July 24th

Mideastern poker game ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Orly Azoulay - (Editorial) July 24, 2012 - 12:00am Barack Obama was a distinguished poker player: As a high school student in Hawaii, he would sit at street corners and defeat anyone who played against him. He did the same during his college days in California: He would walk around the dorms holding a whiskey bottle and a deck of cards, looking for players who would challenge him. » Read more

PA, Hamas govt to meet in Cairo over Gaza electricity troubles ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency July 23, 2012 - 12:00am A top Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine leader said Sunday that a technical committee composed of officials from both the West Bank and Gaza Strip will meet in Cairo to discuss alleviating a fuel crisis in Gaza. Talal Abu Tharifeh said the committee would discuss solutions with Egyptian authorities with the aim of increasing the electricity from an Egyptian line into the besieged territory. » Read more

It's the Iranian war, stupid ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Yossi Verter - (Opinion) July 24, 2012 - 12:00am Shaul Mofaz is thoroughly convinced that the late night cable in the Prime Minister's Office between Benjamin Netanyahu and Tzachi Hanegbi, which was exposed the following morning, had one goal: to set the stage in the Likud party for Hanegbi's inclusion in the government, and give Netanyahu a majority, in a vote on an Iran attack. » Read more

Ambassador: Regulations for Palestinians' entry to Egypt not changed ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency July 24, 2012 - 12:00am Procedures for Palestinians entering Egypt have not changed, despite earlier reports that restrictions had been eased, Cairo's ambassador to the Palestinian Authority said Monday. Yasser Othman told Ma'an that regulations for Palestinians' entry to Egypt were still applicable, although Palestinians arriving in Egypt would be granted a 48 -72 hour visa to transit the country in limited cases. » Read more

Ashrawi calls on EU to review economic relations with Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency July 24, 2012 - 12:00am Senior PLO official Hanan Ashrawi on Tuesday called on the European Union to review its relations with Israel in light of its persistent violations of international law. The EU-Israeli Association's annual meeting, held in Brussels on Tuesday, is an opportunity for the EU to ensure any economic relations with Israel are contingent on its compliance with international obligations, Ashrawi said in a statement. » Read more

Israel can’t afford Reagan 2.0 in Romney ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by David A. Harris - (Opinion) July 24, 2012 - 12:00am We hear it from Republican candidates all the time – the pledge to be the next Ronald Reagan, to return to the conservative principles and policies of Republican presidents of the past. Mitt Romney is no different. His proposals look like carbon copies of Republicans’ greatest hits: tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, weakened regulations that ensure public safety, an end to Medicare as we know it, and an embrace of the same failed ideas that undermined our middle class and left our economy in tatters. » Read more

UN agency voices concern over Palestinian refugees in Syria ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua July 24, 2012 - 12:00am The United Nations agency assisting Palestinian refugees has expressed grave concern over the implications of the ongoing Syria crisis for the 500,000 Palestinian refugees in the country, a UN spokesman told reporters here on Monday. » Read more

Israeli field commanders to undergo training in int'l law ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua July 24, 2012 - 12:00am The Israeli military is launching a first-of-its-kind course on international law for field commanders in a bid to lower the chances that Israel will be accused of war crimes in a future conflict, The Jerusalem Post reported Tuesday. The Military Advocate-General's Office is behind the initiative, which aims to familiarize officers with international law pertaining to combat operations, particularly those that take place in urban settings, said the report. » Read more

The myth of Palestinian neutrality in Syria ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency by Budour Hassan - (Analysis) July 24, 2012 - 12:00am On July 14, thousands of Palestinian refugees marched in a funeral procession for 11 unarmed protesters shot dead by Syrian security forces in the al-Yarmouk refugee camp. Raucous and seething with rage, mourners chanted for Syria and Palestine, called for the downfall of Bashar Assad’s regime, and sang for freedom. » Read more

Israeli police investigating settlement land deal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Statesman by Associated Press - July 23, 2012 - 12:00am Police are investigating whether residents of a rogue West Bank settlement used forged land deal documents in an effort to thwart their upcoming court-ordered eviction, an Israeli anti-settlement group charged Monday. Under a Supreme Court order, Israel's government must dismantle the Migron outpost by Aug. 1 because it was built on private Palestinian land. On Sunday, the government asked the Supreme Court to delay the evacuation by a month, its latest attempt to put off a potential clash with extremist settlers. The court has yet to rule. » Read more