October 28th

Fatah fires senior member for criminal, financial charges ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua by Xiong Tong - (Analysis) October 27, 2011 - 12:00am The Fatah party has officially fired a senior member for criminal and financial charges, a source from the party said Thursday. The decision to fire Mohammed Dahlan, the former head of the Palestinian National Authority's forces in the Gaza Strip, was supported by 76 members of Fatah's revolutionary council, a member of the council told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. Thirteen members voted against the decision while seven refused to vote. » Read more

There must be another way ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Uri Savir - (Opinion) October 28, 2011 - 12:00am Last Tuesday was one of the most emotional days in Israel’s modern history. Virtually the entire nation was moved to its core at the sight of the young, frail Gilad Schalit making his way to freedom after almost five-and-a-half years in Hamas captivity. It touched on the nation’s fundamental values of the sanctity of life, especially in this case of a young soldier, sent by his government and cared for by his family who struggled with tremendous dignity to rescue their son and found a place in almost every Israeli heart. » Read more

In the Holy Land, a changed Christian world ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Statesman by Matti Friedman - (Analysis) October 27, 2011 - 12:00am The schedules for Mass at the two Roman Catholic churches in Jaffa, on Israel's Mediterranean coast, reveal a change that has dramatically, if quietly, altered the face of Christianity in the Holy Land. » Read more

How not to solve the Bedouin problem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Opinion) October 28, 2011 - 12:00am Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent order to Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman to find ways to retroactively legalize illegal outposts on privately held Palestinian land should surprise no one familiar with the coalition's contempt for Palestinians and our legal system: If we can't have Greater Israel, at least we can have Lesser Palestine. But the government's legal arsenal is also being deployed against another target - Israel's Bedouin citizens in the Negev. » Read more

Abbas must choose to seek peace deal with Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Yoel Marcus - (Opinion) October 28, 2011 - 12:00am In a manner reminiscent of the popular movie "Free Willy," a new script is being written, tentatively entitled "Free Mahmoud Abbas." As a result of the Hamas "victory," the IDF wants to strengthen Mahmoud Abbas via a series of gestures. Haaretz's editorial page has recommended that Netanyahu listen to the army's recommendation, as though Abbas deserves compensation for the wholesale prisoner release won by Hamas. » Read more

Abbas says to discuss PA fate with Hamas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Alternet by Tom Perry - (Analysis) October 28, 2011 - 12:00am President Mahmoud Abbas plans to discuss the fate of the Palestinian Authority with his rivals Hamas next month, raising questions over its future with the peace process at a dead end. The remarks make clear Abbas is seriously mulling the future of the Palestinian Authority (PA), which was set up as a state-in-waiting 17 years ago but is now seen by critics as compromised body that eases the burden of occupation for Israel. » Read more

Envoy complains to UN over Lieberman 'incitement' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency (Analysis) October 28, 2011 - 12:00am The Palestinian envoy to the United Nations has complained to the Security Council that the Israeli foreign minister's call for President Mahmoud Abbas's removal constitutes "incitement" and undermines the peace process. Avigdor Lieberman called the president "the greatest obstacle to peace" and his resignation a "blessing", in remarks to reporters on Monday. After outcry from Palestinian ministers and a UN spokesman warning the comments were "deeply troubling" and an attempt to delegitimize the president, Lieberman repeated his comments to Israel's army radio on Wednesday. » Read more

Bosnia presidents 'cannot agree' on UN bid ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency (Analysis) October 28, 2011 - 12:00am Bosnia's trio of presidents said on Thursday they could not agree on whether to support a Palestinian bid for full UN membership, with Sarajevo potentially holding a key vote in the UN Security Council. Bosnia's presidency has been shared by leaders of its Muslim, Croat and Serb communities since its 1992-95 war. In a statement after meeting Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman in Sarajevo, the triumvirate said it had so far been unable to reach a joint position on the Palestinian application, reflecting the country's own ethnic divisions. » Read more

Israeli-Egyptian swap highlights brittle ties ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Statesman by Tia Goldenberg - (Analysis) October 27, 2011 - 12:00am Israel said Thursday that it agreed to trade Egyptian prisoners for a U.S.-Israeli citizen imprisoned in Cairo on unsubstantiated suspicions of spying to defuse a potential crisis between the two neighboring countries. Israel's agreement to such a swap highlights how brittle relations have become between the two since the fall of Egypt's longtime leader Hosni Mubarak, and that many on both sides want to preserve them. » Read more

American-Israeli Held in Egypt Is Released ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Isabel Kershner - (Analysis) October 27, 2011 - 12:00am Ilan Grapel, an American-Israeli citizen who had been held in Egypt since June, charged with spying for Israel, was released on Thursday in exchange for 25 Egyptians held in Israeli jails. Mr. Grapel, 27, a law student from Queens, was flown from Cairo to Ben-Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv in the early evening, accompanied by Israeli officials. The released prisoners were transferred to Egypt through the Taba border crossing around the same time. » Read more