November 23rd

Abbas, Mashaal to meet in Cairo despite Egypt unrest ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) November 23, 2011 - 1:00am President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas chief Khalid Mashaal will meet in Cairo this week despite the unrest rocking Egypt, Hamas and Fatah officials said on Tuesday. Egypt has been shaken in recent days by renewed protests calling for the ruling military council to step aside and allow an interim civilian government to take power. But officials of the rival parties said the unrest would not derail a planned meeting between Mashaal and Abbas later this week. » Read more

New Winds in Mideast Favor Hamas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Stephen Farrell - November 23, 2011 - 1:00am For years, the imposing black gate that sealed the border between Egypt and Gaza symbolized the pain and isolation that decades of conflict have wrought on this tiny coastal strip, especially under Hamas in recent years. » Read more

November 22nd

Netanyahu intervenes to resolve feud between Israel's spy agency, foreign ministry ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua November 22, 2011 - 1:00am Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday stepped in to resolve a dispute between Israel's Mossad intelligence agency and the Foreign Ministry that in recent weeks brought cooperation between the organizations to a grinding halt. Netanyahu on Sunday summoned Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Mossad chief Tamir Pardo for a meeting at the end of which both men agreed to put their disagreements behind them, Army Radio reported. » Read more

US shouldn’t forfeit influence within UN ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Hill by Keith Ellison - (Opinion) November 22, 2011 - 1:00am As American businesses seek to protect their patents abroad, famine ravages the Horn of Africa and the Arab Awakening unfolds, we need more U.S. engagement at the United Nations, not less. Laws that restrict American participation in U.N. Specialized Agencies are bad for U.S. interests and national security. Congress must act immediately to fix this problem. » Read more

Culpable ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times (Editorial) November 22, 2011 - 1:00am Israel came last week under the scrutiny of the UN body mandated to monitor the application of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The last time Israel appeared before this rights body was in 2003. » Read more

Arab Spring blessing in disguise for Hamas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by Sami Moubayed - (Opinion) November 22, 2011 - 1:00am On November 11, entire neighbourhoods in the Palestinian camps of Damascus were decorated with photos of Yasser Arafat, marking the 7th anniversary of the Palestinian leader's death. That, of course, was no coincidence, since it struck a raw nerve with Damascus-based Hamas leaders, who detested the late PLO Chairman. Paying homage to Arafat, it must be remembered, is uncommon in Syria, given a historic feud between him and the Baathists in Damascus. » Read more

Speaking out against the threat ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by David Newman - (Opinion) November 22, 2011 - 1:00am It is not a superficial slogan. Neither is it cheap demagoguery. » Read more

The new libel bill ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post (Editorial) November 22, 2011 - 1:00am Dozens of concerned journalists gathered at Tel Aviv’s Cinematheque Sunday to protest what they perceive to be an ominously widespread antagonism against the media. Some of the issues discussed included the government’s declining willingness to come to the aid of the financially-strapped Channel 10, the abrupt shutdown of the joint Palestinian- Israeli Kol Hashalom radio station, policy changes at IBA News – including the firing of Keren Neubach from the investigative news program “Mabat Sheni” and attempts to interfere with radio presenter Yaron Dekel’s “Hakol Diburim.” » Read more

The science of diplomacy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Matthew Gould - (Opinion) November 22, 2011 - 1:00am Ben Gurion University Beersheba will this week host one of the most important events that I have been involved in since coming to Israel last year as Britain’s ambassador. It is a huge scientific conference between the UK and Israel in regenerative medicine. Sixty leading British academics will visit Israel for the conference, joining 200 academics from across Israel. And the conference will launch a major, five-year program of UK-Israel collaboration. » Read more

Israel's self-victimizing right is misleading the people ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Merav Michaeli - (Opinion) November 22, 2011 - 1:00am "Finally, the right is beginning to rule," said MK Uri Ariel (National Union ) after the vote to change the composition of the Judicial Appointments Committee. » Read more