February 15th

Israel OKs Tourist Center in Tense Arab Area ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Diaa Hadid - February 14, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM — The Israeli government has given a hardline Jewish group permission to build a new archaeological center in a tense Arab neighborhood in east Jerusalem, officials said Tuesday. Interior Ministry spokeswoman Efrat Orbach said Tuesday that a Jerusalem planning committee approved the project this week. The public has 60 days to appeal. Any Israeli-backed project in east Jerusalem runs the risk of sparking protests that can escalate into violence, as conflicting claims to the area are at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. » Read more

Israel and Iran's 'secret war' may be a secret no more ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Vita Bekker - February 15, 2012 - 1:00am TEL AVIV // Attacks against Israelis in Georgia and India on Monday and three explosions in Thailand yesterday suspected to have been carried out by Iranians have spurred worries that a covert war of assassinations between Israel and Iran could escalate out of control. Israel was on high alert yesterday for possible attacks both at home and at its embassies and offices abroad, a day after the country's prime minister pledged to "act methodically" against what he termed "international terrorism that originates in Iran". » Read more

Israel’s Justice Minister Advises Rightists on How to Seek Pardons for Jewish Terrorists ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Tomer Zarchin - February 15, 2012 - 1:00am Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman told right-wing activists how best to formulate pardon requests on behalf of convicted Jewish terrorists, thus advising them on requests he might later have to approve. By law, each pardon request submitted to the president must be accompanied by a recommendation from the justice minister on whether to accept it. Moreover, if the president does accept it, the justice minister must countersign the pardon to make it valid. » Read more

Bangkok blasts prompt new accusations against Iran a day after Israelis targeted ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Joel Greenberg - February 14, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM — Israel renewed its accusations against Iran on Tuesday after a man identified as an Iranian national was involved in a string of explosions in Bangkok. The blasts came a day after bombers targeted Israeli diplomats in two incidents in India and Georgia, stoking concerns in Israel about a possible wave of attacks on its representatives abroad. The violence comes amid rising tension between Israel and Iran over the latter’s nuclear program and threats by Iran to avenge the deaths of several of its nuclear scientists in attacks that it has blamed on Israel. » Read more

The Slow Turn Toward Palestinian Non-Violence ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line by Arieh O'Sullivan - February 14, 2012 - 1:00am Sami Awad is wrapping up a day of training with Palestinian women leaders in Bethlehem, another step in the effort not only to empower women, but to extend the concept and practice of non-violent popular resistance. “At the theoretical level,” Awad says. “I would say that the idea of non-violence is becoming more accepted. The criticism we had is going down.” » Read more

Israeli Envoy Links Bangkok Bombs to Attacks in India and Georgia ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Thomas Fuller - February 15, 2012 - 1:00am BANGKOK — Thai authorities said on Wednesday that the group of Iranians detained after an explosion tore the roof off their rented house was on a mission here targeting Israeli diplomats. Thai police released images of three men who were suspected to have been involved in bomb explosions in Bangkok. “This much I can tell you — the target of the operation was specifically the Israeli diplomatic staff,” Gen. Prewpan Dhamapong, Thailand’s chief of police, said in a television interview. » Read more

Panetta: Israel Has Not Decided to Attack Iran ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) February 14, 2012 - 1:00am U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told a Senate committee that he does not believe Israel has decided definitely to attack Iran's nuclear infrastructure. Panetta also told the Armed Services Committee Tuesday that the United States and Israel have "common cause" on Iran to prevent the Islamic Republic from producing a nuclear weapon, and that the Obama administration does not think Israel has made a decision to strike at Iran's nuclear installations in order to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. » Read more

Hamas of Contradictions ATFP World Press Roundup Article from NOW Lebanon by Hussein Ibish - (Opinion) February 14, 2012 - 1:00am The growing split that has been emerging within the leadership of Hamas has exploded into a bitter public feud. It was prompted an agreement reached last week in Qatar between the head of Hamas’ political bureau, Khaled Meshaal, and the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas. According to the deal, Abbas would take on the additional role of prime minister until elections are held later this year. » Read more

The Doha Declaration and the Palestinian Mindset ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Yisrael Harel - (Opinion) February 15, 2012 - 1:00am I don't know what developments the Doha declaration will generate at the internal Palestinian level. It certainly won't produce peace between Israel and the Palestinians. When Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu declared that Palestine Liberation Organization Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) "chose Hamas over peace" this was a correct yet trivial statement. » Read more

Putting Doha in Context ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Hani al-Masri - (Opinion) February 13, 2012 - 1:00am The signing of last May's reconciliation agreement would likely not have been possible without the shifting of various Arab, regional and international factors that were hampering reconciliation. The fall of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who was committed to Israeli and United States conditions on Palestinian reconciliation for fear of strengthening Hamas' ally, the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood (the main threat to his rule), as well as the active opposition in Syria have positively influenced efforts to end Palestinian division and restore unity. » Read more