October 24th

Strikes paralyze West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency October 24, 2012 - 12:00am RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- The Palestinian Authority cabinet on Tuesday called on civil servants to go back to work as strikes in ministries, universities, schools and refugee camps paralyzed the West Bank. The cabinet in its weekly meeting said employees who continued to strike would be "held liable." » Read more

Local official: Israel destroys 5 water wells in Jenin ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency October 24, 2012 - 12:00am JENIN (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces destroyed five water wells in a Jenin village on Wednesday, claiming the structures were unlicensed, a local official said. Muhammad Fahmi Maree, head of a local agricultural association, told Ma'an that an Israeli bulldozer, accompanied by military vehicles, destroyed the wells in Kafr Dan village. » Read more

Palestinian caught trying to smuggle bombs into Jerusalem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua October 23, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Israeli border police at a busy checkpoint between Palestinian-held areas and Jerusalem on Tuesday detained a Palestinian man found trying to smuggle pipe bombs into the city. » Read more

More than 70 rockets and mortars hit south Israel, three wounded ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz October 24, 2012 - 12:00am Militants in the Gaza Strip fired more than 70 rockets and mortar shells at southern Israel over the course of Wednesday, leaving three people wounded. » Read more

Bomb wounds Israeli officer on Gaza border ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters October 23, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM, Oct 23 (Reuters) - An Israeli officer was severely wounded on Tuesday when a bomb went off beside an army patrol along the border with the Gaza Strip, a military spokeswoman said. » Read more

Israeli airstrikes kill 4, injure 8 in Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency October 24, 2012 - 12:00am GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Multiple Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip have killed four people and injured eight since late Tuesday, medics said. Israeli warplanes struck a target in Rafah early Wednesday, killing Muhammad al-Sheikh, 32, a member of the PRC's military wing the Nasser Saladin Brigades. One other person was also injured in the attack. » Read more

Qatar visit breaks Gaza ice, delights Hamas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Nidal Al-Mughrabi - October 23, 2012 - 12:00am GAZA, Oct 23 (Reuters) - The Emir of Qatar embraced the Hamas leadership of Gaza on Tuesday with an official visit that broke the isolation of the Palestinian Islamist movement, to the dismay of Israel and rival, Western-backed Palestinian leaders. » Read more

Qatar’s Emir Visits Gaza, Pledging $400 Million to Hamas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Jodi Rudoren - October 23, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM — The emir of Qatar on Tuesday became the first head of state to visit the Gaza Strip since Hamas took full control of it in 2007, the latest step in an ambitious campaign by the tiny Persian Gulf nation to leverage its outsize pocketbook in support of Islamists across the region — and one that threatened to widen the rift between rival Palestinian factions. » Read more

October 23rd

Israel's grand illusion on Palestinian UN recognition ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Hanan Ashrawi - (Opinion) October 23, 2012 - 12:00am The artful magician relies on basic tricks in order to perform his illusions. He talks to distract the audience, giving irrelevant details to keep their minds occupied. He uses his skills to draw their attention to a certain place. Then, while all eyes are focused in one direction, he subtly and deftly carries out his deception, making them believe in a distorted reality; something their common sense tells them cannot be, but that their minds are inclined to accept. » Read more

Obama and Romney need to confront, solve Israeli-Palestinian divisions ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Hill by Ibrahim Abu Ta'a - (Blog) October 22, 2012 - 12:00am I was born and raised in Jerusalem. Most of my work colleagues are Jewish, and despite the growing tension between Jews and Palestinians in Israel, years of working together have made us quite close. I speak Hebrew fluently, as well as my native Arabic, and I have always engaged my Jewish acquaintances with the same openness and respect I would give to anyone else. » Read more