Vatican: Israeli occupation foments Mideast conflicts ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press January 20, 2010 - 1:00am A Vatican document released Tuesday blamed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the "occupying" of lands for fomenting most of the conflicts in the Middle East, driving Christians out and making life difficult for those who remain. The document is a guide for discussions for an Oct. 10-24 meeting of Mideast bishops convened by Pope Benedict XVI to discuss the plight of the Christian minority in the overwhelmingly Muslim region. The exodus of Christians from the region and religious discrimination faced by those who remain are main issues on the table. » Read more

Palestinians stressed over Mitchell visit ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Ali Waked - January 20, 2010 - 1:00am US special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell is on his way to the region, and the Palestinians are feeling the pressure. Palestinian sources on Wednesday said that recent talks with American and international sources have shown that the international community does not want the Palestinians to condition the renewal of peace talks on a settlement construction freeze as has been the case so far. » Read more

Barak okays university recognition of Ariel College ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Yaheli Moran Zelikovich - January 20, 2010 - 1:00am Five years after the Israeli government decided to declare Ariel College, which is located in the West Bank, a recognized university, Ynet learned that the defense minister has agreed to implement the decision that was part of the political clashes within the coalition. » Read more

Obama's lost senate seat is a victory for Netanyahu ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Aluf Benn - January 20, 2010 - 1:00am The Republican upset in the race for the U.S. Senate seat held for nearly half a century by liberal Edward M. Kennedy reflects a huge victory for opponents of U.S. President Barack Obama - and also for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Scott Brown defeated once-favored Martha Coakley for the Massachusetts seat even after U.S. President Barack Obama rushed to Boston on Sunday to try to save her candidacy. » Read more

Israel withholding NGO employees' work permits ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amira Hass - January 20, 2010 - 1:00am The Interior Ministry has stopped granting work permits to foreign nationals working in most international nongovernmental organizations operating in the Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, Haaretz has learned. In an apparent overhaul of regulations that have been in place since 1967, the ministry is now granting the NGO employees tourist visas only, which bar them from working. » Read more

PA, Mitchell to push for settlement halt in East Jerusalem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency January 20, 2010 - 1:00am Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – The Palestinian Authority is urging Israel to approve a complete standstill on settlement construction in occupied East Jerusalem, Israeli media reported on Wednesday. The halt would be for a period of between three to six months and will not be approved by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to the Israeli daily The Jerusalem Post. "This is not going to happen; it goes against everything Netanyahu says and believes in," a source in the prime minister's office told the daily. » Read more

Gaza war: Palestinians battle bitterly over Palestinian forces' conduct ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Ilene Prusher - January 19, 2010 - 1:00am On this day last year, a cease-fire between Hamas and Israel took effect after three brutal weeks of fighting that left close to 1,500 people dead. And while today, the guns are largely quiet, the truth of what happened in that devastating war is still being bitterly fought over – not between Palestinians and Israelis, but among Palestinians themselves. » Read more

Issues Stand Before Israel in Joining Elite Group ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Ethan Bronner - January 19, 2010 - 1:00am JERUSALEM — Israel, which has catapulted in the past two decades from a minor state-dominated economy to a market-driven technology hothouse, is in the final stages of accession to the exclusive club of advanced countries, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. But its secretive weapons trade, patent-bending drug industry and occupation of Arab lands are raising last-minute questions. » Read more