Rick Perry Wins Support Among Right-Wing Jews ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Forward by Nathan Guttman - October 3, 2011 - 12:00am It could have been an awkward moment even for a seasoned politician like Texas Governor Rick Perry. Surrounded by a group of Orthodox rabbis in black hats and black suits during a Hanukkah ceremony at the Texas State Capitol, Perry, now a leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination, was swept into a hora dance, holding hands with the Jewish leaders as they surrounded the lighted menorah. But Perry did not seem to mind. “That was a real ‘Dancing With the Stars,’” he said jokingly. » Read more

Washington's stance on Israel and Mideast peace is murky ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Natasha Mozgovaya - (Blog) October 4, 2011 - 12:00am This week in Washington started with three foggy questions: Was it really Vice President Joseph Biden who blocked clemency for Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard? What actually happened to U.S. aid to the Palestinians? And what will the U.S. do with the Middle East peace process after commending Israel on accepting the Quartet call for the renewal of talks and noting that the Palestinians also expressed their support. » Read more

Leader of Israeli settler movement dies ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Statesman October 4, 2011 - 12:00am Hanan Porat, a driving force behind Israel's settlement of the West Bank, died Monday of cancer. He was 67. Porat, a former Israeli lawmaker, was a founder of the now-defunct movement Gush Emunim — Hebrew for "the bloc of the faithful" — a messianic movement committed to settling land Israel captured in the 1967 war. Movement disciples believe God promised the West Bank to the Jewish people, and they set out to cement Israeli sovereignty there by creating a large-scale civilian presence. » Read more

Poet Taha Muhammad Ali dies in Nazareth ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency October 3, 2011 - 12:00am Celebrated poet Taha Muhammad Ali died in Nazareth on Sunday aged 80 years old. Muhammad Ali was born in Saffuriya village, north of Nazareth, in 1931. He fled to Lebanon with his family in 1948 when the village was captured by the Israeli army. The family was never able to return to his home, moving to nearby city of Nazareth, where he lived and worked in a souvenir shop throughout his life. His poetry followed the experiences of Palestinians living in Israel, and Palestinian refugees around the world. They were translated into several languages, including English and Hebrew. » Read more

Netanyahu is 'happy' to accept peace plans, less so to seal the deal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Akiva Eldar - (Opinion) October 4, 2011 - 12:00am If the government's declaration that it welcomes the Quartet's plan is really true, it is not only a political revolution the likes of which we have not seen since the signing of the Oslo Accords 18 years ago, it is also a dramatic political change unlike any other since the Likud won the 1977 elections. » Read more

Union: PA employees to receive salaries ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency October 4, 2011 - 12:00am Government employees will receive their September salaries by Wednesday, the head of the civil servants' union Bassam Zakarnah said Tuesday. The Ministry of Finance in Ramallah informed the union that wages for civil servants in the West Bank and Gaza were distributed to banks on Tuesday, Zakarnah said. In recent months, the Palestinian Authority has twice failed to pay employees on time and in full. Officials had blamed a shortfall in aid from Arab states for the fiscal crisis. » Read more

US Defense Chief Criticizes Palestinian Aid Block ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Voice of America October 4, 2011 - 12:00am U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has criticized U.S. lawmakers for suspending $200 million in aid slated to fund development projects in the Palestinian territories. Panetta said Monday at a news conference in Tel Aviv with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak that this is "no time to withhold those funds." He said it is a "critical" moment in the region, as U.S. officials continue to urge Palestinians and Israelis to negotiate a peace deal. » Read more

US discusses ways to keep aid flowing to PA ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency October 4, 2011 - 12:00am The Obama administration is lobbying Congress to unblock $200 million in aid for the Palestinian Authority that was frozen due to its bid for UN recognition of statehood over US and Israeli objections. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said on Monday the administration was in "intensive" discussions with key lawmakers who had put holds on the money, a financial lifeline for the Palestinian Authority. » Read more

Mosque torching in Israel: Could it spark Arab Spring-style protests? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Joshua Mitnick - October 4, 2011 - 12:00am A mosque was torched in northern Israel early Monday, prompting a clash between police who fired tear gas canisters and hundreds of Arab citizens of Israel who threw stones and briefly closed down a highway. The incident, seen as part of an ongoing campaign of Jewish vigilantism, underscores fears by Israeli officials that such attacks could spark Arab Spring-style protests among Palestinians. » Read more