October 17th

Ulterior motives ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star (Editorial) October 17, 2012 - 12:00am Palestine has once again faced vocal rejection of its statehood bid, this time in a statement from the United States declaring that such a move would set back the peace process. The U.S. has said the decision must include Israel, and has further warned European countries, in a private memo, not to support Palestine’s bid. » Read more

Hamas redefines itself after leaving Syria for new allies ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Dalia Hatuqa - (Opinion) October 17, 2012 - 12:00am This month, Hamas's political leader Khaled Meshaal took part in a conference hosted by Turkey's ruling AKP party. A commentator on Syria's state-run Al Dunya television channel compared Mr Meshaal to "an orphan" looking for shelter after being rebuffed by other countries, further admonishing the group's leader for his seeming ingratitude to Syria. » Read more

Binational reality ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Editorial) October 17, 2012 - 12:00am With the start of the election campaign, the major parties are displaying a worrying tendency to put social, economic and security issues at the top of the agenda while evading the diplomatic issue at the root of Israel's democratic identity. » Read more

Only one Israeli leader can unseat Netanyahu: Netanyahu ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Bradley Burston - (Opinion) October 16, 2012 - 12:00am In the Israeli electoral landscape, there is only one leader capable of unseating Benjamin Netanyahu. He's done it before, more than once, and if current indications hold, he can surely do it again. With some 100 days remaining before Israelis go to the polls, the prime minister has but one serious rival standing between him and re-election: Benjamin Netanyahu. » Read more

Arafat widow questioned in French murder probe: source ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) October 17, 2012 - 12:00am French investigators probing the death of Yasser Arafat questioned his widow Suha, who claims the veteran Palestinian leader may have been poisoned, in France in mid-September, a source told AFP Wednesday. France opened a murder enquiry in late August after Arafat’s family launched legal action following reports he may have died from radioactive polonium near Paris in 2004. » Read more

Arafat death probe to Ramallah next month: Palestinian ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) October 16, 2012 - 12:00am RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories — French investigators into the death of Yasser Arafat will arrive on November 26 in Ramallah, where the former Palestinian leader is entombed, a Palestinian source familiar with the case said on Tuesday. » Read more

Palestinians to vote again after 7-year hiatus ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by Dalia Hatuqa - October 17, 2012 - 12:00am Ramallah: Just ahead of the much-vaunted local Palestinian elections, tensions flared amidst rivalling campaigners and billboards and brochures peppered the West Bank cities and villages. » Read more

Hamas PM transfers powers to deputy, as he vies for top political role ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Times of Israel by Elhanan Miller - October 16, 2012 - 12:00am Hamas’s Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh reportedly transferred his authorities to his deputy Ziad Zaza on Tuesday, in a move analysts consider the start of his campaign to replace Khaled Mashaal as head of Hamas’s political bureau. » Read more

Just 5% of J'lem municipality property serves Arabs ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Melanie Lidman - October 16, 2012 - 12:00am Only 5.5 percent of the 2,600 properties owned by the city of Jerusalem are serving the Arab residents of the capital, according to a new database created by the Jerusalem Awakening party and the Public Knowledge Workshop. » Read more

Netanyahu cabinet to adopt parts of Levy report on legal status of West Bank outposts ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - October 17, 2012 - 12:00am Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet will adopt parts of a report by a cabinet-sanctioned panel that advised to legalize West Bank outposts and which rejected the claim that Israel's presence in the territories is that of an occupying force, Israel Radio reported on Wednesday. » Read more