October 18th

Meshal set to make first official visit to Gaza visit ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Avi Issacharoff - October 18, 2012 - 12:00am Arab VIPs including the emir of Qatar are expected to visit the Gaza Strip next week to "completely and officially end the Israeli blockade of several years," Hamas' television station reported Wednesday. There were also unconfirmed reports that Hamas leader Khaled Meshal will accompany the emir for his first official visit. The station said Qatar is launching a huge reconstruction project in the Strip, for which building materials will be transferred through the Rafah crossing, which hitherto has been open for people only. » Read more

Jerusalem street to be named after Egypt's Umm Kulthoum ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency October 16, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM (Ma’an) – After decades of refusal, the Israeli municipal council of Jerusalem has agreed to grant names to more than 100 roads in East Jerusalem starting Wednesday. One of the roads will be named after famed Egyptian singer Umm Kulthoum in a ceremony Wednesday at the entrance to the street, near Abdul-Hamid Shoman Street 20. Palestinian singer from Israel Nisreen Kader will sing one of Umm Kulthoum’s most popular songs Inta Umri (“you are my life”) during the ceremony. » Read more

Israeli media misinterpret Abbas' Arabic remarks on Facebook ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency by Abdul-Hakim Salah - October 17, 2012 - 12:00am BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli media on Wednesday misinterpreted a Facebook status by Mahmoud Abbas to suggest the president had abandoned the two-state solution. Discussing the bid to upgrade Palestine to a non-member state at the UN, Abbas posted an Arabic-language status update explaining that recognition of statehood would prove that Palestinian territory is under occupation rather than "disputed" land. The president referred to Palestinian land occupied before 1967 using terminology commonly used to refer to the West Bank and Gaza Strip. » Read more

Egypt's new envoy to Israel says brings message of peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters October 17, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM -- Egypt's new ambassador to Israel took up his post on Wednesday, assuring the country of Cairo's continued commitment to a 1979 peace treaty. "I came with a message of peace and I came to confirm that we are working for mutual trust and transparency and we are committed to all the agreements we signed with Israel," Atef Mohamed Salem Sayed Elahl said on presenting his credentials to President Shimon Peres. » Read more

War will not resolve Gaza problem -Israeli official ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Crispian Balmer - October 17, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM, Oct 17 (Reuters) - A major Israeli attack on Gaza would not curb growing extremism in the Palestinian enclave, with the ruling Islamist group Hamas itself struggling to quell radicalism, a senior Israeli official said on Wednesday. Voicing concern about a recent influx of increasingly potent weaponry into the Gaza Strip, the director of Israel's Ministry of Strategic Affairs told reporters that international pressure was needed to try to put an end to militancy. » Read more

Palestinian students will take SAT college admissions exam after delay by Israeli customs ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press October 17, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM — The U.S. State Department said dozens of Palestinian students whose SAT exams were delayed because of Israeli customs will take the test this Saturday. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Wednesday that about 100 students in the West Bank will sit the exam this weekend. “I’m happy to say that we have learned that this issue has now been resolved,” Nuland said. » Read more

Israel: Gaza getting missiles from Libyan war ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press October 17, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM —A top Israeli defense official says Gaza is being flooded with sophisticated weapons from Libya and that the anti-aircraft missile fired last week at an Israeli helicopter likely originated there. Yossi Kuperwasser, who directs the Ministry of Strategic Affairs, says "significant" numbers of weapons have been smuggled into the territory from Libya since the fall last year of dictator Moammar Gadhafi. The country is awash in weapons after the eight-month civil war and has weak central authority. » Read more

Popular Israeli politician back to help lead party ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press October 17, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM —A popular ultra-Orthodox Israeli politician previously jailed for accepting bribes has agreed to return to his powerful party in upcoming parliamentary elections. The Shas Party announced Wednesday that Arieh Deri would share the party's leadership along with the party's current chief Eli Yishai and senior party member Ariel Atias. The decision came after lengthy negotiations with the three politicians, and with the blessing of the party's spiritual leader, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. » Read more

Palestinians urged by Britain to delay 'non-member state' bid at UN ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Harriet Sherwood - October 17, 2012 - 12:00am Britain is urging the Palestinian leadership to delay its bid for upgraded status at the United Nations general assembly, warning that the move is likely to be detrimental to US re-engagement with the peace process following next month's presidential election. » Read more

American Troops Arrive in Israel for Defense Drill ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Isabel Kershner - October 17, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM — The first of 1,000 United States troops have begun to arrive in Israel to take part in a joint missile-defense exercise, which the lead American planner described on Wednesday as the largest in the history of the two countries’ relationship and a testament to the strength of their military ties. » Read more