October 15th

US drops Gaza scholarships after Israel travel ban ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press October 15, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM — Amal Ashour, 18, loves Shakespeare and American pop music. One of the brightest students in the Gaza Strip, she studied her senior year of high school in Minnesota through a U.S.-government funded program. » Read more

Israeli Ex-Soldier Recalls Captivity Under Militants ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Isabel Kershner - October 15, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM — Almost a year after he was released from five years of captivity in Gaza, Gilad Shalit, the former Israeli soldier, has revealed more details of how he coped with the ordeal and his fears of being forgotten. » Read more

Palestinian militant dies in continuous Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, putting death toll to 5 ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua October 15, 2012 - 12:00am GAZA, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian militant died Sunday shortly after he was injured in the continuous Israeli airstrikes in central Gaza Strip, putting the number of Palestinians killed in the round of violence to five, according to medics. » Read more

All-Female Ticket Aims to Be Heard, if Not Seen ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Jodi Rudoren - October 14, 2012 - 12:00am HEBRON, West Bank — The faces of five men in business suits and one woman in a white head scarf beam under the slogan “Modern Hebron” on campaign banners along the streets of this famously conservative city ahead of local elections scheduled for Saturday. Other banners saying “Hebron Independents” feature 12 less formal photos, including three women, with looks more stern than smiling. » Read more

October 12th

Reality catches up with Hamas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Jonathan Schanzer - (Opinion) October 12, 2012 - 12:00am Hamas' long-standing political leader Khaled Meshal was in trouble the moment Western sanctions - punishment for Iran's illicit nuclear activities - began eating into Tehran's funding for its longtime Palestinian proxy. Meshal's job, after all, was to manage the lucrative Iran-Syria-Hamas axis. Then Bashar Assad began mowing down Sunnis in Syria, making it impossible for Hamas to remain there without appearing complicit. When the group pulled its headquarters out of Damascus in February, there was no denying it: Meshal was toast. » Read more

Red Lines in the Sand ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy by Graham Allison - (Opinion) October 11, 2012 - 12:00am Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been campaigning for an unambiguous red line to stop Iran's nuclear advance. In an infelicitous foray into American politics last month, he took to the Sunday morning television shows to insist that Barack Obama act to stop Iran, saying, "You have to place that red line before them now." Smarting from the Obama administration's refusals, he challenged the U.S. » Read more

I Wish I Could Vote Bibi, But I Can't ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast by Gil Troy - (Opinion) October 11, 2012 - 12:00am During this difficult moment in history, with Iran rapidly progressing toward nuclear status, with world economies still fragile, and with Western values under attack, Israel needs strong leadership. In the upcoming elections, I would love to vote for Israel’s popular and powerful prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, giving him a clear mandate to lead domestically and diplomatically.  But, like so many Israelis, I will search elsewhere for political redemption and reassurance, knowing just how limited the choice really is. » Read more

Hamas-Jihad Rocket Strikes Change Israel's Gaza Strategy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from As-Safir by Helmi Moussa - (Opinion) October 11, 2012 - 12:00am High-level Israeli military circles warned that the only way to avoid escalation in the Gaza Strip may be through the implementation of a ground operation. The threats came following a night of heated confrontations, during which settlements in the so-called "Gaza envelope" [the area of Israel abutting the Gaza Strip] were subject to a number of rocket attacks whose number, accuracy and source surprised the Israeli leadership. For Hamas, conditions are seemingly ripe for changing the rules of the game with which Israel is familiar. » Read more

Are you serious? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat by Tariq Alhomayed - (Opinion) October 11, 2012 - 12:00am The above title is a popular expression of disapproval previously used by my colleague Dr. Mamoun Fandy in an article about the previous stances of the Qatari Prime Minister. Now I find myself having to borrow the same expression following the rhetoric put forth by the head of the Hamas political bureau, Khaled Mishal, in his recent address in Qatar. » Read more

Steps Israel should take to control its destiny ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Gilead Sher - (Opinion) October 11, 2012 - 12:00am TEL AVIV (JTA) -- Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told European diplomats that he will resume negotiations with Israel on a two-state solution after the United Nations votes in November on a Palestinian request for "non-member state" status. What’s most interesting about the widespread report this week is that Abbas made no mention of his longstanding demand for Israel to halt West Bank settlement construction, which Israel has refused, before peace talks resume. » Read more