November 21st

The ultra-Orthodox are changing the face of the IDF ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amos Harel - (Opinion) November 18, 2011 - 1:00am The 19 reservist major generals who signed the letter to Chief of Staff Benny Gantz on Monday, warning of extremist religious trends in the Israel Defense Forces, "were in the army long ago," Rabbi Avichai Rontzki declared this week. Brig. Gen. (res. ) Rontzki, who was chief army rabbi until a year and a half ago, claimed that the veteran officers don't know what the IDF is like anymore. "Things are different nowadays," he explained. » Read more

New 'Jewish identity' bill will cause chaos in Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Shlomo Avineri - (Opinion) November 21, 2011 - 1:00am In response to the scathing criticism and pressure within his Kadima party, MK Avi Dichter retreated from his original proposal for a Basic Law on Israel - the Nation-State of the Jewish People. Instead, he proposed what was ostensibly a softened version. But anyone who opposes the first version will oppose the second. In the new version, too, the bill is unnecessary and merely deepens tensions between Jews and Arabs, as well as among various parts of the Jewish population. And it will give Israel a bad name. There is only one remedy for this bill - to shelve it completely. » Read more

'Dangerous' balancing act threatening Palestinian Authority leader ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Hugh Naylor - November 21, 2011 - 1:00am JERUSALEM // Critics say Mahmoud Abbas's reputation as the president of the Palestinian Authority is that of an indecisive leader who has regularly caved in to foreign pressure. But lately, those same commentators have expressed empathy for the 76-year-old, who is grappling with daunting challenges. "All his options are difficult because all would involve some degree of conflict with Israel and the US at the same time," said George Giacaman, a professor in Birzeit University's democracy and human-rights programme. » Read more

PCBS: Unemployment Up to 26.8% in Third Quarter ATFP World Press Roundup Article from WAFA November 21, 2011 - 1:00am RAMALLAH, November 21, 2011 (WAFA) - Unemployment rate in the Palestinian Territory increased from 24.0% in second quarter of 2011 to 26.8% in the third quarter, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) said Monday. The PCBS labor force survey showed that the highest unemployment rate in the West Bank was in Tulkarm, while the highest in Gaza was in Rafah. It said that labor force participation rate of people aged 15 years and above was 43.6%. » Read more

Israel to continue freeze on Palestinian tax money, says senior official ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - November 21, 2011 - 1:00am Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his forum of eight senior ministers decided Sunday to continue Israel's freeze on the transfer of the Palestinian Authority's tax money, a senior Israeli official said, due to the latest moves by Fatah and Hamas aimed at establishing a unity government. Israel has been withholding $100 million of the PA's money, which Israel collects for it under the Oslo Accords. » Read more

The banality of a Palestinian's arrest ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amira Hass - November 21, 2011 - 1:00am 1. A Palestinian is arrested - a routine matter (the routine in question took place on October 21, 2011). 2. The usual charges: "Throwing an object, including a stone, with the intention of harming a person or property," and organizing an illegal demonstration in which he participated. » Read more

Palestinian PM: Ready to leave post once new premier is chosen ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua by Saud Abu Ramadan - November 21, 2011 - 1:00am RAMALLAH, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said Saturday that he will quit his post as soon as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Party and the Islamic Hamas movement agree on the nomination of a new premier. Fayyad said on his page on the social website of Facebook that he awaits the instructions to leave his post as the prime minister of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), adding that "I have never imposed myself on the Palestinians in any of the governments I had chaired." » Read more

Israel envoy in Egypt for first time since embassy storming ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters November 20, 2011 - 1:00am JERUSALEM, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Israel's ambassador to Cairo has travelled to Egypt for the first time since he and his staff were evacuated from the country in September after protesters stormed the Israeli embassy, a Foreign Ministry official said on Sunday. Playing down the significance of Yitzhak Levanon's trip, the official, who asked not to be identified, said the ambassador went to Egypt on Saturday for farewell meetings with foreign and Egyptian diplomats before his retirement. » Read more

Israel delays foreign funding bill -gov't source ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Maayan Lubell - November 20, 2011 - 1:00am JERUSALEM, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu put on hold on Sunday legislation to limit foreign funding of non-governmental organisations, a government source said, after critics denounced the bill as a bid to mute left-wing groups. A ministerial panel last week gave preliminary approval to the proposal. Supporters of the bill said it would help to prevent intervention by foreign states in Israeli politics. » Read more

Report: US envoy to meet Abbas over unity govt ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency November 21, 2011 - 1:00am JERUSALEM (AFP) -- A top US diplomat is to hold emergency talks with Palestinian and Israeli leaders over the next two days regarding plans for a Palestinian unity government, the Israeli newspaper Maariv said Sunday. A spokesman for the US consulate in Jerusalem confirmed that Deputy Secretary of State William Burns would meet President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. He was unable to provide any other details about the agenda for the talks. » Read more