Israel is losing the battle for public opinion in America ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Eric H. Yoffie - (Opinion) August 6, 2012 - 12:00am The government of Israel wants to talk about Iran, but a lot of people did not get the memo. For an important group of public intellectuals, the occupation of the West Bank is becoming more rather than less important. And we are not talking here about the usual cast of anti-Israel characters, but of mainstream journalists, scholars, and opinion makers – those who write in middle-of-the-road, general publications with a broad readership. » Read more

Why the Palestinians are turning against al-Assad ATFP World Press Roundup Article from CNN by Jonathan Schanzer - (Opinion) August 3, 2012 - 12:00am Even if Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad somehow survives the current uprising aimed at toppling his regime, the beleaguered dictator will have a lingering identity problem. Indeed, a long-standing pillar of Syria’s foreign policy has been support to the Palestinian “resistance” against Israel. But in the wake of the Syrian onslaught, the country’s estimated 500,000 Palestinians are abandoning – even challenging – their long-time champion. With this dramatic shift, al-Assad is left more isolated in the Middle East than ever before. » Read more

Palestinian Bubble Set to Burst ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Inter Press Service (IPS) by Jillian Kestler-D'Amours - (Opinion) August 5, 2012 - 12:00am “It will collapse, and the collapse will be harder when it happens later,” says Tareq Sadeq, Palestinian economist and professor at Birzeit University, about the financial bubble building up in the Palestinian Authority government. “It will mean that people will lose their homes. They will lose their cars. They will lose their land sometimes because of the collapse of the bubble. This will affect the whole economy and will also reflect on the Palestinian Authority. So this may be a collapse of the PA itself,” Sadeq tells IPS. » Read more

Israel, Arab Countries Share A Common Foe in Radical Islam ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Monitor by Eitan Haber - (Opinion) August 3, 2012 - 12:00am Many years ago, a new concept was added to the Israeli political lexicon: a window of opportunity. In those years, the early 1990s, there was no need for erudite explanations of the concept. The Soviet Union collapsed; Syria lost its Soviet patron, halting the supply of Soviet weapons to Damascus and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was on the skids, actually crashing to the boards. The list doesn't end there. » Read more

Op-Ed: Israel must learn from American’s unrelenting self-examination ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Raleb Majadele - August 5, 2012 - 12:00am Among the many strengths of Israel is its strong democratic tradition. Maintaining this tradition, however, seems to be more of a challenge with every passing year.  Trends among some political parties inspired by nondemocratic instincts threaten Israel's most essential foundation. This fragile situation is made even less stable by the less than statesmanlike behavior of some Israeli leaders.  » Read more

Legalizing outposts the last thing we need ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Gili Heskin - (Opinion) August 5, 2012 - 12:00am A committee headed by former Supreme Court Justice Edmond Levy determined that Israel is not an occupying power in the West Bank and recommended that the State sanction the majority of illegal Jewish outposts in the region. Netanyahu announced that he would implement the panel's recommendations as soon as possible, as though the settlement policy has ever been subjected to legal or moral decisions. » Read more

Israel-Sinai border attack thwarted, but ominous signs loom ahead ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amos Harel, Avi Issacharoff - (Opinion) August 6, 2012 - 12:00am Sunday’s confrontation on the Israeli-Egyptian border ended very successfully from Israel’s point of view. A concrete warning from the Shin Bet security service allowed the Israel Defense Forces to properly ready itself along the triangulated border near Rafah. Every terrorist that tried to infiltrate into Israeli territory was killed, while the Israeli side suffered no casualties. But if one takes a broader view, the incident testifies to the development of some very serious problems – for Egypt, in the near term, and for Israel, in the slightly longer term. » Read more

Israel’s Fading Democracy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Avraham Burg - (Opinion) August 4, 2012 - 12:00am When an American presidential candidate visits Israel and his key message is to encourage us to pursue a misguided war with Iran, declaring it “a solemn duty and a moral imperative” for America to stand with our warmongering prime minister, we know that something profound and basic has changed in the relationship between Israel and the United States. » Read more

Adelson vs. Romney ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast by Dan Ephron, Eli Lake - August 6, 2012 - 12:00am Casino tycoon Sheldon Adelson, a major contributor to Mitt Romney’s election effort, is pressing the Republican nominee to come out for the release of Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard, a major Republican donor and associates of Adelson and Romney tell The Daily Beast. » Read more

Traditional stone walls help protect Palestinian land ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) by Hossam Ezzedine - August 6, 2012 - 12:00am It has taken four years for Amer Dahabreh to build a traditional stone wall around his land, in what appears to be the ideal solution for protecting it from Jewish settlers. Within the safety of this stone enclosure, this 60-year-old farmer grows apricots, grapes, peaches and courgettes in the village of Ein Yabrud, which is overlooked by the neighbouring Jewish settlement of Ofra. The village is located in Area C, an area under total Israeli control which comprises some 60 percent of the West Bank. » Read more