July 23rd

Defying the occupation with a camcorder ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amira Hass - (Opinion) July 23, 2012 - 12:00am Eight or nine of those who "carry the burden," to use the jargon of the recent public discourse on military service in Israel, burst into the house in the middle of the night. Their weapons pointed, they wear camouflage helmets, backpacks with walkie-talkies, and streaks of paint on their faces. In the house: parents, four children (two boys, two girls ), a grandmother (paralyzed after a stroke ), and two friends. » Read more

Egypt allowing Palestinians freer entry ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Sarah El Deeb - July 23, 2012 - 12:00am Egyptian and Palestinian officials say Egypt is allowing freer entry for Palestinians into the country, in an unprecedented move that eases long held travel restrictions particularly on Gazans but caused confusion among security agencies here. Airport officials said seven Gazans were allowed into Egypt Monday without the usual restrictions under which transiting Gazans under 40 years old were "deported" — taken in security escorts from the airport directly to Gaza, often after long detentions at the airport. » Read more

Israel, When the Lights Go Down ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Jodi Rudoren - (Film Review) July 21, 2012 - 12:00am Sitting in a darkened movie theater one recent morning, I had to suppress the urge to clap along as a dozen young male adherents of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov — well, actors playing Breslovers — danced around their black-hatted rabbi to an improvised ditty, “Ani lo yodea klum,” Hebrew for “I don’t know anything.” The rabbi had started the romp with that simple statement, trying to explain that wisdom was in the text for the taking. » Read more

Netanyahu attempt to split Kadima falters ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Amy Teibel - July 23, 2012 - 12:00am Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a botched attempt to fragment Israel's main opposition party on Monday by wooing some of its lawmakers to rejoin his governing coalition just days after the bloc bolted his coalition. But the maneuver failed after he managed to win over only four Kadima Party lawmakers, leaving him with a relatively fragile majority that could be hard-pressed to survive challenges like a contentious court-ordered reform of the military draft and the 2013 budget. » Read more

July 20th

The Levy Committee: Who Are the Real Winners? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Huffington Post by Hannah Weisfeld - (Blog) July 17, 2012 - 12:00am Last week the Levy Committee, set up by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to examine the legal status of outposts in the West Bank, announced its findings. According to the committee the IV Geneva Convention does not apply to the West Bank and, therefore, Israel cannot be deemed to be occupying this piece of land. On that basis the 'illegal outposts' in the West Bank, built on what Israel recognizes as state land, should be made legal, and zoning policies should be amended to make it easier for Jews to build in this area. » Read more

The Israeli left's zombie argument ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Nir Baram - (Opinion) July 20, 2012 - 12:00am One of the primary concerns arguments of the Zionist left, from the time of Yitzhak Rabin's second government and until very recently, was, "What the world will think of us?" The argument went like this: In the absence of peace with the Palestinians, or at the very least of negotiations pretending to be serious, Israel will become a pariah state. Its economy will take a serious beating, and the aspiration of most Israelis to deny that they are part of the geographic region in which they live, and to see their country as part of the Western world, will turn out to be illusory. » Read more

Is Mideast terrorism drifting to Africa? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Rina Bassist - (Analysis) July 20, 2012 - 12:00am Two weeks ago, Kenyan police arrested two people suspected of planning a terror attack against Israeli and American targets. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s cabinet declared immediately that the arrest proved Iran’s involvement once again in international terrorism. At the same time, Kenyan media reported that Israeli detectives had arrived in Nairobi to conduct meetings with different security bodies. Israeli officials have refused to comment so far. » Read more

Zionism 2012: A Guide for the Perplexed ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Carlo Strenger - (Opinion) July 18, 2012 - 12:00am Last week I opened the papers and finally had reason to sigh in relief. A panel headed by retired Supreme Court justice Edmond Levy has determined that Israel is not an occupying power. The bothersome international law that insists that Israel’s colonization of the West Bank is illegal simply doesn’t apply: All settlements are legal! » Read more

Palestinians deny U.S. aid threat ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy by Allison Good - July 19, 2012 - 12:00am The Palestine Liberation Organization has denied recent reports that the White House issued a notice threatening to cut all aid to the Palestinian Authority if it launches a renewed drive for recognition at the United Nations. "This is absolutely not true," PLO representative to Washington Maen Rashid Areikat told The Cable this week. "We do not know what they are saying. It's unfounded." » Read more

Israel has no doubt about who is behind the deadly attack in Bulgaria ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amos Harel - (Opinion) July 19, 2012 - 12:00am The government didn't hesitate to point a finger on Wednesday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, apparently supported by detailed intelligence, immediately blamed Iran for the terror attack on Israelis in Bulgaria that killed seven people. If this is so, the man behind the attack in Burgas would be Gen. Qassem Suleimani, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force, who operates the Guards' overseas operations. Hezbollah assists Quds, but the Lebanese group has been less effective since Imad Mughniyeh's assassination in 2008. » Read more