March 22nd

Does America and Iran's mutual mistrust mean war is inevitable? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News by Edward Stourton - (Opinion) March 19, 2012 - 12:00am n late 2004, in an atmosphere of frenzied speculation about war with Iran, Jack Straw - then Britain's Foreign Secretary - told the BBC that military action was "inconceivable." "If I'd not done so, in my view we would have been involved in a firestorm inside the Labour government." For the United States and Britain had recently invaded Iraq. "It was impossible for any British government, but particularly a Labour government given what had happened in Iraq, to contemplate or have any dalliance with the idea of military action in Iran," he now recalls. » Read more

Setting back the war clock ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Douglas Bloomfield - (Opinion) March 21, 2012 - 12:00am The question of whether US or Israeli forces will attack Iran’s nuclear facilities in this volatile election year became murkier in the wake of this month’s AIPAC policy conference and some serious saber rattling coming from the Washington Convention Center, as well as from Jerusalem. Some factors on the international game board suggest the likelihood of a US attack has diminished, but political factors may be driving the government of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to ratchet up Israeli plans for possible military action. » Read more

Washington and Jerusalem differ on Iran ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Ari Shavit - (Opinion) March 22, 2012 - 12:00am A week ago, a senior Israeli official had an American guest over for a late-night chat. Because the guest is intelligent and influential, the official, after offering whiskey and serving coffee, cut straight to the chase. » Read more

Guilt-tripping the world is dangerous for Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Gideon Levy - (Opinion) March 22, 2012 - 12:00am As if the horror in Toulouse wasn't enough, as if the suspicion that Al-Qaida was involved in the attack wasn't enough, and as if the constant criticism of Israel wasn't enough, we've invented another imaginary enemy: Catherine Ashton, the European Union's foreign policy chief. » Read more

Settlement policy will cause Israel to self-destruct ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Editorial) March 22, 2012 - 12:00am Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has devoted a great deal of effort to moving the Iranian nuclear program to the top of the international agenda. His emphasis on Tehran's threat to destroy the "Zionist entity" has contributed to increased pressure on Iran by the United States and Europe and the tightening of economic sanctions against it. » Read more

Israel 'turning blind eye' to West Bank settlers' attacks on Palestinians ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Ian Traynor - March 21, 2012 - 12:00am Jewish settlers in the West Bank are conducting a systematic and expanding campaign of violence against Palestinian farmers, families and children with the Israeli authorities turning a blind eye, according to confidential reports from senior European Union officials. In two reports to Brussels from EU heads of mission in Jerusalem and Ramallah, obtained by the Guardian, the officials found that settler violence against Palestinians has more than tripled in three years to total hundreds of incidents. » Read more

Egypt and Hamas: The honeymoon that wasn't ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line by Mohammed Najib - March 22, 2012 - 12:00am The high hopes Gaza’s Hamas leaders had in the Egyptian revolution and the ouster of their old nemesis, Hosni Mubarak, have been swallowed up by growing acrimony and traditional distrust. Tensions were on display during the fighting between Israel and Gaza-based militant groups last week, when Egypt’s efforts to broker a truce were subject to repeated delays and violations. The ceasefire gradually went into affect, and now the two sides are back to sniping over who is responsible for the fuel shortage in Gaza that has been behind weeks of brownouts and blackouts. » Read more

Egypt's rulers resist Muslim Brotherhood's push to open Gaza border ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters March 21, 2012 - 12:00am The Muslim Brotherhood aims to open the Egyptian border with Gaza to commerce, a shift that would transform life for Palestinians there but which is hitting resistance from Egyptian authorities reluctant to change a longstanding policy. The biggest party in Egypt's new parliament, the Islamists are not yet in government but have been seeking ways to ease the impact of restrictions imposed by Israel and Egypt on what passes in and out of the territory run by Hamas, an ideological offshoot of the Brotherhood. » Read more

Want to promote Israel in the U.K.? Recognize 1967 borders ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - March 22, 2012 - 12:00am Britain’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) cancelled an advertisement by Israel’s Ministry of Tourism in London which attempted to promote a new book on northern Israel. The reason for the cancellation of the ad, which was first published in British newspapers in November 2011, was the fact that the map that was attached to it did not properly demarcate the 1967 borders in the Golan Heights and the West Bank. » Read more

Israel finalizes deal with Germany for sixth submarine ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua March 22, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Israel on Wednesday finalized the deal for its sixth German-made submarine, which it believes will boost the capabilities of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), local media reported. Israel purchased the Dolphin-class submarine at 530 million U.S. dollars, while Germany announced that it will subsidize one-third of the total price. The signing of the contract took place in Berlin between Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and German State Secretary at the Ministry of Defense Wolf Rudiger. » Read more