September 14th

A Secular State with a…“Football” Frame of Reference ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al-Hayat by Mohammad Salah - (Opinion) September 12, 2011 - 12:00am It is not difficult to explain what happened with the Israeli embassy in Cairo. Indeed, despite it being unanimously recognized as unlawful action contrary to Egyptian and international law, as well as to all conventions, and despite the fact that all Egyptian political forces have rejected the attack on the embassy, as well as of course the confrontations with security personnel that followed, we must understand that there is in Egypt a major social issue called “vengeance”, for which the search to find a solution never stops, and which is well entrenched especially in Upper Egypt. » Read more

Hamas’s Silence and Hezbollah’s Voice ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al-Hayat by Jameel Theyabi - (Opinion) September 12, 2011 - 12:00am Many do not trust the movements of political Islam that raise flashy slogans, frighten people with threats of grief and destruction, announce their resistance and rejectionism but at the same time remain silent vis-à-vis the actions of the tyrants and the rifles of the dictators that are pointed toward the heads of the “peaceful” demonstrators. I wanted to go over Hamas’s position in comparison with Hezbollah’s stand. Hamas, its Politburo Chief Khaled Meshaal, and Haniyeh and Al-Zahhar from behind him are all utterly “silent” toward the developments in Syria! » Read more

The “Arab” Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al-Hayat by Husam Itani - (Opinion) September 13, 2011 - 12:00am The Arab revolutions took Israel, and the rest of the region’s countries, by surprise. The reports published in the last few days and that carry advice from the security services to the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, indicate that neither the services nor the government have learned anything from the events taking place around Israel. » Read more

A weak Palestinian Authority might lose control after vote ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Tony Karon - (Opinion) September 14, 2011 - 12:00am The Arab Spring may have had little effect on the governance of the Palestinian territories, save for a few demonstrations that sparked a patently insincere unity agreement between Fatah and Hamas, both of which have been preoccupied with avoiding blame. But the Arab Fall may yet bring the collapse of the Palestinian Authority. » Read more

Britain should say yes to Palestinian statehood – and so should Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Jonathan Freedland - (Opinion) September 13, 2011 - 12:00am Britain doesn't usually count for much in the Middle East, but this time it could make all the difference. As the Palestinians seek United Nations recognition as a state, a quirk of diplomatic algebra leaves Britain with a chance to play the decisive role – and to complete some unfinished business dating back more than 60 years. » Read more

Ten reasons Palestine is right to bring its case to the UN ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Bradley Burston - (Blog) September 13, 2011 - 12:00am There's a certain implied danger in the idea of playing darts in the dark. Particularly when there are numerous players in a crowded room, and not one has a well-defined target. For Mahmoud Abbas' Palestine, for Benjamin Netanyahu's Israel, and no less, for the Obama administration, the effort to bring Palestinian statehood to the United Nations for endorsement has raised profound fears, prompting internal debates fully as bitter as they have been largely fruitless, with no dependably favorable outcome in sight – for anyone. » Read more

What Peace Process? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace by Marwan Muasher - September 14, 2011 - 12:00am Palestinians plan to seek recognition as a state later this month at the United Nations, despite last-ditch efforts by the Americans to avoid a showdown. While the Palestinians enjoy broad international support for their statehood bid, some warn that a UN vote could inflame tensions and ignite violence at a time of regional upheaval. » Read more

Keep the peace between Israel and Egypt ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Chuck Freilich - (Opinion) September 14, 2011 - 12:00am My fingers burned with excitement. It was just weeks after Egyptian President Anwar Sadat's dramatic trip to Israel in November 1977 and my boss had just returned from Egypt, the first Israel Defense Forces officer ever to visit that nation. I was a young officer, and the "present" he brought me — a standard tourist postcard — was the most precious one I could imagine. It was something from Egypt, and it was not going to explode. Until Sadat's trip, and the 1979 Israel-Egypt peace treaty that followed, that sort of contact had been as tangible to Israelis as the moon. » Read more

Israel’s new problem with the Arab Street ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by David Ignatius - (Opinion) September 13, 2011 - 12:00am The expanding confrontation between Israel and its neighbors has been described variously as a “train wreck,” a “lose-lose situation” and a “political tsunami.” It’s all those things and likely to get worse, for there’s no quick fix by Israel’s ally, the United States. » Read more

Rise in terror activities by Jewish extremists worries Israel's Shin Bet ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Vita Bekker - September 14, 2011 - 12:00am Israel is growing concerned about a rise in terror activities by Jewish extremists against Palestinians and Israeli left-wing activists as it anticipates violence ahead of a possible United Nations recognition of Palestinian statehood. » Read more