November 15th

Israeli lawmakers push ahead contentious bills ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Amy Teibel - (Analysis) November 15, 2011 - 1:00am At the end of a stormy debate, Israeli lawmakers pushed ahead two bills that critics say would threaten the independence of the country's Supreme Court, just days after Cabinet ministers advanced another proposal to sharply limit funding for dovish groups. Opponents say both developments reflect attempts by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to stifle dissent and pluralism. Netanyahu himself was absent from the parliament vote on Monday, which dominated newspapers headlines and radio talk shows. » Read more

Time for Israel to stop politicising Palestinian cash ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National (Editorial) November 15, 2011 - 1:00am As Israel continues to tighten the screws on Palestinians and Israeli Arabs, it also continues to earn itself unpleasant headlines around the world. That may be one reason why the latest such move, to limit and tax certain foreign grants to civil-society groups within Israel, has now been deferred. But the measures still have strong support in Israel's conservative cabinet and are far from dead. » Read more

IDF chief: Gaza violence may lead to significant military action ATFP World Press Roundup Article from by Jonathan Lis - (Analysis) November 15, 2011 - 1:00am Recent bouts of violence along Israel's border with the Gaza Strip are leading toward significant and offensive military action in the coastal enclave, Israel Defense Forces chief Benny Gantz said on Tuesday, adding that there was still a chance for a flare-up of West Bank violence over the Palestinian statehood bid at the United Nations. Gantz's comments came just 24 hours following the latest confrontation along the Gaza border, as Israel Air Force planes carried out a strike early Monday after Palestinian militants in Hamas-run Gaza fired a rocket at southern Israel. » Read more

Sarko said, Obama said—but what does it all mean? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Ron Kampeas - (Opinion) November 14, 2011 - 1:00am Does Nicolas Sarkozy really hate Benjamin Netanyahu? Does President Obama really sympathize? And does it really matter? The fleeting, private exchange between the French and U.S. presidents at a summit in Cannes, France, made international headlines, and its meaning is still being parsed by political pundits and pro-Israel activists. » Read more

Despite it all, economic peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Gershon Baskin - (Opinion) November 14, 2011 - 1:00am When Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu took over the Israeli government at the end of March 2009, he spoke about his economic peace plan. In November 2009, Netanyahu said, “Economic development does not solve problems, it mitigates them and makes them more accessible for solution, and creates a stronger political base.” He further said he would not hand over the Palestinians territories before strengthening the West Bank economy, fearing that radical Islamists backed by archenemy Iran would seize power there. » Read more

Israeli generals fight gender segregation in ranks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Jeffrey Heller - (Analysis) November 14, 2011 - 1:00am Israel's military must not give in to Jewish religious demands to prevent the mixing of men and women in the ranks, a group of reservist generals told the country's defence minister on Monday. The 19 generals, among them former army, air force and navy commanders, listed times when they said women had been sidelined or segregated during military events because of pressure from male Orthodox soldiers. » Read more

Netanyahu's Likud set to limit Israel's freedom of the press ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Editorial) November 15, 2011 - 1:00am At the request of several lawmakers, the Knesset Economic Affairs Committee is due tomorrow to hold a revote on Channel 10 television's request to defer payment of its debt to the state by one year. The debt in question comprises royalty payments and licensing fees, and the channel's management has made it clear that failure to postpone the payment will lead to the closure of the station. » Read more

Israel must topple Netanyahu before it's too late ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Sefi Rachlevsky - (Opinion) November 15, 2011 - 1:00am A democratic state prepares for an existential battle by involving all its citizens and forging international alliances; a fascist state prepares by suppressing its opponents at home, while also attempting to forge alliances overseas; a messianic fascist state both suppresses opponents at home and makes itself a pariah abroad. » Read more

The genius of Ben-Gurion ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Richard Cohen - (Opinion) November 14, 2011 - 1:00am At the age of 88, Shimon Peres, the astonishingly productive president of Israel, has written yet another book. This one is called “Ben-Gurion: A Political Life,” and it is about the man Peres went to work for in his early 20s — David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister and a man who was both a little guy and a towering figure. Peres calls him a genius. » Read more

Fatah considers dropping nomination of Fayyad as premier of unity government ATFP World Press Roundup Article from by Emad Drimly - (Analysis) November 15, 2011 - 1:00am A senior member of the Fatah Party said Tuesday the party could drop the nomination of Salam Fayyad as premier for the unity government during the upcoming reconciliation dialogue with Islamic Hamas movement. Hamas welcomed its rival's decision and said it would ease implementing an Egypt-brokered reconciliation pact in Cairo on May 4. The movement has been ruling Gaza after it seized the enclave by force in June 2007 and routed Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' forces. » Read more