November 3rd

New flotilla 'headed toward Gaza'
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
November 2, 2011 - 12:00am

A flotilla carrying medication is bound for the Gaza Strip after quietly departing a Mediterranean port, activists announced on Wednesday as Israel's army said it was "fully prepared" to stop it. The Canadian Tahrir and the Irish Saoirse are carrying 27 people from nine countries, organizers said. The ships are carrying a symbolic cargo of $30,000 in medication. The 27 activists on board the vessels are drawn from Australia, Canada, Ireland and the United States, and included Palestinians.

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Source: Israel to resume tax transfers soon
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
November 3, 2011 - 12:00am

Israel has decided to stop transferring tax revenue to the Palestinian Authority in the aftermath of UNESCO's acceptance of Palestine as a full member, at least temporarily. But according to a high-ranking official in the Palestinian government, Israel is facing considerable international pressure and is unlikely to continue the sanctions long past the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Ahda.

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EU deeply concerned by Israeli settlement plans
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
November 3, 2011 - 12:00am

The European Union expressed deep concern on Wednesday about Israel's decision to speed up settlement activity in response to the Palestinian accession to the United Nations cultural agency UNESCO. Israel decided on Tuesday to accelerate Jewish settlement building and withhold Palestinian Authority funds, moves likely to further hold up international efforts to revive peace talks. "I am deeply concerned by the latest Israeli decisions," EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said in a statement, adding that settlement building was against international law.

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US 'deeply disappointed' in Israel settlement move
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
November 3, 2011 - 12:00am

The United States is "deeply disappointed" with Israel's decision to speed up settlement building following UNESCO's decision to grant full membership to the Palestinians, the White House said on Wednesday. White House spokesman Jay Carney said the move did not advance the goal of bridging long-standing differences between Israelis and the Palestinians.

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November 2nd

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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