January 23rd

Israel's legal 'abuse' of Arab minority is undemocratic ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Oudeh Basharat - (Opinion) January 23, 2012 - 1:00am It is difficult to compare the democratic State of Israel to a dark dictatorship. Nevertheless, they have one thing in common: People don't sleep well at night under either regime. In dictatorships, they fear a revolution on the part of the majority, and in Israeli democracy they do not stop studying the graphs of the birth rate among Arabs, in case the demographic balance is upset. » Read more

Paper Owner Apologizes for Obama 'Hit' Column ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Nathan Guttman - January 20, 2012 - 1:00am The owner of an Atlanta Jewish newspaper has apologized for a column in which he discusses the possibility of Israel ordering the assassination of President Obama. The Secret Service says it is investigating and a parade of Jewish leaders quickly moved to denounce Andrew Adler, publisher and owner of the Atlanta Jewish Times. » Read more

Gaza builders lead economic recovery – with some help from the black market ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Harriet Sherwood - January 21, 2012 - 1:00am For three years, Wael Arabeed did not do a day's work. He delved deep into his life savings, accrued over 25 years of working on construction projects in Saudi Arabia, Syria and Egypt, to feed his family. He sold his car. He began to believe his working life was over. But now the construction engineer has more work than he can handle. Tossing yet another tender request on to his desk, he says: "I have so many offers, I can't even look at them. I'm too busy." » Read more

The Palestinian children – alone and bewildered – in Israel's Al Jalame jail ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Harriet Sherwood - January 22, 2012 - 1:00am The room is barely wider than the thin, dirty mattress that covers the floor. Behind a low concrete wall is a squat toilet, the stench from which has no escape in the windowless room. The rough concrete walls deter idle leaning; the constant overhead light inhibits sleep. The delivery of food through a low slit in the door is the only way of marking time, dividing day from night. » Read more

British Jews cancel meeting with Abbas in wake of pressure from Netanyahu ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - January 23, 2012 - 1:00am Jewish community leaders in Britain canceled a meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas during his visit to London last week after Israel pressured them to do so, according to two senior Israeli officials. The officials said representatives from the Prime Minister's Office and the Israeli Embassy in London had pushed for the meeting to be called off, while the British government sought to convince the Jewish leaders to hold the meeting. » Read more

Israeli settlers reject Netanyahu's request to evacuate largest outpost in West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Chaim Levinson, Barak Ravid - January 23, 2012 - 1:00am The ongoing controversy about the evacuation of the Migron outpost hit a new high Sunday, as settlers angrily rejected a compromise proposal offered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. » Read more

Israel condemns Palestinian cleric over sermon ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Dan Williams - January 22, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Israel condemned the Palestinians' top cleric on Sunday for reciting, at a meeting of the dominant U.S.-backed Fatah faction, a passage from Muslim scripture that called for the killing of Jews. Preaching on Jan. 9 at a rally marking the 47th anniversary of Fatah's founding, Mufti of Jerusalem Mohammed Hussein read out a Hadith, or traditional text attributed to the Prophet Mohammad. » Read more

Abbas: Israel document 'worthless' to talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency January 23, 2012 - 1:00am MOSCOW (Ma'an) -- President Mahmoud Abbas said Sunday that Israel's response to a Palestinian proposal on borders and security as requested by Quartet negotiators was "worthless". Speaking to TV channel Russia Today during his the final leg of his European tour, Abbas said his visit to British, German and Russian leaders was not intended to "isolate or delegitimize Israel," but to look at different routes if current talks between negotiators fail. "We want to live side-by-side with Israel, but we want to isolate Israeli policy on settlements," he told the program. » Read more

Palestine ready to continue talks with Israel: Abbas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua January 23, 2012 - 1:00am MOSCOW, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Palestinian National Authority (PNA) President Mahmoud Abbas said here on Sunday that the Palestinian authorities are ready to continue peace talks with Israel. "We will continue the dialog and we will continue the (peace) talks because we consider this to be the only way to a peaceful resolution," Abbas told reporters after his meeting with Russia's chief Mufti Ravil Gainutdin. Meanwhile, he blamed unconstructive policies adopted by the Israeli authorities, saying they are hindering the peace talks between the two sides. » Read more

Buoyed by 'Islamic Spring,' Hamas considers new direction ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Joshua Mitnick - January 22, 2012 - 1:00am Hebron, West Bank Hamas’ political chief is stepping down after nearly 16 years, leaving the militant Palestinian group with a potential leadership battle just as Islamist allies elsewhere in the Middle East are enjoying momentum from election victories. Khaled Meshal, who headed Hamas’ headquarters in Damascus, recently informed the group’s leadership council that he won’t stand for reelection, said a Hamas spokesperson in Gaza. It is unclear exactly why Mr. Meshal is choosing to step aside and who is likely to succeed him. » Read more