not an expert on the political power ties in the UN, he believes these three nations will refuse to move forward with the report. He said the report could still be brought before the UN General Assembly, and added that if the UN refuses to discuss this report, it would be the end of UN involvement in international crises.

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Israel hardens stance on U.N. Gaza report
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
October 21, 2009 - 12:00am

Israel hardened its opposition Tuesday to international calls for an independent inquiry into its offensive in the Gaza Strip last winter, saying it would urge the United States to stop the issue from advancing at the United Nations. The decision came at a cabinet meeting called to discuss a U.N. report that has accused both sides of committing war crimes during the three-week operation. The report, which was adopted by the U.N. Human Rights Council last week, recommends war crimes proceedings if Israel and the Palestinians do not conduct credible internal investigations.

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Netanyahu seeks change in laws of war
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
October 21, 2009 - 12:00am

Facing mounting international pressure for an investigation into charges of war crimes, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered his government on Tuesday to find ways of changing the world’s laws that govern warfare. “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the professional bodies within the relevant government ministries to examine the facilitating of an international initiative to change the laws of war in keeping with the spread of terrorism throughout the world,” said a statement from Netanyahu’s office.

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In Washington, Erekat says US must denounce Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
October 21, 2009 - 12:00am

The US is obligated to expose Israel for blocking the resumption of peace negotiations, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said on Tuesday. "When we say that we want to resume permanent status negotiations on all core issues without exceptions, that's also an Israeli obligation," Erekat told reporters outside the State Department in Washington, DC, according to AFP. Erekat was speaking after meeting with US President Barack Obama’s Middle East peace envoy, George Mitchell.

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Deputy PM to Haaretz: Israel must probe Gaza war
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Gidi Weitz - October 21, 2009 - 12:00am

Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor thinks Israel should establish its own independent committee to investigate Israel Defense Forces activity in the Gaza Strip during last winter's Operation Cast Lead.

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