March 28th

Rewriting 'Hatikvah' as Anthem for All ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Philologos - (Opinion) March 27, 2012 - 12:00am Back in 1998, I wrote a column about “Hatikvah.” It was occasioned by a European Cup soccer game between Israel and Austria, before which, as usual on such occasions, the national anthems of both countries were played. When the band struck up the Israeli anthem, the whole Israeli team joined in singing it except for a talented young Arab player named Walid Badir, who stood in silence. » Read more

Peter Beinart's problematic 'Zionist BDS' proposal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Jane Eisner - (Opinion) March 28, 2012 - 12:00am Peter Beinart deserves credit for continually testing how big the Jewish tent really is. His new and controversial proposal for a targeted boycott of products from Israeli settlements in the contested West Bank is only the latest case in point. The tent is a euphemism for acceptable discourse in the often fractious conversation about Israel among American Jews. We don't merely argue about the fraught issue of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We argue about who has the right to argue about it. » Read more

Israel is comfortable ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat by Bilal Hassan - (Opinion) March 28, 2012 - 12:00am The Arab region is experiencing a state of inertia with regards to the Arab-Israeli conflict, a struggle supposed to exist and continue for as long as Palestine remains occupied, and as long as other Arab territories in the West Bank and the Golan Heights remain occupied. This stalemate has existed for quite a long time in terms of Lebanon, Syria and Jordan - the countries surrounding Israel; however matters used to be heated and highly active in the Palestinian-Israeli sphere until such mobility lost momentum on the Palestinian side, as a result of the "negotiations" endeavor. » Read more

PA, Egypt Sign Gas Deal to End Gaza Crisis ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 28, 2012 - 12:00am CAIRO (Ma'an) -- The Palestine Electricity Company on Tuesday announced a deal with Egypt to provide gas to the Gaza Strip. Palestine Electricity Company director in Gaza Walid Saad Sayil signed the agreement with the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation in Cairo on behalf of the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority. Sayil told reporters that Egyptian technicians have been instructed to conduct geographical surveys to find the best route for a network of pipelines to transport gas from Sheikh Zweid to the Rafah crossing on Gaza's border. » Read more

Beware Land Day ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post (Editorial) March 27, 2012 - 12:00am An international array of terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas, rogue states such as Iran and radical left-wing organizations such as Code Pink have joined forces to make the 36th Land Day potentially the biggest – and most violent – ever. » Read more

Court Rejects Appeal Against Abbas Premiership ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 28, 2012 - 12:00am RAMALLAH (Ma’an) -- The Palestinian Constitutional Court in Ramallah on Tuesday rejected a legal challenge to President Mahmoud Abbas' appointment as prime minister of a national unity government. Fatah leader Abbas and Hamas chief Khalid Mashaal agreed in Qatar last month that the president will lead an interim cabinet to prepare for fresh elections and end divided governments in Gaza and the West Bank. PLO central council member Abdul-Jawwad Salih submitted a legal challenge to the appointment on the grounds that it is unconstitutional. » Read more

Netanyahu is our man ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast by Gershon Baskin - (Opinion) March 27, 2012 - 12:00am We need Netanyahu. Not because a Netanyahu government will more effectively rebuild the Israeli left. Not because I believe that for it to get better it has to get a lot worse, though both may be true. But because there is no one, absolutely no one in the Israeli political arena who has the capability of delivering a peace deal that the Israeli mainstream (meaning both the peace skeptics like Kadima voters and the religious and right of center people who together compose the vast majority of Israeli society) would support. » Read more

One state – one vote: Rethinking an Israeli Spring ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Bradley Burston - (Opinion) March 28, 2012 - 12:00am A beleaguered Democratic president, beset by an unpopular war overseas and raging polarization at home, clamps heavy pressure on Israel to make a dramatic gesture over the future of the West Bank. Israel's cabinet convenes to discuss the White House initiative. A minister-without-portfolio, less than three months in his first cabinet post, asks for the floor. He has a proposal regarding the Palestinians of the West Bank: Offer them citizenship and the right to vote. » Read more

Officials: 2 Killed on Israeli-Egypt Border ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 27, 2012 - 12:00am EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma'an) -- Two people died in a clash late Tuesday in Egyptian territory near Israel's border, a Ma'an correspondent reported and an Israeli security official confirmed. Egyptian and Israeli security officials said a group of infiltrators was spotted entering Israeli territory and fled back into Egypt, where two people were killed either by smugglers or Egyptian forces. An Israeli army spokesman said soldiers identified two infiltrators inside Israeli territory and initiated arrest procedures, but they crossed into Egypt and exchanged fire with Egyptian forces. » Read more

Absentee Ballots Considered For Israelis Living Abroad ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Batsheva Sobelman - March 27, 2012 - 12:00am REPORTING FROM JERUSALEM--It's easy to vote in Israel. No prior registration. No other paperwork. If you're a citizen, just show up at the polls and be at least 18 years old. At the same time, it's almost impossible for Israelis abroad to cast election ballots. Unlike many nations including the U.S., Israel does not allow expatriates to cast absentee ballots. Only those abroad on official business such as diplomatic service are allowed to participate in elections for parliament and prime minister without returning home to vote. In the last election, this amounted to 5,600 voters. » Read more