November 16th

Fayyad Reported Sidelined as a New Palestinian Political Era Emerges - Will Abbas Follow? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Time by Tony Karon - (Blog) November 16, 2011 - 1:00am Once hailed by Western pundits as the technocrat-magician who would conjure a Palestinian state into being through irrepressible institutional competence, Salam Fayyad has been unceremoniously sidelined from his job as Palestinian Prime Minister according to a deal announced Tuesday -- a sign of the collapse of the illusions projected onto him, and of the peace process itself. Fayyad's ouster is expected to be a consequence of the reconciliation agreement between President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement and the Islamist Hamas organization, that is to be sealed in Cairo on Friday. » Read more

Palestinians must come to the table ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Boston Herald by Shai Bazak - (Opinion) November 16, 2011 - 1:00am The situation in our part of the Middle East doesn’t appear to make much sense at first glance. Israel has declared that it supports the establishment of two states for two peoples — which includes a Palestinian state. The Palestinians say they want a state. So why do two seemingly identical positions not lead to the expected outcome? The answer is simple — both sides hold opposing views on the means to reach this goal. » Read more

Disbanding the PA ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Danny Rubenstein - (Opinion) November 16, 2011 - 1:00am Israel?s relationship with the Palestinian Authority (PA ) has reached a new low, the worst it has been since the second intifada and the 2002 siege on then-PA president Yasser Arafat at his headquarters in the Mukata'ah in Ramallah. In those days of bloodshed and violence, Palestinians perpetrated devastating suicide bombings and the IDF conducted retaliatory raids into the Palestinian cities. » Read more

Dissolving the Palestinian National Authority or considering a new strategic direction ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Sameer Abu Eisheh - (Opinion) November 14, 2011 - 1:00am First, we have to ask ourselves about the role of the Palestinian National Authority. Is the PNA a vehicle for independence and the establishment of a sovereign state, or is it limited to running an autonomous area and, in parallel, relieving the Israelis from the burdens of their occupation? » Read more

Who funds Israel's right-wing organizations? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Nir Hasson - (Opinion) November 15, 2011 - 1:00am The sponsors of two bills approved by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation on Sunday accurately identified the soft underbelly of Israel's left-wing and human-rights organizations: They are the only ones who receive funding from foreign governments and international organization - and this is the exact kind of funding the bills seek to curtail. Right-wing groups get no funding whatsoever from these sources. What do you think of the proposed legislation over NGO funding? Visit Haaretz.com on Facebook and share your views. » Read more

Who funds Israel's right-wing organizations? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Nir Hasson - (Opinion) November 15, 2011 - 1:00am The sponsors of two bills approved by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation on Sunday accurately identified the soft underbelly of Israel's left-wing and human-rights organizations: They are the only ones who receive funding from foreign governments and international organization - and this is the exact kind of funding the bills seek to curtail. Right-wing groups get no funding whatsoever from these sources. What do you think of the proposed legislation over NGO funding? Visit Haaretz.com on Facebook and share your views. » Read more

In the IDF, it's the officers vs. the rabbis ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amos Harel - (Blog) November 14, 2011 - 1:00am Amid renewed fighting on the Gaza border and an influx of reports on a possible Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear sites, Israel Defense Forces chief Benny Gantz’s term is being dominated by an entirely different issue: the cultural war brewing within the army. Specifically, the impact of rabbis and religious officers on the day-to-day life of the military, beyond the basic rights promised to them by IDF regulations. » Read more

Netanyahu is less of a liar than past Israeli PMs ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amira Hass - (Opinion) November 16, 2011 - 1:00am Does Benjamin Netanyahu lie more than other politicians? That, at least, is the impression one gets from various reports in the press. But does he lie more than other prime ministers about Israel's strong (lack of ) desire for peace with the Palestinians? To say that would be downright mendacious. » Read more

Republicans’ ‘Starting from zero’ aid proposal startles pro-Israel community ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Ron Kampeas - November 16, 2011 - 1:00am “Starting from zero,” the foreign assistance plan touted by leading Republican candidates at a debate, is getting low marks, and not just from Democrats and the foreign policy community. Pro-Israel activists and fellow Republicans also have concerns. Texas Gov. Rick Perry introduced the plan during the first foreign policy debate Saturday night, held by CBS and the National Journal at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C. South Carolina is a key early primary state. » Read more

Fatah: Fayyad remains candidate for PM of Palestinian unity government ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Avi Issacharoff - November 16, 2011 - 1:00am Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has been and remains PA President Mahmoud Abbas' candidate for prime minister in a unity government with Hamas, Fatah parliament member Faisal Abu Shahla said on Wednesday. Abu Shahla added, however, that the matter will only be decided when Abbas meets with Hamas leader Khaled Meshal in Cairo next Friday. On Tuesday, Palestinian sources said that Fatah and Hamas agreed to hold elections next May and are due to establish a caretaker government in the coming weeks which will exclude Fayyad. » Read more