April 27th

U.S.: Peace with Israel essential to future of Egyptian people ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Natasha Mozgovaya - April 27, 2011 - 12:00am Over half of the Egpytian public want to scrap the existing peace deal with Israel, according to a new survey undertaken by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. The poll measured attitudes in Egypt three months after the start of the uprising in Cairo. The U.S. State Department said in response to the survey that "the Egyptian army has pledged to uphold international agreements forged by Egypt, including the 1979 peace agreement with Israel." » Read more

Haaretz WikiLeaks exclusive / Poverty in Israel not that severe, Israel Bank chief told U.S. ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Ofer Aderet - April 27, 2011 - 12:00am Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer told the U.S. Embassy in 2006 that poverty rates have been diminishing despite a report that found that a quarter of Israelis were living below the poverty line, according to a diplomatic cable recently released by WikiLeaks. » Read more

Report: New Gaza flotilla postponed ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Itamar Eichner - April 27, 2011 - 12:00am Pro-Palestinian activists organizing the next Gaza flotilla said Tuesday they are having a hard time recruiting activists, vessels and crew members. Apparently many fear a confrontation with the Israeli naval commandoes after eight Turks and one Turkish-American died during an IDF raid last May onboard the Mavi Marmara, according to reports making their way to the political echelon in Jerusalem. The sea convoy was set to sail to the Gaza Strip in late May, the first anniversary of the raid, but it could be delayed, partly because it clashes with Turkish election campaigning. » Read more

Rabbi Lior: Encourage Bedouins to leave Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews April 26, 2011 - 12:00am Rabbi Dov Lior, rabbi of Kiryat Arba and head of the yeshiva there, chose to use the platform of the fourth Ramla conference to state that the State of Israel "must encourage Bedouins to return to their native land in Saudi Arabia and Libya". » Read more

Nablus governor: Don't be deterred by shooting ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Elior Levy - April 26, 2011 - 12:00am The West Bank city of Nablus was quick to resume normalcy following Sunday's tragic shooting, which left one Israeli dead and five others injured. Nablus Governor Jibrin al-Bakri insisted Tuesday that the incident could have been avoided if the worshipers had simply coordinated their arrival with the proper authorities. Al-Bakri told Ynet that Joseph's Tomb has seen several dozen Israeli visitors since the shooting, who followed proper security protocol: "We welcome visits by people of all religions in Nablus, including Jews, of course, but we want them to coordinate their visit." » Read more

'Egypt-Israel gas pipeline attacked by armed gang' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post April 27, 2011 - 12:00am Saboteurs on Wednesday blew up a pipeline running through Egypt's North Sinai near the town of El-Arish that supplies gas to Israel and Jordan, a security source told Reuters. "An unknown armed gang attacked the gas pipeline," the security source said, adding that the flow of gas to Israel and Jordan had been hit. "Authorities closed the main source of gas supplying the pipeline and are working to extinguish the fire," the source said, adding there was a tower of flame at the scene. » Read more

‘We'll continue to enter Joseph’s Tomb with vigor' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Jonah Mandel - April 27, 2011 - 12:00am The head of the group behind the clandestine forays into Nablus to access Joseph’s Tomb stressed on Tuesday that such nocturnal expeditions would continue “with greater vigor and might,” just two days after Ben-Yosef Livnat was killed at the site by PA policemen. Benny Machlev, director-general of the Yesod Olam Society, explained why some – primarily Breslav Hassidim like himself – put themselves at risk to be physically present, even if for short periods of time, at sites believed to be the burial sites of important Jewish figures. » Read more

'Annexation for declaration' idea advancing in Knesset ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Gil Hoffman - April 26, 2011 - 12:00am Ideas about annexing parts of the West Bank that until recently were considered extreme have been gaining traction in the Knesset in recent weeks as the Palestinian Authority continues threatening to declare a state unilaterally in September. National Infrastructures Minister Uzi Landau raised the idea at Israel Beiteinu’s convention in Jerusalem two weeks ago and then spoke about it at length in an interview with The Jerusalem Post’s web site last week. » Read more

In the Eye of Jerusalem’s Archaeological Storm ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Israel Finkelstein - (Opinion) April 27, 2011 - 12:00am Archaeological activity in Jerusalem has been sucked into a whirlwind of conflicting political agendas, and the site commonly referred to as “the City of David” is in the eye of the storm. At issue is a place of seminal importance for the Jewish people and indeed for anyone who cherishes the heritage of Western civilization. When dealing with archaeology in Jerusalem, one must first know the facts. Otherwise it is easy to be led astray by unfounded historical interpretations or to succumb to misinformation from those pursuing their own political agendas. » Read more

Outdoing Israel in brutality ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by Faisal Al Qasim - (Opinion) April 27, 2011 - 12:00am The Arab media has, for over half a century or so, strongly condemned Zionist crimes against the Palestinians and other Arab peoples. It has in actual fact provided a hell of a lot of satire on Zionist brutality, which is fair enough. But is the Arab media still able to satirise Israeli barbarism with the same vigour after it has witnessed what Arab dictators have done to their own people? Isn't it a bit silly to bombard the Israelis with criticism and keep quiet about savagery against unarmed demonstrators? » Read more