Life Without Water a Growing Threat ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Inter Press Service (IPS) by Eva Bartlett - December 9, 2011 - 1:00am "Everything will be affected: drinking and washing water, sewage and sanitation, hospitals, schools and children," says Ahmed al-Amrain, head of power information at the Palestinian Energy and National Resources Authority (PENRA). The Israeli Electric Company provides 60 percent of the Strip's needs, paid by Palestinian customs taxes collected by the Israeli authorities. Gaza buys 5 percent from Egypt and tries to generate the remaining 35 percent at Gaza's sole power plant, maimed by the 2006 Israeli bombing and destruction of its six transformers. » Read more

Appeals court upholds convictions in Holy Land Foundation case ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) December 8, 2011 - 1:00am NEW YORK (JTA) -- A U.S. appeals court upheld the convictions of five Holy Land Foundation organizers on charges of conspiring to send money to Hamas. The ruling was handed down Wednesday by a three-judge panel from the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Texas. The Texas-based Holy Land Foundation had its assets frozen by the Bush administration in December 2001. The Islamic charity and five defendants were found guilty in 2008 on charges of funneling money to Hamas. » Read more

Arab World: Searching for a new home? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Khaled Abu Toameh - December 9, 2011 - 1:00am There, Hamas came out in support of the demonstrators and even urged them to topple their leaders. Hamas was the first Palestinian group to welcome the downfall of Tunisia’s Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak and Libya’s Muammar Ghaddafi. With Syria, however, Hamas has found itself in a delicate situation. On the one hand, Hamas can’t afford to voice support for those who are seeking to overthrow a regime that has been hosting and backing the movement for more than two decades. » Read more

Palestinian seriously wounded at West Bank protest by Israeli forces ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Nir Hasson - December 9, 2011 - 1:00am A Palestinian demonstrator was seriously wounded on Friday when he was apparently hit by a teargas canister fired by Israeli security forces in the West Bank. The incident occurred during the weekly demonstration in the village of Nabi Saleh. Preliminary details indicate that security forces fired teargas at demonstrators who were protesting the alleged takeover of a nearby spring by Israeli settlers. One demonstrator was shot in the head at close range by a teargas canister and began to bleed. He was rushed to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva.

Does Israel matter in 2012? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy by Scott Clement - (Opinion) December 9, 2011 - 1:00am President Obama and Republicans have repeatedly clashed over policy towards Israel, incited most recently by comments from the U.S. ambassador to Belgium, who argued that some anti-Semitism was rooted in territorial tensions between Israel and its neighbors. On Wednesday, Republican presidential hopefuls looked to court Jewish supporters at a forum held by the Republican Jewish Coalition. The entire hubbub raises a critical question: How important is Israel as a voting issue? » Read more

UNESCO to raise Palestinian flag ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency December 9, 2011 - 1:00am BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- UNESCO will raise the Palestinian flag at its Paris headquarters on Tuesday to mark the admission of Palestine as a full member, a press statement said on Wednesday. President Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riyad Malki will preside over the ceremony with UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, it said. UNESCO voted to admit Palestine as a member on Oct. 31. which triggered a funding cut by the United States, the largest contributor to the UN cultural agency. » Read more

Peter Beinart Is Right—or, a One-State Solution Is Inevitable if Settlements Continue ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Atlantic by Jeffrey Goldberg - (Opinion) December 9, 2011 - 1:00am A number of Goldblog readers have forwarded me this video of Peter Beinart speaking at the recent General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America. These readers are critical of Peter's assertion that Israel is, in essence, forcing a one-state solution on itself by continuing the occupation and settlement of the West Bank. I watched the video, and, alas, I don't find much to dispute with what Peter says. This isn't the easiest thing for me to acknowledge; I disagree with much of Peter's Middle East political analysis, and I disagree with many of his peacemaking suggestions. » Read more

Israel mortified over Lieberman's latest gaffe ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency December 9, 2011 - 1:00am JERUSALEM (AFP) -- Israeli officials were squirming in embarrassment on Friday over remarks by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman after he described Russia's contested parliamentary elections as "free and democratic." Lieberman's comments, which were reported by Russian news agency Itar-Tass, come as Moscow struggles with a wave of protests over allegations of vote rigging in Sunday's elections. Top world diplomats have also expressed grave concerns over the outcome of the vote, which observers say was marred by widespread irregularities. » Read more

Israel deputy FM: UNRWA 'morally, politically unacceptable' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency December 9, 2011 - 1:00am TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma'an) -- Israel's deputy foreign minister accused the UN agency for Palestinian refugees of perpetuating Palestine's conflict with Israel, in a speech at the UN refugee headquarters in Geneva on Thursday, Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post reported. Calling UNRWA "morally and politically unacceptable," Danny Ayalon said the UN applied double standards by not resettling Palestinian refugees through its central body for refugees, UNCHR, and creating the separate Palestinian refugee agency. » Read more

Israel’s farewell to the West ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Carlo Strenger - (Opinion) December 9, 2011 - 1:00am A few weeks ago a little noted event occurred. Germany has six political foundations funded by the German foreign ministry. They are identified with all major German parties, including, of course, the CDU, Angela Merkel’s party, that is right of center. » Read more