Sarko said, Obama said—but what does it all mean? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Ron Kampeas - (Opinion) November 14, 2011 - 1:00am Does Nicolas Sarkozy really hate Benjamin Netanyahu? Does President Obama really sympathize? And does it really matter? The fleeting, private exchange between the French and U.S. presidents at a summit in Cannes, France, made international headlines, and its meaning is still being parsed by political pundits and pro-Israel activists. » Read more

Despite it all, economic peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Gershon Baskin - (Opinion) November 14, 2011 - 1:00am When Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu took over the Israeli government at the end of March 2009, he spoke about his economic peace plan. In November 2009, Netanyahu said, “Economic development does not solve problems, it mitigates them and makes them more accessible for solution, and creates a stronger political base.” He further said he would not hand over the Palestinians territories before strengthening the West Bank economy, fearing that radical Islamists backed by archenemy Iran would seize power there. » Read more

Israeli generals fight gender segregation in ranks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Jeffrey Heller - (Analysis) November 14, 2011 - 1:00am Israel's military must not give in to Jewish religious demands to prevent the mixing of men and women in the ranks, a group of reservist generals told the country's defence minister on Monday. The 19 generals, among them former army, air force and navy commanders, listed times when they said women had been sidelined or segregated during military events because of pressure from male Orthodox soldiers. » Read more

Netanyahu's Likud set to limit Israel's freedom of the press ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Editorial) November 15, 2011 - 1:00am At the request of several lawmakers, the Knesset Economic Affairs Committee is due tomorrow to hold a revote on Channel 10 television's request to defer payment of its debt to the state by one year. The debt in question comprises royalty payments and licensing fees, and the channel's management has made it clear that failure to postpone the payment will lead to the closure of the station. » Read more

Israel must topple Netanyahu before it's too late ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Sefi Rachlevsky - (Opinion) November 15, 2011 - 1:00am A democratic state prepares for an existential battle by involving all its citizens and forging international alliances; a fascist state prepares by suppressing its opponents at home, while also attempting to forge alliances overseas; a messianic fascist state both suppresses opponents at home and makes itself a pariah abroad. » Read more

The genius of Ben-Gurion ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Richard Cohen - (Opinion) November 14, 2011 - 1:00am At the age of 88, Shimon Peres, the astonishingly productive president of Israel, has written yet another book. This one is called “Ben-Gurion: A Political Life,” and it is about the man Peres went to work for in his early 20s — David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister and a man who was both a little guy and a towering figure. Peres calls him a genius. » Read more

Fatah considers dropping nomination of Fayyad as premier of unity government ATFP World Press Roundup Article from by Emad Drimly - (Analysis) November 15, 2011 - 1:00am A senior member of the Fatah Party said Tuesday the party could drop the nomination of Salam Fayyad as premier for the unity government during the upcoming reconciliation dialogue with Islamic Hamas movement. Hamas welcomed its rival's decision and said it would ease implementing an Egypt-brokered reconciliation pact in Cairo on May 4. The movement has been ruling Gaza after it seized the enclave by force in June 2007 and routed Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' forces. » Read more

Official: Fatah, Hamas reach agreement on key issues ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency (Analysis) November 15, 2011 - 1:00am Fatah and Hamas have agreed on several controversial issues as part of a reconciliation deal signed on May 4, a Fatah official said Monday. Senior Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmad told a local radio station that details of the agreements would be released after a meeting set to take place in late November between President Abbas and Hamas leader in exile Khaled Mashaal. On Friday, the official PA news agency reported that Abbas and Mashaal would meet in Cairo in the last 10 days of November. » Read more

Did Israel assassinate Iran's 'missile king'? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Scott Peterson - (Analysis) November 15, 2011 - 1:00am Iran today buries a senior commander of its missile force, amid claims that the huge explosion that killed him and at least 16 others at a Revolutionary Guard base on Saturday was the work of Israeli agents. » Read more

No movement on issues dividing Israel and Palestinians ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times (Blog) November 14, 2011 - 1:00am As representatives of the Mideast quartet tried again Monday to break the ice between Palestinians and Israelis, Israel's cabinet decided to maintain another freeze, that of Palestinian tax money. Israel collects around $100 million of taxes and customs for the Palestinian Authority as part of the economic agreements signed in the 1990s. Every so often, Israel suspends transfer of this money; it currently is freezing funds in retaliation for the Palestinians' successful bid for membership in the United Nations cultural agency, UNESCO. » Read more