February 9th

The Palestinians Regain their Decision ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al-Hayat by Elias Harfoush - (Opinion) February 9, 2012 - 1:00am The Palestinian reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas should be placed in its right context, i.e. in the context of the transformations witnessed in the Arab region. » Read more

Palestinian Unity May Turn to Reality ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by J.J. Goldberg - (Opinion) February 9, 2012 - 1:00am To understand the new unity agreement between the two Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas, it helps to recall the story of the village beggar and his cake. It happened once that the village beggar asked the rabbi for a ruble to buy some food. An hour later the rabbi saw the beggar in the market, eating a slice of cake. Incensed, the rabbi rushed to rebuke him: “When I give you a ruble you should eat a meal, not cake!” “Excuse me,” the beggar replied. “Yesterday I had no money, so I couldn’t eat cake. Today I have money, but I shouldn’t eat cake. Tell me, rabbi, when can I eat cake?” » Read more

Banging the war drums ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Douglas Bloomfield - (Opinion) February 8, 2012 - 1:00am The Obama administration has taken some unusual steps to discourage an Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear facilities in the coming months. After diplomatic, intelligence and military leaders failed to get the message across in private, they went public. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, through columnist David Ignatius, said his biggest worry is the strong likelihood of an Israeli attack before summer. » Read more

Is Netanyahu pretending? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Eitan Haber - (Opinion) February 8, 2012 - 1:00am Benjamin Netanyahu was the big winner of the recent Likud primaries. However, he too realizes that the party that sent him to the Prime Minister’s Office is slipping through his fingers. Likud is distancing from him. However, some politicians will respond to the above with a chuckle. For years they have been saying that Netanyahu has not changed at all, and that Likud is not distancing from him at all. Bibi is just like Moshe Feiglin, with a softer veneer, they say. The primaries’ results will force Netanyahu to rip the mask off his face. » Read more

Israel overcome by paranoia ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Alex Fishman - (Opinion) February 8, 2012 - 1:00am At first glance, one is shocked. The images one recalls of the pastoral desert border between Israel and Egypt have been erased. The landscape is cut by a grey, towering metal fence. At the top of it one sees not only barbed wire, but also sharp knives. Alongside this menacing fence lies more barbed wire, affixed to the earth, with a patrol road nearby. » Read more

In praise of Israel's abnormality ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Israel Harel - (Opinion) February 9, 2012 - 1:00am It is indeed true that Israel does not have, and quite possibly could not have, an "umbrella definition of a Hebrew nation that, from a political and legal standpoint, is supposed to embrace us in all our factions and variations, including religious and ethnic ones, while separating religion and state," as Doron Rosenblum wrote (Haaretz, February 3 ). Such lamentations over the lack of "Israeliness," and therefore, of "normalcy," date back many years, and represent the feelings of a nontrivial segment of Israeli society. » Read more

A new peace is needed ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Ari Shavit - (Opinion) February 9, 2012 - 1:00am First the old peace was lightly wounded. After Israel gave the Palestinians most of Gaza, the first bus blew up at Dizengoff Square. After Israel gave the Palestinians Nablus and Ramallah, buses started blowing up in downtown Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. And after Israel suggested that the Palestinians set up a sovereign state on most of the occupied territories, they responded with a wave of terror. And as suicide terrorists were running amok in our cities, it started to dawn on people that maybe there was something defective about the promise of a great peace. » Read more

Egyptian intelligence chief discusses Palestinian reconciliation efforts ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) February 8, 2012 - 1:00am Egyptian Intelligence Chief Mourad Mowafi on Wednesday met with Azzam al-Ahmed, member of Fatah’s Central Committee, to discuss Palestinian reconciliation efforts. Ahmed briefed Mowafi on the Doha Declaration in this regard, which was signed Monday by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and Khaled Meshaal, chairman of Hamas’s political bureau, the state-run Middle East News Agency MENA reported. After the meeting, Ahmed said he briefed Mowafi because Egypt sponsors the reconciliation and is tasked by the Arab League to monitor its implementation. » Read more

BDS Movement Hopes To Go Mainstream ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Naomi Zeveloff - February 9, 2012 - 1:00am The movement to boycott, divest from and sanction Israel — long painted as a fringe group by the Israel advocacy community — is seeking to wrap itself in the mantle of the mainstream American left. At the movement’s first-ever national conference, presenters and attendees compared BDS to the Montgomery, Ala., bus boycott, the Cesar Chavez grape boycott and the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, from which it draws inspiration. They also worried about how to brand themselves in easily accessible sound bites. » Read more

Pro-Palestinian Presbyterians close Facebook page after complaints ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Ron Kampeas - February 8, 2012 - 1:00am WASHINGTON (JTA) -- A pro-Palestinian Presbyterian church affiliate pulled down its Facebook page after Jewish groups complained about offensive postings. » Read more