Actions, not slogans, for the New Year ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by David Newman - (Opinion) September 27, 2011 - 12:00am Unlike most other countries’ New Years, Rosh Hashana is not simply about festivities and parties. It is, for most of us, a period of introspection, personal and collective, a period when we sit down with ourselves, weigh up our deeds and actions of the past year and, hopefully, resolve to do some things differently in the coming year. » Read more

Border Control / Mideast peace can provide all the security Israel needs ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Akiva Eldar - (Opinion) September 27, 2011 - 12:00am The main, if not the only, innovation in the prime minister's address at the UN General Assembly was the demand that the Palestinians house military bases inside their new state. This, of course, in addition to the need for "defensible borders," that is a result of Israel's narrow middle. In order to illustrate the sensitivity of this shape, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "disclosed" to the world that a fighter jet could cross the width of the country in just three seconds. » Read more

U.S. lawmaker: Palestinians must return to peace talks or suffer possible divestment ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Natasha Mozgovaya - (Analysis) September 26, 2011 - 12:00am A U.S. Congressmen said Monday that the Palestinians should think twice about their bid to gain recognition at the United Nations,urging the Palestinian Authority to "reverse course" and get back to the negotiation table. » Read more

Israel must annex West Bank settlements, right-wing MKs tell Netanyahu ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Jonathan Lis - (Analysis) September 27, 2011 - 12:00am Israel should legally annex West Bank settlements in response to the Palestinians' recent bid for recognition in the United Nations, the leaders of several right-wing Knesset factions said in a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday. The letter was signed by Likud chairman Ze'ev Elkin, Shas chairman Avraham Michaeli, Habayit Hayehudi chairman Uri Orbach, and the leader of the National Union faction Yaakov Katz. » Read more

Netanyahu's popularity rises locally after UN speech ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua by Mu Xuequan - September 26, 2011 - 12:00am JERUSALEM, Sep. 26 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's popularity got a boost after his speech at the United Nations last Friday, a poll showed on Monday, following his ratings plunged in the wake of social protests across the country during the summer. The survey showed that Netanyahu's approval spiked upwards when he rejected the Palestinians' statehood bid on the grounds that such a state could only come through negotiations with Israel, and not as a unilateral step. » Read more

UN speech gives Abbas a stronger hand ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Statesman by Karin Laub - (Analysis) September 26, 2011 - 12:00am GAZA CITY, GAZA STRIP — President Mahmoud Abbas' surge of popularity following his bid for U.N. recognition for a Palestinian state is bound to give him a stronger hand against the rival Hamas group as they prepare to resume talks on a stalled power-sharing deal next week. » Read more

Fatah official: Non-violence key to Palestinian struggle ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency (Analysis) September 27, 2011 - 12:00am BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- President Mahmoud Abbas' adviser said Tuesday that non-violent resistance was crucial to the Palestinian struggle against Israeli occupation and that violent confrontation was not an option. Sabri Saydam told Ma'an that the Palestinians must take "the path of non-violent popular resistance to highlight Palestinian suffering" and avoid giving Israel any pretexts to export their "internal crisis." » Read more

UN Showdown Ushers in Critical a Period for U.S. Middle East Peace Efforts ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bloomberg by Indira A.R. Lakshmanan - (Analysis) September 27, 2011 - 12:00am The Palestinians’ bid for statehood at the United Nations has shaken up Mideast peace efforts, fueling a sense of crisis among Israeli and Palestinian allies that the U.S. says can drive a return to direct peace talks. “We know that there’s a trust deficit that needs to be overcome,” Michael Hammer, acting assistant secretary of state for public affairs, said yesterday. The two sides “have an opportunity here that we hope they will seize.” » Read more

One Gaza family celebrates Palestinian statehood bid despite Hamas ban ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Kristen Chick - September 25, 2011 - 12:00am When Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas went to the United Nations to ask for recognition of a Palestinian state Friday, Gaza residents weren’t allowed to celebrate in the streets like Palestinians in the West Bank. » Read more

Palestinians’ Security Council Application Goes to a Committee ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Neil MacFarquhar - September 26, 2011 - 12:00am The Security Council decided to meet on Wednesday morning to refer the Palestinian membership application to the Council’s membership committee. All 15 Council members have a representative on the committee. Given the sensitivity and interest of the issue, it will be heavy with ambassadors this time around, diplomats said. Even as the review is proceeding, both the United States and the Palestinians have been lobbying over the eventual vote in the Council, which is still weeks if not months away. » Read more