February 3rd

Israel Adds to its Crimes ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by George S. Hishmeh - (Opinion) February 3, 2012 - 1:00am Ten years ago about 50 Israeli soldiers, including some officers, refused to serve in the Occupied Territories, roughly the size about 22 per cent of the original state, Palestine, which until mid-1948 was a mandate under British rule. » Read more

Palestinian-Israeli negotiations are impossible ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat by Bilal Hassan - (Analysis) February 2, 2012 - 1:00am At present, there are no Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, as the conditions laid down by Israel would render them doomed to failure before they even start. Yet the Palestinian side has no alternative plan to the negotiation theme, which means that the issue will remain pending and frozen unless some change happens on the ground and alters the balance of power. » Read more

No Time to Wait for Two-State Solution ATFP World Press Roundup Article from PBS by Sarah Wildman - (Opinion) February 2, 2012 - 1:00am If you were to listen to the Republican debates over the last few weeks, and tune out all other news (God help you, but bear with me), you might think that the Israelis were sitting at the negotiating table waiting, waiting, waiting for the Palestinians who went out for a glass of water and never came back. » Read more

Jews Shift Toward GOP, Survey Claims ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Josh Nathan-Kazis - February 3, 2012 - 1:00am Jewish support for the Republican Party has grown dramatically since 2008 nationwide, a new analysis of survey data out from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press suggests. The data found that the shift in the GOP direction has been more significant than among the general public. The findings could point to trouble for the Democrats in the 2012 presidential election, where both parties are counting on strong showings among Florida’s Jewish voters in particular. » Read more

Islamophobic Film and Its Jewish Backers ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by J.J. Goldberg - (Opinion) February 2, 2012 - 1:00am The New York Police Department is caught up in a tangled spat with the city’s Muslim community and assorted liberal groups over counter-terrorism measures that seem to have crossed the line into rank anti-Muslim bigotry. The department’s chief spokesman has made matters worse by repeatedly offering explanations of police actions that turned out to be false. Some critics are now calling for his dismissal. In a sense, it’s just the latest case — several cases, actually — of minority rights versus over-zealous law enforcement, post-9/11. This case is more complicated than most, however. » Read more

Sitting Pretty: Gaza Renews Furniture Exports ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line by Omar Ghraieb - February 1, 2012 - 1:00am GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – Israel’s blockade of goods coming into the Gaza Strip has been the target of flotillas and a cause for concern among human rights activists and economists alike. But the difficulty of getting products out of this tiny Mediterranean enclave is just as important to the well-being of its 1.7 million residents. » Read more

Israel does not mistreat detained Palestinian children ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Amir Ofek - (Opinion) February 1, 2012 - 1:00am Your special report looks at allegations that Israel's military justice system mistreats Palestinian children who have been arrested for throwing stones. "Many are exhausted from sleep deprivation. Day after day they are fettered to the chair, then returned to solitary confinement. In the end, many sign confessions that they later say were coerced," you state. But you omit the horrific nature of the atrocities that minors, some as young as 12, can be arrested for. » Read more

Blair, PM Working to Enable Continued PLO Talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Herb Keinon - February 3, 2012 - 1:00am Quartet envoy Tony Blair is involved in intensive talks with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu about putting together a package of economic gestures to keep the Palestinians directly engaged with Israel in low-level talks in Jordan. Blair has met at least five times with Netanyahu over the past two weeks, including twice on Wednesday. » Read more

IDF: Soldier Left in PA Village Refused Locals’ Assistance ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Yoav Zitun - February 3, 2012 - 1:00am The IDF force that left one of its soldiers in the Palestinian village of Budrus near Ramallah Wednesday night belongs to the 188th Armored Brigade, where former Hamas captive Gilad Shalit served, Ynet has learned. The soldier who lost contact with his fellow soldiers during activity in the village serves as the battalion commander's signal operator and is considered his right-hand man during operational activity. » Read more

Why the US-Israel relationship is unique and critical ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Alllen B. West - (Opinion) February 2, 2012 - 1:00am The history of the Jewish people in the land of Israel stems back more than 3,000 years, unbowed by the sequential rise and fall of the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Maccabeans, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Egyptians, Crusaders, Mamelukes and Turks. In comparison, the history of our own United States dates back 236 years. Although America is a young society, we have shared fundamental principles with the Jewish heritage from the time of our founding. Today, the bonds between America and Israel are stronger than ever, yet they have never been more threatened. » Read more