In Egypt's chaotic Sinai, militants grow stronger ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Aya Batrawy - August 9, 2012 - 12:00am After decades of neglect and with the collapse of government authority the past 18 months, Egypt's Sinai Peninsula has become fertile ground for Islamic extremists. Militant groups have taken root, carrying out attacks against neighboring Israel and now turning their guns against Egypt's military as they vow to set up a puritanical Islamic state. » Read more

Near Miss for Kibbutz in Path of Sinai Incursion ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Jodi Rudoren - August 8, 2012 - 12:00am Egypt and the Gaza Strip were just finishing a light supper in their dining hall on Sunday evening when text messages warned them to take cover. » Read more

Plots Are Tied to Shadow War of Israel and Iran ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Nicholas Kulish, Jodi Rudoren - August 9, 2012 - 12:00am These were just a few of what some Israeli and American intelligence officials say were nearly a dozen plots that form the backbone of a continuing offensive by Iran and Hezbollah against Israel and its allies abroad. But the links seem tenuous at times, the tactics variable, the targets scattered across the globe, from the Caucasus to Southeast Asia to the Mediterranean. » Read more

'Palestinian homes in IDF fire zones face demolition' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Tovah Lazaroff - August 8, 2012 - 12:00am Palestinians living in IDF firing zones, particularly in the Jordan Valley and the South Hebron Hills, are especially vulnerable to home demolitions by Israeli security forces, according to a UN report issued this week by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. “Some 45 percent of demolitions of Palestinian-owned structures in Area C since 2010 have occurred in firing zones, displacing over 820 Palestinian civilians,” the OCHA report said. » Read more

For Sheldon Adelson, political and Jewish giving are all of a piece ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) August 7, 2012 - 12:00am Call it the Adelson conundrum: What happens when the guy who acts as if he owns the room really does? In March at TribeFest, the annual gathering of young adults organized by the Jewish Federations of North America at the Venetian hotel in Las Vegas, Sheldon Adelson walked in on a surrogate debate between Matt Brooks, who directs the Republican Jewish Coalition, and his counterpart at the National Jewish Democratic Council, David A. Harris. » Read more

Israel evacuates illegal buildings in West Bank outpost ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua August 9, 2012 - 12:00am Israeli security forces evacuated residents and demolished several structures in an illegal West Bank outpost early Wednesday, with no clashes reported. The Maoz Esther outpost, located in the Benjamin regional council, was founded in 2007 on a private Palestinian land. It was dedicated to the memory of Esther Galia, resident of a neighboring settlement who was killed by Palestinian militants. » Read more

Abbas says going to UN even if it conflicts with others' interests ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency August 9, 2012 - 12:00am President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated Tuesday that the Palestinian Authority would insist on the UN bid seeking to obtain international recognition that Palestine is a state under occupation rather than a disputed territory. “Even if this step conflicts with other parties' interests, we will not step back,” Abbas said in remarks at Al-Najah National University as he joined a ceremony to honor top high school graduates in Nablus district. » Read more

Abbas urges donors to support Palestinian budget ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua August 8, 2012 - 12:00am Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday urged donor countries to support the Palestinian National Authority (PNA)'s crippling budget deficit. "The PNA suffers a difficult financial situation," Abbas said at a meeting with Toni Blair, the former British prime minister who is now the envoy of the International Middle East peacemakers, known as the Quartet. » Read more

Israeli FM's anti-Abbas remarks anger Palestinian leadership ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua August 8, 2012 - 12:00am Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman's comments against Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas angered the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) on Wednesday. Nabil Abu Rdineh, a PNA spokesman, said the Israeli foreign minister's statements "reveal the mentality of killing peace and fueling conflict." » Read more

Israel: Hezbollah smuggled explosives into Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press August 9, 2012 - 12:00am Israeli security forces say Hezbollah militants have smuggled explosives into northern Israel using a network of drug dealers on either side of the Lebanese-Israeli border. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said Wednesday the explosives were to be used in attacks on Israelis. He says 14 Israeli Arabs were arrested over the past few weeks in connection with the case. The arrests followed a months-long undercover operation. » Read more