January 12th

High Court Okays Citizenship Law, Legalizing Racial Discrimination of Arabs ATFP World Press Roundup Article from 972 Magazine by Noam Sheizaf - (Opinion) January 12, 2012 - 1:00am Israeli Arab MK Ahmed Tibi famously said that “Israel is indeed a Jewish-democratic state: it is democratic for Jews and Jewish for all the rest.” This rings truer than ever after Israel’s High Court of Justice rejected yesterday (again) the petitions against the Citizenship Law, one of the first measures to make racial discrimination against the Arab minority not just common practice, but part of Israel’s legal codex. » Read more

Hate Israel’s Citizenship Law, Accept the Supreme Court Decision ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Journal by Shmuel Rosner - (Opinion) January 12, 2012 - 1:00am It was an important decision and not a trivial one, when Israel’s Supreme Court upheld a law yesterday that prevents most non-Israeli Arabs who marry Israelis from living in Israel. The court was split almost in half: Six justices sided with the majority ruling and five justices – Chief Justice Dorit Beinish included – opposed the ultimate decision. The numbers reflect the magnitude of the dilemma, they reflect the fact that this cannot be an easy decision for any country, and they reflect the delicate balancing act with which Israel has to live. » Read more

A Year for Elections, Not Mideast Peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Wall Street Journal by Elliott Abrams - (Opinion) January 12, 2012 - 1:00am Last week Israelis and Palestinians held talks for the first time since September 2010. Back then, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met at the White House, under bright lights and with great expectations, along with Jordanian King Abdullah and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. In a matter of weeks the talks failed—and Mr. Mubarak didn't last much longer himself. What to expect this time? » Read more

Washington’s Ultimatum to Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Natasha Mozgovaya - (Book Review) January 12, 2012 - 1:00am The President of the United States, haunted by troubles home and abroad, finally decides to forge a breakthrough on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict - at any price. He separately summons Israeli and Palestinian leaders, and presents them with an ultimatum: for Israel, lack of agreement means no more aid and no more vetoes at the UN Security Council. » Read more

EU on Verge of Abandoning All Hope for a Viable Palestinian State ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Independent by Donald MacIntyre - (Editorial) January 12, 2012 - 1:00am The Palestinian presence in the largest part of the occupied West Bank – has been, "continuously undermined" by Israel in ways that are "closing the window" on a two-state solution, according to an internal EU report seen by The Independent. » Read more

Do Discard the "Resistance Axis" Hoax ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star by Michael Young - (Opinion) January 12, 2012 - 1:00am This past week several British parliamentarians were in Beirut to learn more about the situation in Lebanon and Syria. They met with politicians, academics and journalists, and an argument they took home with them was particularly intriguing. It pertains to what has become known in the West as the “resistance axis.” » Read more

Ayoon Wa Azan (A Palestinian State is Attainable After 2013) ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al-Hayat by Jihad El-Khazen - (Opinion) January 11, 2012 - 1:00am American policies, both domestic and foreign, are a hostage of the U.S. elections, a stand-alone American industry much like the auto and hi-tech industries. Presidential elections are held every four years, along with elections for the House and a third of the Senate’s seats (in addition to local elections of every kind in the states). Then the winner in the presidential elections in November would have barely entered the White House in January, when he has to begin preparing for the U.S. » Read more

Israel Must Stop Stalling on Peace Process ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Editorial) January 12, 2012 - 1:00am Just as with previous efforts to advance negotiations on a final-status agreement, the Jordanian attempt to breath new life into the diplomatic process has gotten hung up on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's policy of dragging his feet. As Barak Ravid reported in yesterday's Haaretz in Hebrew, at this week's meeting in Amman with chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, Israeli envoy Isaac Molho refused to present Israel's positions on borders and security. » Read more

Hamas Members to Reside in Jordan ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times January 12, 2012 - 1:00am AMMAN — The government is examining the best method to allow Hamas members to reside with their families in Jordan, according to Prime Minister Awn Khasawneh. In an interview with Time magazine, excerpts of which were published on Monday, Khasawneh said Hamas members will not be allowed to establish political headquarters for the movement in Jordan or to practise any political activity. "We will be finding modalities to bring back members of Hamas and their families to come," Khasawneh told Time. "We don’t want them to establish another organisation here." » Read more

Controversial Makeover for Gaza’s Beachfront ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line by Omar Ghraieb - January 11, 2012 - 1:00am GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – For years, it was a dusty, often garbage-strewn asphalt ribbon winding along Gaza City’s otherwise beautiful Mediterranean coast. Today, it’s a construction site, with heavy equipment plowing sand into position, digging tunnels and laying pipes. But if the plans proceed on schedule, Al-Rashid Road, popularly known as the Beach Road, will be transformed into a scenic seaside promenade, or corniche, in the style that has made the meeting between land and sea in places like Beirut, Alexandria and Nice tourist attractions and a gathering place for their residents. » Read more