August 22nd

NEWS: Israel apologizes for the deaths of Egyptian soldiers. After a series of deadly exchanges, Israel, Hamas and other Gaza factions seem to be observing a cease-fire. The violence may prompt the end of "social justice" protests in Israel. Speculation grows that Bedouins may have been involved in the attacks in Israel. The Independent looks at Egyptian efforts to curb lawlessness in Sinai. Syrian forces are reportedly scrambling to erase evidence of bloodshed at the Ramel Palestinian refugee camp in Latakia. Diplomats say Iran has curtailed or ended financing of Hamas. PM Fayyad denies reports that the US threatened to cut off aid if Palestinians pursue a UN initiative.Palestinian quarry workers go on strike. COMMENTARY: Aaron David Miller says all parties are seeking to avoid blame for the ongoing diplomatic impasse. Zev Chafets says Glenn Beck, though a Mormon, may be trying to become the leader of the pro-Israel Christian right. Akiva Eldar says there is a confrontation between "Israeli arrogance" and "Arab honor." Bradley Burston says everyone must accept that Israelis are people like all others. The National says violence only harms the Palestinian cause. Nahum Barnea says Israel has no strategy. Khaled Diab says self-criticism is essential. Husam Itani says the Negev attacks show that armed conflict between Arabs and Israel is counter-productive. The Daily Star says all parties have good reasons for avoiding an escalation.

Common interest
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
(Editorial) August 20, 2011 - 12:00am

The incident Thursday in which Palestinian gunmen entered the Sinai peninsula and killed eight people was an unexpected action that prompted an entirely predictable reaction. Israel responded with airstrikes into Gaza, killing five militants as well as a small child.

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The Messages of Negev
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al-Hayat
by Husam Itani - (Opinion) August 19, 2011 - 12:00am

A few sentences or words would not be enough to convey some meaning to the issue of the armed struggle on which the Palestinians and Arabs have been arguing for decades. Moreover, it would be useless to recall the history of exploitation of the Palestinian cause by the various Arab regimes, in order to achieve their immediate interests.

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Confessions of a 'self-hating Arab'
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Khaled Diab - (Opinion) August 20, 2011 - 12:00am

I have a confession to make: I’m a “self-hating Arab.” In fact, some readers of my articles believe I suffer from a rare form of political Tourette’s, in which I cannot help but blurt out irrationally hateful criticism. I write regularly about all the ills I perceive in Egyptian and Arab society, including authoritarianism, corruption, gaping inequalities, human rights abuses, gender issues and insufficient intellectual freedom.

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Israel has no strategy
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Nahum Barnea - (Opinion) August 21, 2011 - 12:00am

The same story repeats under all our governments: Following a terror attack, both sides embark on a chain reaction of attacks and counter-attacks. At the end of the day, the battle is over who will be firing the last rocket; who will emerge as a hero and who will be the chicken.

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Palestinians only lose with violence
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
(Editorial) August 21, 2011 - 12:00am

Thursday’s raid on Israel, by a Palestinian splinter group taking advantage of Egypt’s current inability to police the Sinai Peninsula, was a setback for the cause of Palestinian statehood. The attackers moved south from Gaza to the region of Eilat on the Red Sea by way of Sinai, which has seen increased violence from militant groups since the collapse of the old regime in Egypt. In the Israeli pursuit of the gunmen, five Egyptian border guards were killed. Eight Israelis died in the raids, and seven attackers. Egypt, in protest, planned to recall its ambassador to Israel.

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Terror, racism, and the idea that Israelis are people too
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Bradley Burston - (Opinion) August 22, 2011 - 12:00am

In the aftermath of a terror operation in which gunmen attacked several fronts in southern Israel, killing eight people and wounding dozens more, try this sentence on for size: "Israelis are people, too." What’s your first reaction? If you've been around this block before, it may well be something akin to suspicion. It is, after all, a sentence with an ax to grind. Why else would anyone need to say something like that at all?

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When Israeli arrogance meets Arab honor
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Akiva Eldar - (Opinion) August 22, 2011 - 12:00am

One can only hope that the prime minister will not ask his deputy, Moshe Ya'alon, to settle the dispute with Egypt in the wake of the incident in the south. According to Ya'alon's doctrine of international relations, under which "honor is a national asset," Cairo should be consigned to hell. Just as in the matter of the refusal to apologize to the Turks, standing tall and marching in the direction of lowering the level of diplomatic relations with the largest Arab country will without a doubt raise Israel's prestige in Washington and in Paris, and will deter Damascus and Tehran.

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Why is Glenn Beck going to Israel?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Zev Chafets - (Opinion) August 19, 2011 - 12:00am

In its long slog through history, the Jewish caravan has acquired a lot of improbable and colorful camp followers, from Bulan, king of the Khazars, to Marilyn Monroe and Madonna. Lately, conservative commentator and former Fox News TV personality Glenn Beck has joined their ranks. This week, he plans to set up his tent in the Holy Land for three televised Zionist rallies, dubbed “Restoring Courage,” in Jerusalem and the ancient Mediterranean port city of Caesarea. They are a sequel to the mass Restoring Honor rally at the Lincoln Memorial a year ago.

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The Mideast blame game
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Aaron David Miller - (Opinion) August 19, 2011 - 12:00am

When Secretary of State James Baker was organizing the Madrid peace conference in 1991, he resorted to a device he called the dead cat on the doorstep. Simply put, Baker threatened to publicly blame Israeli, Palestinian and Syrian leaders if they didn’t accept the terms and attend the conference. It worked. Ironically, the dead-cat routine also explains the current state of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process — but in reverse.

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