Egyptian intellectuals pay price for curiosity ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Jeffrey Fleishman - December 16, 2008 - 1:00am It has been a tough peace for Ali Salem. His plays don't have a stage. Intellectuals shun him; the writers union refuses to pay his pension. He sits in a cafe window, typing on his laptop and defending his choice long ago to cross the border into Israel and make friends. Egypt and Israel made peace in 1979, but that treaty remains as agitating to Egyptian artists and intellectuals as a sliver of glass beneath the skin. Most of them don't accept it, and those who do are often vilified, their artistic voices muffled by condemnation. » Read more

In new ads, Palestinians try to sway Israeli public on peace plan ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Ilene Prusher - December 16, 2008 - 1:00am Along Route 2, which follows the Mediterranean coastline, motorists are seeing an unusual sight: a Palestinian flag next to an Israeli one. Below the image appearing on billboards is a message in Hebrew: There's a viable peace initiative on offer from Arab states. Reach a land-for-peace deal with Palestinians, and we will recognize you. The signature? The flags of 57 Arab and Muslim states – all except Iran. » Read more

U.N. Rights Investigator Expelled by Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Isabel Kershner - December 16, 2008 - 1:00am Israeli authorities on Monday expelled Richard Falk, a United Nations investigator of human rights in the Palestinian territories, saying he was unwelcome because of what the government has regarded as his hostile position toward Israel. Mr. Falk, an American, arrived in Israel on Sunday. He was held at the airport and placed on the first available flight back to Geneva, his point of departure. A spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry said that Mr. Falk had been informed in advance that his entry would be barred. Mr. Falk was not immediately available for comment. » Read more