October 19th

TV show 'Homeland' irks Lebanese, Israelis ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Bassem Mroue - October 18, 2012 - 12:00am BEIRUT —Militants carrying assault weapons clear the area around a street, shouting in Arabic for people to get out of the way. A jeep pulls up: The world's No. 1 jihadi has arrived for a meeting with top Hezbollah commanders. On rooftops, U.S. snipers crouch unseen, the kingpin in their crosshairs at last. The scene, from a recent episode of the hit U.S. Showtime series "Homeland," is supposed to be Beirut. But it is really in Israel, a country similar enough in some areas to stand in for Lebanon, yet a world away in most other respects. » Read more

Morsi’s office confirms warm letter to Peres is authentic ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Times of Israel October 18, 2012 - 12:00am A spokesman for Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi confirmed on Thursday that the president had sent a letter to Israeli counterpart Shimon Peres calling him a good friend. The letter, presented to Peres by incoming ambassador Atef Salem on Wednesday, sparked an outcry in Egypt for marking a new level of normalization, with one Muslim Brotherhood official calling it a “fabrication.” » Read more

More than 1,000 women running in Palestinian elections ATFP World Press Roundup Article from CNN by Samuel Burke, Claire Calzonetti - October 18, 2012 - 12:00am This Saturday, Palestinians in the West Bank will hold elections for the first time in six years, voting for municipal leaders. It takes place against a backdrop of a deep sense of frustration with the split between Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah, the stalled economy, and the stalemate with Israel over final statehood. What's so unusual about this election is the number of women running.  Maysoun Qawasmi is leading the first all-female independent ticket, their slogan: 'by participating, we can'. » Read more

Palestinians, heading to the polls, complain about lack of competition ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Karin Brulliard, Sufian Taha - October 19, 2012 - 12:00am HEBRON, West Bank — When local elections open on Saturday, Palestinians across the West Bank will exercise their right to vote for the first time in six years. Here in this city, the poll will carry even more significance: A long 37 years have passed since residents last cast ballots for their municipal council. » Read more

Palestinian local elections kick off in West Bank among concerns ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua October 18, 2012 - 12:00am RAMALLAH, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian municipal elections started in the West Bank Thursday for the first time since 2005 among concerns of excluding the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem. The voting on Thursday was allocated for policemen and security staff, and the polling stations will be open for more than 518,000 eligible voters Saturday, Palestinian officials said. » Read more

Israel approves more expansion of settlement near Jerusalem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Ori Lewis - October 18, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Israel on Thursday issued a detailed plan for the building of some 800 new homes on annexed land in the West Bank that is certain to attract further international condemnation of its settlement policies. A planning committee issued a call for bids from contractors to start building 797 housing units on the western slopes of the urban settlement of Gilo, an area that Israel seized in the 1967 Middle East war and later declared part of Jerusalem. The annexation has never been recognised internationally. » Read more

October 18th

A UN victory could be costly for Palestinians ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Douglas Bloomfield - (Opinion) October 17, 2012 - 12:00am Can the Palestinians afford the UN recognition they seek? That is the question their leadership must ask itself as it presses for a vote next month on its application to upgrade its status from observer to non-member state. The issue is being couched by Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas in terms of prestige and improved bargaining position for possible peace talks with Israel, but that conflicts with reality. The Palestinians already have diplomatic recognition by some 120 countries and that has put them no closer to statehood. » Read more

Hebron's Independent Women, Part I ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast by Simran Sachdev - (Editorial) October 17, 2012 - 12:00am This Saturday, the West Bank city of Hebron will hold its first municipal elections in over three and a half decades. While this is critical for Hebron’s people, what makes these elections remarkable is the first all-women list to ever run in Palestinian politics. » Read more

Neither "Best Friend" Nor "Anti-Israel" ATFP World Press Roundup Article from ACCESS by Gil Troy - (Opinion) October 17, 2012 - 12:00am Washington Post editorial on October 16 matter of factly stated the obvious: that President Barack Obama “sought to publicly distance himself from Israel early in his term” and that Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu “have made a mess of their personal relationship.” Both of these statements are quite obvious even to many casual observers of the Middle East. » Read more

What is EU doing for peace in Palestine? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by Stuart Reigeluth - (Opinion) October 18, 2012 - 12:00am Despite the current crises within different member states of the European Union, the creation of such a supra-national body to encourage trade, social cohesion, and political unity is without a doubt an incredible achievement. Regardless of the pros and cons of creating a homogenous proto-European and the heavy bureaucratic structure of the overpaid institutions that are each day more and more distant from the majority of citizens who are outside the Brussels bubble, the EU has successfully created a peaceful ambiance to avoid the devastations of war. » Read more