The Night that The Lights Went Out? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line by Linda Gradstein - August 14, 2012 - 12:00am The Palestinian Authority (PA) owes more than $170 million to the Israel Electric Company, and Israel is threatening to cut off the flow unless the debt is paid. Palestinian officials say that could cause widespread blackouts throughout the West Bank. » Read more

This Headline is About Very Important Quiet ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast by Gershom Gorenberg - (Opinion) August 13, 2012 - 12:00am Have you read the news about the Israeli-Palestinian peace process? Of course you haven't. Nothing is happening in Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking. The lack of diplomacy is a desperately important matter. But headlines are written about things that happen. Peace agreements are news, as are explosions on downtown streets. A quiet, unstable no-peace-no-war that could collapse on an unknown date isn't a headline. » Read more

Palestinians face losing their home on the (firing) range ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Andreas Heckl - August 13, 2012 - 12:00am Khalid Jabareen's tone was frantic as he discussed the future of his village and family, even though he thought the moment he dreaded – when they would be expelled from their homes – was months away.  » Read more

Bibi and Barak: Enough Chatter, Decide Already ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'ariv by Ben Caspit - (Opinion) August 12, 2012 - 12:00am You can all relax — in the last two weeks, nothing new has happened with regard to an attack on Iran. The cabinet hasn’t convened, the defense minister hasn’t summoned the IDF general staff and no new information has been received. Everything that is known today was known two months ago. » Read more

Israeli rights group urges to reexamine police misconduct in East Jerusalem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua August 14, 2012 - 12:00am The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) wants the Justice Ministry to re-open cases of police misconduct filed by Arab residents living in East Jerusalem. The ministry's department in charge of investigating complaints against policemen closed several cases in recent months for lack of evidence or public interest, the Ha'aretz daily reported Monday. Israel annexed East Jerusalem after the 1967 war. Its 270,000 Arab residents carry Israeli ID cards and are eligible for all municipal services. » Read more

Israeli defense ministry asks for billions more in 2013 budget ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua August 14, 2012 - 12:00am The Israeli Defense Ministry is asking for several billion shekels more than the Israeli Finance Ministry is willing to allocate to it in 2013 budget, according to local media. In discussions set to begin Wednesday, an 11.5-billion-shekel ( 3.5 billion U.S. dollars) gap remains between what the military is requesting - 62 billion shekels (15.5 billion U.S. dollars) - and the Finance Ministry's 50.5-billion-shekel (12.5 billion U.S. dollars) offer. » Read more

Israel holding up settlement college upgrade ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press August 13, 2012 - 12:00am Israel's defense minister is holding up the politically charged upgrade of the only West Bank settlement college to a full-fledged university. A month after a settler council approved the upgrade, a spokesman said Defense Minister Ehud Barak has to study the security and diplomatic implications before signing off on the move. Without his go-ahead, the upgrade cannot be finalized. » Read more

Palestinian Statehood Could Be Escape Strategy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by J.J. Goldberg - (Opinion) August 14, 2012 - 12:00am As the Palestinians prepare for another attempt to win recognition as a state at the United Nations General Assembly, President Obama has a rare opportunity to show true friendship for Israel in a way that sets him apart from and ahead of his rival. He can welcome the Palestinian request and promise to support it. On certain conditions, that is. How in heaven’s name could supporting a U.N. Palestine resolution be an act of friendship toward Israel? Simple: It could restart negotiations, with Israel in a stronger position. » Read more

Israel plunged into unprecedented debate about war ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Amy Teibel - August 14, 2012 - 12:00am To attack or not to attack? With Israeli politicians warning repeatedly that Iran is secretly pursuing nuclear weapons, this question has spawned an unprecedented amount of agonizing even in a country accustomed to war and incessant debate. » Read more

Danger to Israel-Egypt ties ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Alex Fishman - (Analysis) August 13, 2012 - 12:00am Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi's termination of the Arab country's old military guard with one swipe and without resistance was one of the most surprising and dramatic developments of the revolution. » Read more