NEWS: Israel is speeding up settlement activity in the occupied territories. The PLO accuses Israel of “blackmail.” Israel says it has successfully tested a new long-range missile. Hackers attack all cable-based services, including Internet, in the West Bank. Israel closes an extremist seminary in a settlement. US law enforcement chiefs are visiting Israel. The Guardian provides a full breakdown of the UNESCO vote. UN teachers in Gaza go on strike for a third time this year.Yasser Arafat's widow denies Tunisian corruption allegations. Former Sec. Rice says prospects for peace have worsened under Pres. Obama. COMMENTARY: The LA Times says the UNESCO vote shows how isolated the US and Israel have become, and that anti-Palestinian laws should be repealed by Congress. Amira Hass says Palestinians should pursue “popular resistance” and not negotiations with Israel. Zvi Bar'el says the Israeli government prefers trading rocket fire with Islamic Jihad to negotiating with the PLO. The Jerusalem Post denounces UNESCO's admission of Palestine. Ian Williams says Obama has shown a lack of principle on the UNESCO issue. The National says Palestinians have scored a symbolic but important victory. The Gulf News agrees. Robert Danin says the UNESCO vote has done harm. The Chicago Tribune agrees UNESCO made the wrong decision. Carrie Budoff Brown says if Obama was planning a trip to Israel, the time for it is slipping away.

Time slipping for Obama Israel trip
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Politico
by Carrie Budoff Brown - (Opinion) November 2, 2011 - 12:00am

Former President George W. Bush waited until his eighth year in office to touch down in Israel. His father, George H.W. Bush, didn’t go at all. Neither did Ronald Reagan. But for President Barack Obama, the call of Israel has always been more urgent.

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UNESCO fiasco
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Chicago Tribune
(Editorial) November 2, 2011 - 12:00am

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, aka UNESCO, is a leading force in promoting literacy, science and education — in other words, vital international values. It does a lot of good work around the world, from promoting literacy in Afghanistan to training teachers in Africa. That's why the U.S. contributes about $80 million annually to UNESCO, or 22 percent of its budget. Or did, until Monday.

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UNESCO and After: Multiple Wrongs Won't Secure Rights
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Council On Foreign Relations
by Robert Danin - (Blog) November 2, 2011 - 12:00am

The vote by UNESCO to admit Palestine as a full member distracts international attention from the only efforts that will make Palestine a genuine reality: negotiations and state-building efforts on the ground. No good has emerged from the past twenty-four hours’ developments, but already we are seeing considerable harm.

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Condoleezza Rice says prospects for Mideast peace have worsened under Obama
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
November 1, 2011 - 12:00am

WASHINGTON — Prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace are far worse today than when she left office, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Tuesday, and she partly blames the Obama administration’s tough line against Israeli settlement-building for spoiling chances for new talks. “When you look at where we are now, we’re a long, long way back from where we were,” Rice said in an interview with The Associated Press.

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Arafat's widow denies Tunisia's corruption charges
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat
by Kifah Zaboun - November 2, 2011 - 12:00am

TUNIS/RAMALLAH, Asharq Al-Awsat – The Tunisian government has issued an arrest warrant for the widow of former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, in connection with a corruption investigation into the “International School of Carthage”, the Tunisian state-run news agency reported on Monday. The International School of Cartage was founded by Suha Arafat – wife of former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat – and former Tunisian First Lady Leila Ben Ali Trabelsi, wife of ousted Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

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A significant victory for Palestinians
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News
(Editorial) November 2, 2011 - 12:00am

Winning their bid for full membership at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) is a great victory for the Palestinians. The importance of this is not confined to the membership per se. Rather, it should be seen within its wider context of its importance and immediacy in giving Palestinians their basic rights.

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UN victory for Palestine needs no extra fallout
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
(Editorial) November 2, 2011 - 12:00am

Palestinians won a symbolic but highly important victory on Monday when Unesco, the UN's Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, awarded them full membership status, the first UN body to do so since a September request for greater recognition.

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Thousands of UN schools staff strike for third time in Gaza Strip
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
by Hugh Naylor - November 2, 2011 - 12:00am

JERUSALEM // Employees at about 240 United Nations schools in the Gaza Strip have gone on strike for the third time in little more than a month to protest against the punishment of a teacher with alleged unauthorised links to Hamas. Suheil Al Hindi was suspended from his teaching duties by the UN's Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in September for reportedly organising an event attended by Hamas officials. That was in breach of the UN agency's policy of barring participation in political activity without first obtaining permission.

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Obama will rue his lack of principle on Palestine's Unesco membership
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian
by Ian Williams - (Opinion) November 2, 2011 - 12:00am

The cheers that rang across the hall of the Unesco meeting when Palestine became a member on Monday are being echoed in surprising quarters.

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