Time bomb under Israel's nose ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Yaron Friedman - (Opinion) September 26, 2012 - 12:00am » Read more

Shenanigans at work in the UN ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by George S. Hishmeh - (Opinion) September 27, 2012 - 12:00am The Middle East figured prominently, but not sufficiently, in the speech of the US President Barack Obama at the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on Tuesday, six weeks before the US presidential elections and in the presence of 120 world leaders. » Read more

A year on, calls for statehood hide PA failures ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National (Editorial) September 27, 2012 - 12:00am A year ago, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas went to the United Nations with a rightful bid for state membership. The move for full membership was never voted on at the Security Council (largely due to US pressure).* Today Mr Abbas returns to the UN General Assembly, this time seeking to lay the groundwork for a new resolution to elevate the Palestinians from "observer entity" to "observer state". » Read more

Are Netanyahu, Abbas really interested in 2-state solution? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Paul Gross - (Opinion) September 27, 2012 - 12:00am With Binyamin Netanyahu’s focus firmly on the Iranian issue (and on how he can help the Romney campaign without Obama’s people finding out), and Mahmoud Abbas revisiting last year’s push for UN recognition of a Palestinian state in place of negotiations with Israel, the question should be asked: does either side actually want a two-state solution? The reality is that there has been less than a month of (tentative) negotiations in the three years since this government came to office. » Read more

Inside Out: Barak’s unilateral proposition ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Jonathan Rosen - (Opinion) September 27, 2012 - 12:00am Defense Minister Ehud Barak gave a lengthy interview to Israel HaYom on Tuesday in which he called on the government and the public to consider a partial unilateral withdrawal from large swathes of the West Bank, in the absence of a peace agreement with the Palestinians. Such a withdrawal would involve abandoning Israeli control over dozens of settlements and the creation of a Palestinian state in the vacated areas. » Read more

At UN, Netanyahu must put a stop to Iran 'noise' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Editorial) September 27, 2012 - 12:00am A dark shadow of distrust and suspicion between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Barack Obama hangs over the prime minister as he mounts the rostrum at the United Nations General Assembly today in New York. The difference of opinion between the two men on the issue of Iran's nuclear program has injected itself into the American presidential election campaign and has become an open rift. » Read more

No Drama at Turtle Bay ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Huffington Post by Ziad Asali - (Blog) September 26, 2012 - 12:00am At the United Nations General Assembly meeting, the world will be watching -- though with markedly less intensity than last year -- to see what the Palestinians will do. The prevailing mood among Palestinians appears to have assimilated some lessons from last year's experience -- that uncoordinated diplomatic initiatives can produce a damaging deterioration in relations with the West, a devastating reduction of aid, and no improvements in living conditions on the ground, even as they fail to achieve their stated objective. » Read more

Anti-Semitism Fight Hinges on Definition ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Seth Berkman - September 25, 2012 - 12:00am When the California State Assembly passed a nonbinding resolution recently, urging state-funded colleges to clamp down on anti-Semitism, the storm that followed sent some of the resolution’s supporters backtracking. The resolution’s wording, critics said, threatened to label as anti-Semitic those who strongly criticize Israel over its occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, or advocate measures to oppose its policies. » Read more

UNHRC settlement probe calls for submissions ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Tovah Lazaroff - September 27, 2012 - 12:00am The UN Human Rights Council fact-finding mission into UN Human Rights Council settlements is seeking written submissions with documentation on the topic from all relevant parties. It has made this request of member states, international organizations, national institutions and nongovernmental organizations, according to a letter sent last week by Christine Chanet, the head of the three-person mission, to council president Laura Dupuy Lasserre. » Read more

High Court rejects Gaza students' petition to study in West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amira Hass - September 27, 2012 - 12:00am The High Court of Justice ruled on Monday against four female university students from the Gaza Strip who have been seeking to study at Birzeit University in the West Bank. The court rejected a petition filed on the women's behalf by the Gaza-based Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights and the Israeli group Gisha, which advocates in favor of Palestinian freedom of movement, particularly from the Gaza Strip. A panel of high court judges accepted the state's argument that it has no obligation to accord Gaza residents the right to study in the West Bank. » Read more