November 7th

The struggle to make Israel a normal country ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Oudeh Basharat - (Opinion) November 7, 2011 - 1:00am Only in Israel is pork called "white meat." A white steak, as opposed to an impure pig steak, can be devoured with a clear conscience. What the British call the War Ministry is designated in Israel as the Defense Ministry, a sort of friendly neighborhood nickname. And don't ever run into the intellectually challenging expression "the absentee law," this is simply the law that allows the theft of Arab property. » Read more

Israel’s reckless duo ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Uri Bar-Yosef - (Opinion) November 7, 2011 - 1:00am The growing reports about the possibility that our prime minister and defense minister have already decided that Israel shall attack Iran’s nuclear sites must bother any Israeli citizen concerned for his personal safety and for the nation’s security. Historical experience taught us that we must not underestimate such reports. » Read more

Eyes on Gaza flotilla, but Gazan activists looking at Hamas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Kristen Chick - (Analysis) November 7, 2011 - 1:00am Samah Ahmed used to be proud to tell people she was Palestinian. She grew up at a time when the Palestinian struggle to break free of Israeli occupation was an inspiration to the Arab world. She participated in the second intifada that began in 2000. When people found out she was Palestinian, she says, they respected her. » Read more

Obama must stop Netanyahu, Barak from attacking Iran ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Akiva Eldar - (Opinion) November 7, 2011 - 1:00am Some six months before a devil incarnate shot Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in the back in order to stop the peace process, two American politicians stabbed him in the neck. In May 1995, at the height of the fragile negotiations on the interim peace agreement, the two welcomed Rabin to Washington with a fatal legislative initiative. The Republican candidate for the presidency, Bob Dole, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Newt Gingrich, proposed recognizing united Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and requiring the administration to move the U.S. Embassy there. » Read more

Fatah: Israel undermining PA 'disastrous' for region ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency (Analysis) November 7, 2011 - 1:00am A Fatah spokesman warned on Sunday that Israel's settlement expansion and withholding of PA tax revenues would have "disastrous results for the entire region." Fayiz Abu Aita said the measures announced by the Israeli government the day after UNESCO admitted Palestine as a full member were an attempt to undermine the Palestinian Authority. "This is a declaration of war" on the PA, Aita said in a statement issued by the Media and Culture Commission. "Israel bears full responsibility for this dangerous escalation." » Read more

November 4th

Britain, France to abstain from UN vote on Palestinian state ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz November 4, 2011 - 12:00am A United Nations diplomat said that Britain, France and Colombia have decided to abstain during a vote on the Palestinian bid for statehood recognition by the UN Security Council. The vote on the matter is expected to be held next week. Neither Britain, France nor Colombia have officially announced their positions on the matter. The diplomat told the BBC that the decision was made during discussions at the UN Security Council. » Read more

The UNESCO cuts: What’s next on the U.S. chopping block? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy by Colum Lynch - (Blog) November 3, 2011 - 12:00am The U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has admitted the Palestinians as a full member, prompting the Obama administration to impose millions of dollars in congressionally mandated cuts. Meanwhile, the Palestinian U.N. envoy in Geneva, Ibrahim Khraishi, said the Palestinians were now studying the prospects of joining 16 other U.N. agencies, raising the possibility of further U.S. funding cuts. » Read more

Israel: positive and negative ramifications ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Itamar Rabinovich - (Opinion) November 4, 2011 - 12:00am The impact of the "Arab spring" on Israel has so far been mixed. Like other actors observing this series of events and being affected by it, Israel understands that this is just the beginning of a lengthy process whose repercussions for its interests will keep changing over time. » Read more

'Spring-less' Palestine? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Ibrahim Shikaki - (Opinion) November 3, 2011 - 12:00am In recent years, and for various ecological reasons, Palestinians have been witnessing a "two-seasoned" year. Each year more noticeably than the one before, two seasons prevail: a colder-than-average winter and hotter-than-average summer. This means that two lovely seasons have begun to disappear. This brings us to the questions posed in this article, i.e. is there really "no Palestinian spring", and if so, will we need to import our spring from neighboring Arab countries? » Read more

An Ill-Timed Move ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward (Editorial) November 4, 2011 - 12:00am What were they thinking? The Palestinians, we mean. While there may be heart-thrumming symbolic value to achieving full membership in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as they did October 31, it comes at great cost to all concerned, including the very people the agency aims to help. » Read more