NEWS: Both the Palestinian public and political leaders are deeply divided about the national reconciliation agreement, as is the Arab media. Hamas and Fatah are continuing their negotiations in Cairo. Salam Fayyad and Ismail Haneya both welcome the agreement. The EU lays out terms for continued aid to a new Palestinian government. Residents of Kafr Aqab in occupied East Jerusalem are cut off from most public services by Israel's separation barrier. A Jerusalem monastery is vandalized with hateful slogans by Jewish extremists, an attack condemned by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, the PA Ministry of Waqf and Religious Affairs, and the Heads of the Local Churches of the Holy Land,. Israel says it is concerned that Hezbollah might get arms from Syria. PM Netanyahu orders his cabinet to cease “chitchat” about Iran. Palestinian MK Tibi's right to speak in the Knesset is again restricted. COMMENTARY: Ethan Bronner says the agreement between Hamas and Fatah carries risks for both Abbas and Netanyahu. Joe Klein says if it leads to the replacement of PM Fayyad, the agreement will be a disaster for the Palestinians. Khaled Abu Toameh doubts that the agreement will work. Robert Danin says implementing the agreement will be very difficult. The National says Palestinian unity is the only way forward. Magid Shihade says the agreement will have real consequences for all parties. Ha'aretz interviews Mohammed Bakri about his 2003 film “Jenin, Jenin.” Sefi Rachlevsky says the Israeli government isn't doing enough to protect its citizens. Moshe Arens says democracies around the world are warming to Israel. Larry Derfner says Israel is on the road to war with Iran.

Israel’s Silent March to War With Iran
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
by Larry Derfner - (Opinion) February 7, 2012 - 1:00am

The atmosphere in Israel is pretty surreal these days. The whole world seems to be asking whether we’re going to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities this year — the whole world except this Israeli part of it.

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World democracies are warming up to Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Moshe Arens - (Opinion) February 7, 2012 - 1:00am

No Israeli could have failed to notice the radical change in weather over the past two months. Forecasters predicted another dry winter, and fortunately they turned out to be wrong. And while Israel is still suffering from a water shortage, for the moment the situation is not as dire as we had thought.

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Why Israel is faced with 200,000 rockets
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Sefi Rachlevsky - (Opinion) February 7, 2012 - 1:00am

There are currently 200,000 rockets and missiles aimed at Israel, according to Military Intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi. Thousands carrying heavy explosive warheads, and some chemical and biological ones, are aimed at Tel Aviv. And they are in the possession of people who are not exactly Israel's friends. In fact, most are religious extremists bordering on messianic. So why aren't these missiles falling on our heads?

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Haunted by “Jenin, Jenin”
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Merav Michaeli - (Interview) February 7, 2012 - 1:00am

Israeli actor Mohammed Bakri, whose film "Jenin, Jenin" caused a furor about a decade ago, performed at Tel Aviv's Tzavta Theater this week in "The House of Bernarda Alba." The right-wing Im Tirtzu movement demonstrated against the show, and Culture Minister Limor Livnat criticized Tzavta's "judgment" in allowing Bakri to take the stage. It's been a long time since you've been onstage. You haven't been on an Israeli stage since 2003. Did you miss it? Yes. How was it to return to an Israeli audience?

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Hamas-Fatah deal is realpolitik with real consequences
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
by Magid Shihade - (Opinion) February 8, 2012 - 1:00am

The agreement signed in Doha on Monday stipulates that President Mahmoud Abbas will lead an interim government, as well as keep his duties as head of the Palestinian Authority, in preparation for elections for the legislative council and for the presidency. Sponsored by Qatar's emir Sheikh Hamad Al Thani, the agreement was produced in large part because of regional and global developments. But it is better understood in terms of how these outside forces have affected internal changes in Palestinian politics.

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A step towards Palestinian unity is only way ahead
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
(Editorial) February 7, 2012 - 1:00am

After years of animosity, armed hostilities and, lately, an uneasy truce, the bitter rift between Fatah and Hamas has - on the surface at least - begun to heal. The rival parties yesterday signed an accord to form a Palestinian unity government. The agreement, negotiated by Qatar, confirms the Palestinian Authority's President Mahmoud Abbas as the head of an interim government, with plans to set a date for unified general elections in the West Bank and Gaza. It would be the first such vote since Hamas won elections in 2006.

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The Doha Palestinian unity agreement: Now the hard part
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from CNN
by Robert Danin - (Opinion) February 7, 2012 - 1:00am

Monday's Fatah-Hamas unity agreement announced in Doha marks the latest in a series of unimplemented accords between the two Palestinian adversaries. The two sides announced - again - their intention to unify their efforts and form an independent caretaker government to shepherd the Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza to new elections.

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Analysis: Will Qatar succeed where others failed?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Khaled Abu Toameh - (Analysis) February 7, 2012 - 1:00am

First there was the Saudi-sponsored Mecca Agreement between Fatah and Hamas in February 2007. That agreement collapsed four months later when Hamas seized control over the Gaza Strip from the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority. Then came the Sanaa Agreement in March 2008 in Yemen. That agreement lasted only a few hours before it was pronounced dead by the two parties. The Yemeni agreement was followed by two similar reconciliation pacts that were reached under the auspices of the Egyptians. Needless to say, the Egyptian-brokered accords remained ink on paper.

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Palestinian Détente Disaster
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Time Magazine
by Joe Klein - (Opinion) February 6, 2012 - 1:00am

I’ve been traveling to the Middle East as a journalist for the past 30 years. During that time, Israel has grown into an ethnically diverse, economically successful country with a strong (internal) tradition of democracy, free speech and the rule of law–a tradition not always extended toward its Palestinian neighbors, especially when Likud governments are in power.

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