September 6th, 2012

More signs signaling Israel will not be attacking Iran soon
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Anshel Pfeffer - (Opinion) September 5, 2012 - 12:00am


If anyone needed further proof that Benjamin Netanyahu has buckled under the pressure and will probably not be giving the order to attack Iran in the next few months, at least not before the U.S. elections, the latest reported IDF appointments seem to supply it.


Policy paralysis scuppers Palestinian economic dream
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Noah Browning - September 5, 2012 - 12:00am


(Reuters) - Palestinian dreams of building a strong economy to speed up the state's drive towards independence could soon be plunged into darkness, quite literally. The cash-strapped government of the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Authority (PA), is so behind with its bills that the Israeli company that provides Palestinians' electricity has threatened to cut the power unless the PA pays outstanding debt of almost $80 million.


Palestinians slipping deeper into poverty -UN
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Robert Evans - September 6, 2012 - 12:00am


GENEVA, Sept 5 (Reuters) - The United Nations UNCTAD agency issued a gloomy outlook for the Palestinian economy on Wednesday, arguing that tougher Israeli policies and settlement expansion were pushing the occupied territories and Gaza deeper into poverty. The situation had been aggravated in 2011 by a sharp drop in foreign aid, which for years provided a vital support, dimming any hope for an upswing even in the longer term, a report from the trade and development body said.


It's not normal
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Rami Livni - (Opinion) September 6, 2012 - 12:00am


It is difficult to persuade a person who feels happy that he is in fact depressed and despondent. Why should he believe it? With regard to everything about the occupation, the citizens of Israel feel fine. They brush off arguments about the effect it has on morals, about the demographic problem, the economic damage and the undermining of our international relations. Their apathy does not stem only from "proof" that Israel must not budge from the position in which it is entrenched, because of the failure of the diplomatic process and changes in the Arab world.


Gaza Strip: Israeli strikes 'kill six militants'
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News
September 6, 2012 - 12:00am


Palestinians said three were killed by Israeli fire in the north of the strip on Thursday morning. Israel said they were planting a bomb near its fence. Hours earlier, an air strike in central Gaza killed three militants who Israel said were set to fire rockets. There has been a spate of rocket attacks and air strikes in recent days. In the latest incident, Israel said it had fired at a "terrorist squad that was planting an explosive device" near the town of Beit Hanoun.


Everything is reversible
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Yariv Oppenheimer - (Opinion) September 6, 2012 - 12:00am


The past few months have seen the formation of a strange alliance between some settler representatives and leading leftist figures, which is based on the lack of faith in the "two states for two peoples" paradigm.


September 5th

Giving Up
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast
by Peter Beinart - (Opinion) September 4, 2012 - 12:00am


When it comes to Israel, the American Jewish right won’t take yes for an answer. Today the Democrats released their party platform, and almost instantly, neoconservatives became apoplectic, with the Washington Post’s Jennifer Rubin dubbing it the “most radically unsupportive statement of policy on Israel by a major U.S. party since the founding of the state of Israel.”


NEWS: PM Netanyahu reportedly cut short a national security meeting on Iran, accusing one of its participants of leaking information to the media. Israel is trying to downplay differences with the United States over Iran policy. A senior Palestinian security officer in Jenin is killed by gunmen. The PA asks Israel to facilitate the travel of a French team investigating the death of the late Pres. Arafat. Israel releases a Hamas leader in the West Bank. PM Fayyad will debate a Palestinian youth leader on television. The PA forms a committee to investigate the rising cost of living. A Jewish Australian businessman has big plans for occupied East Jerusalem. The Israeli government is paying hundreds of thousands of shekels to move settlers' mobile homes from one part of the occupied West Bank to another. Norway's FM says Israel and the Palestinians may be losing the chance at a two-state solution. Knesset Speaker Rivlin says Pres. Obama doesn't understand the Middle East, while FM Lieberman praises him. The Israeli campaign to “counterbalance” the final status issue of Palestinian refugees with the question of Jewish refugees and migrants to Israel from Arab states is continuing. Bedouin children again begin attending a school threatened with demolition by Israel. The Democratic Party platform is changed to better reflect occupied East Jerusalem's role as a final status issue to be negotiated between the parties. COMMENTARY: Haim Saban says Pres. Obama's support for Israel has been rocksolid in every way. Ha'aretz says Israel's police are serving as an unlikely bridge between Palestinian and Jewish citizens. Zvi Bar'el says the blockade of Gaza has been counterproductive and should be lifted. Linda Gradstein asks if Israel is preparing to attack Iran. The Forward says there's too much secrecy about funding in American politics, including among pro-Israel organizations. Tony Karon says Israeli plans to attack Iran have fallen apart because of the force of reason. Avner Cohen says Israel's constant threats against Iran are damaging its relations with the United States. Peter Beinart says it looks like the United States, including the Democratic Party, is giving up on Israeli-Palestinian peace for the meanwhile.

Platform Change on Status of Jerusalem Sparks Debate
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Wall Street Journal
by Naftali Bendavid, Jared Favole - September 5, 2012 - 12:00am


The Democratic Party released a 2012 platform Tuesday that omits previous language describing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, sparking an unexpected dust-up just as President Barack Obama is preparing to accept his party's nomination for a second term.


Israeli Talk of Attacking Iran Damages Relationship with US
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Monitor
by Avner Cohen - (Opinion) September 4, 2012 - 12:00am


“When you have to shoot, shoot. Don’t talk,” goes a famous line from the old Clint Eastwood movie The Good, the Bad and the Ugly



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