February 7th

Hamas-Fatah deal is realpolitik with real consequences ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Magid Shihade - (Opinion) February 8, 2012 - 1:00am The agreement signed in Doha on Monday stipulates that President Mahmoud Abbas will lead an interim government, as well as keep his duties as head of the Palestinian Authority, in preparation for elections for the legislative council and for the presidency. Sponsored by Qatar's emir Sheikh Hamad Al Thani, the agreement was produced in large part because of regional and global developments. But it is better understood in terms of how these outside forces have affected internal changes in Palestinian politics. » Read more

A step towards Palestinian unity is only way ahead ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National (Editorial) February 7, 2012 - 1:00am After years of animosity, armed hostilities and, lately, an uneasy truce, the bitter rift between Fatah and Hamas has - on the surface at least - begun to heal. The rival parties yesterday signed an accord to form a Palestinian unity government. The agreement, negotiated by Qatar, confirms the Palestinian Authority's President Mahmoud Abbas as the head of an interim government, with plans to set a date for unified general elections in the West Bank and Gaza. It would be the first such vote since Hamas won elections in 2006. » Read more

The Doha Palestinian unity agreement: Now the hard part ATFP World Press Roundup Article from CNN by Robert Danin - (Opinion) February 7, 2012 - 1:00am Monday's Fatah-Hamas unity agreement announced in Doha marks the latest in a series of unimplemented accords between the two Palestinian adversaries. The two sides announced - again - their intention to unify their efforts and form an independent caretaker government to shepherd the Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza to new elections. » Read more

Analysis: Will Qatar succeed where others failed? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Khaled Abu Toameh - (Analysis) February 7, 2012 - 1:00am First there was the Saudi-sponsored Mecca Agreement between Fatah and Hamas in February 2007. That agreement collapsed four months later when Hamas seized control over the Gaza Strip from the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority. Then came the Sanaa Agreement in March 2008 in Yemen. That agreement lasted only a few hours before it was pronounced dead by the two parties. The Yemeni agreement was followed by two similar reconciliation pacts that were reached under the auspices of the Egyptians. Needless to say, the Egyptian-brokered accords remained ink on paper. » Read more

Palestinian Détente Disaster ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Time Magazine by Joe Klein - (Opinion) February 6, 2012 - 1:00am I’ve been traveling to the Middle East as a journalist for the past 30 years. During that time, Israel has grown into an ethnically diverse, economically successful country with a strong (internal) tradition of democracy, free speech and the rule of law–a tradition not always extended toward its Palestinian neighbors, especially when Likud governments are in power. » Read more

Unity Deal Brings Risks for Abbas and Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Ethan Bronner - (Opinion) February 6, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM — President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority embraced reconciliation with the Islamist movement Hamas on Monday, agreeing to head a unity government to prepare for elections in the West Bank and Gaza. Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, left, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, Qatar’s Emir, and Khaled Meshal, the leader of the Islamic Hamas movement, in Doha on Monday. » Read more

Official Statement from CRIHL in response to the acts of desecration of the Greek Orthodox Monastery ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land February 7, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM--The Council of Religious Institutions of the Holy Land condemns the acts of desecration and graffiti of the Greek Orthodox Monastery in Jerusalem last night. The Council calls upon people from all faiths – Christians, Jews and Muslims – to respect all Holy Places and sites for all three religions, and strongly discourages extremists’ behaviour that exploits or involves religious holy places in a political/territorial dispute. In the name of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, The Ministry of Waqf and Religious Affairs at the PA and The Heads of the Local Churches of the Holy Land,

MK Tibi disciplined yet again ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Moran Azulay - February 7, 2012 - 1:00am The Knesset's Ethics Committee has on Tuesday banned MK Ahmad Tibi (United Arab List-Ta'al) from delivering one-minute speeches in the Knesset plenum for a period of one month. The decision came after MK Tibi delivered a speech three weeks ago during which he verbally confronted MK Yitzhak Vaknin (Shas) who was heading the Knesset discussion. Tibi had already been suspended from the plenum and from participating in committee meetings for a period of one week last month over a limerick he read out during a plenum sitting called "Anasstasia's plumbing was damaged." » Read more

Netanyahu to Cabinet: Stop “chitchat” about Iran ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Aron Heller - February 6, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM — An Israeli official says the country's prime minister has told his Cabinet to quit the "chitchat" about Iran. Israeli political and military leaders have been increasingly candid recently on the subject of Israeli action against the Iranian nuclear program. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has concluded that an Israeli attack on Iran is likely in the coming months. Israel considers Iran to be its most dangerous enemy and has vowed to prevent it from going nuclear. » Read more

Israel fears Hezbollah could get arms from Syria ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Amy Teibel - February 7, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM — Israeli defense officials say they are increasingly concerned that Lebanese militants could get their hands on weapons from violence-wracked Syria. The officials say their main worry is that with the chaos in Syria mounting, Hezbollah guerrillas could acquire Syrian military S-125 anti-aircraft missiles, which could hinder operations by the Israeli air force. The officials say they are also worried Hezbollah may acquire Syrian chemical weapons and an array of Syrian missiles able to strike deep into Israel. » Read more