September 24th

Listen to Morsi ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Editorial) September 24, 2012 - 12:00am Since being elected president of Egypt, Mohammed Morsi has said several times that his administration is committed to the peace treaty with Israel. Despite the fears raised by the regime change in Cairo, Egyptian security officials continue to cooperate with their Israeli counterparts against terrorists operating in Sinai. And despite their ideological and political affinity with Hamas, the heads of the ruling Freedom and Justice Party express support for the Israel-Palestinian peace talks, the two-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative. » Read more

The settlers' army ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Chaim Levinson - (Opinion) September 24, 2012 - 12:00am Two weeks ago, I happened to be at a large settlement where I used a camera to document a property offense committed by one of the residents against land belonging to another person, a Palestinian. An argument broke out between me and the settlement resident. He tried to prevent me from taking the pictures, saying this was his private property, while I claimed there was no legal barrier to my continuing. » Read more

Female candidate tops list to become mayor of Bethlehem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency (Interview) September 24, 2012 - 12:00am BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Having a woman compete for the municipal council of a city as famous and spiritually important as Bethlehem would have been seen as a pointless adventure a number of years ago. In 2012, however, fellow candidates of Vera Baboun are proud that she is leading a list of hopefuls to become the first female mayor of the city of Bethlehem. Speaking to Ma'an's reporter, Baboun says she belongs to the history and geography of Bethlehem and is keen to serve the city with a scientific and practical vision developed during her professional life. » Read more

Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Israeli threats, nuclear program and Syria ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by David Ignatius - (Interview) September 23, 2012 - 12:00am Iran may be on the firing line, but President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was as calmly combative as ever Sunday, dismissing Israel’s military threats and predicting that nothing will happen in the nuclear talks until after the U.S. presidential elections. » Read more

Israeli PM apologizes to UN chief for leaking conversation ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua September 24, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently apologized to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon over leaking to the Israeli media parts of their conversation about Ban's visit to Iran last month, according to local media. On Aug. 10, the two officials discussed the 16th Non-Aligned Movement summit, in which Ban was about to participate in Iran's capital of Tehran. » Read more

Senior PA minister suspected of sexually harassing employee ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Avi Issacharoff - September 24, 2012 - 12:00am Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has ordered an investigation into a senior minister suspected of sexually harassing an employee in his office, Haaretz has learned. The minister is considered an Abbas appointee. » Read more

Press group condemns PA arrest of journalist ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency September 24, 2012 - 12:00am BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- A Palestinian press freedom group on Sunday condemned the arrest of a journalist last week by Palestinian Authority security forces.Walid Khalid, office director of the "Felesteen" newspaper, was arrested by PA security forces on Sept. » Read more

Hamas leader in exile Khaled Meshal says intends to step down ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters September 23, 2012 - 12:00am Hamas' leader in exile, Khaled Meshal, is tired of policy challenges from the Islamist group's Gaza-based leadership and is not seeking re-election in a vote now underway, political and diplomatic sources said on Sunday. » Read more

PNA forces discover secretive West Bank detention facility for Hamas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua September 23, 2012 - 12:00am RAMALLAH, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian security forces discovered Sunday a detention facility in the West Bank and said it was prepared by elements affiliated with Islamic Hamas movement. The "prison" was found under a restaurant in Nablus, said the governor of the city, Gabreen Al-Bakri. » Read more

Hamas extortion ring uncovered in Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua September 24, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Israeli police arrested Sunday four Jewish men accused of cooperating in the kidnapping of an Eritrean migrant in an extortion ring which leads to Hamas and Sinai-based militants. » Read more