Israel Under Siege ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast by Benny Morris - (Opinion) July 31, 2012 - 12:00am Here’s a cliché: The Jewish state, founded to provide a safe haven for the world’s persecuted Jews, has become the most dangerous place in the world for Jews. But, unfortunately, this is true, and growing truer by the minute. » Read more

Palestinian Christians swept aside as Israel rewrites history ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Ali Khaled - (Opinion) August 1, 2012 - 12:00am He vanquished a dragon, saved a princess and passed into myth. What popular culture knows about St George (or Georgius, in Latin) pretty much begins and ends with the children's fairy tale, but there is a historical figure underneath that legend. Born about 1,800 years ago, St George's father was a soldier in the Roman army, and his mother was a Palestinian Christian. After his death, he was hallowed by the Catholic Church, but what is less known is that Muslims also venerated his name. » Read more

Using water as a weapon in the West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amira Hass - (Opinion) August 1, 2012 - 12:00am Events in Area C are a burning issue for the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Maj. Gen. Eitan Dangot. More correctly, he is infuriated by what he and the Civil Administration bureaucracy term "Palestinian illegal construction." » Read more

Romney exposed his ignorance in the land of the prophets ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Sam Bahour - (Opinion) July 31, 2012 - 12:00am Mitt Romney made history on Monday. In a single speech from Jerusalem, he proved beyond a reasonable doubt that to qualify to be a U.S. presidential candidate one needs precious little understanding of history, economics, or reality. Romney has just enough to be dangerous. » Read more

Romney, Obama show love for Israel in their own separate ways ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Ron Kampeas - (Opinion) July 31, 2012 - 12:00am It was a weekend of Israel love politically that highlighted two approaches to showing affection for the Jewish state: Go to Israel, as Mitt Romney did, or go pro-Israel, as the Obama administration did. The pictures told the story, or as it were, stories: Romney in a kipah at the Western Wall on Sunday, Obama in the Oval Office two days earlier surrounded by go-to Jews from Congress and the Jewish organizational world to witness the signing of a bill enhancing U.S. defense assistance to Israel. » Read more

Begging For The Jewish Votes ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Hayat by Elias Harfoush - (Opinion) July 31, 2012 - 12:00am The statements of Mitt Romney, the US presidential Republican candidate, during his visit to Israel, stir a certain level of pity for the man more than actual criticism of his positions. He seemed to be begging for the votes of the Jewish American voters in front of Benjamin Netanyahu. He was being more conservative than Netanyahu himself with respect to Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and Iran, and Israel’s right to deal a military blow to Iran if necessary. » Read more

Romney’s Truth Telling ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National Review by Rich Lowry - (Opinion) July 31, 2012 - 12:00am Sometimes the world seems a little smaller. Mitt Romney’s trip to Israel was such a moment. Demonstrating rhetorical instincts that should get him booked routinely on MSNBC, Palestinian official Saeb Erekat denounced the Republican candidate as a racist. It was a heartening display of the commonality of Romney critics. Whatever their varied backgrounds or interests, they all speak in one voice when it comes to attributing racial hatred to the former Massachusetts governor. » Read more

Mitt Romney: Pandering on the world stage ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Los Angeles Times (Editorial) August 1, 2012 - 12:00am Like everyone else, we're a bit tired of the gaffe-centric coverage of the presidential race. Every day the two campaigns and the press seem to gin up another small-potatoes controversy designed to send voters into a tizzy, generally without addressing the more serious issues facing the country or the economy. » Read more

Mitt Romney’s less-than-successful trip abroad ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post (Editorial) July 31, 2012 - 12:00am FOR THE PAST seven days, Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, spoke about American foreign policy and traveled the globe, starting with an address to the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Reno, Nev., then a trip to Great Britain, Israel and Poland. What has Mr. Romney revealed about his world view? Not nearly enough. » Read more

Romney in Jerusalem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from NOW Lebanon by Hussein Ibish - (Opinion) July 31, 2012 - 12:00am Taken at face value, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's comments during his recent trip to Israel might seem alarming. But in fact almost all of them are boilerplate American campaign rhetoric.  » Read more