January 5th

Rivals who may need each other ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Economist (Analysis) January 5, 2012 - 1:00am FIVE years after Western governments sought to turn the West Bank into a model of statehood for peace-minded Palestinians, the Palestinian Authority (PA) that runs it is being cast adrift—possibly with dramatic consequences. The cafés of Ramallah, the Palestinians’ fledgling seat of government near Jerusalem, have been bereft of chattering aid workers from the West since the American administration withdrew its support in the wake of President Mahmoud Abbas’s controversial bid for full statehood at the UN in late 2011. » Read more

Israel vs. the NY Times ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Nahum Barnea - (Opinion) December 29, 2011 - 1:00am Don Quixote devoted himself to tilting at windmills: In his imagination he viewed them as a menacing, monstrous enemy that must be destroyed. He is considered a romantic figure, a hero willing to sacrifice his life for the sake of his love and ideas. Yet with all this romance, people sometimes forget that Don Quixote did not fight real monsters, but rather, figments of his imagination. He was a hero, but a pathetic one. » Read more

Pinkwashing’s Complicated Context ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gay City News by Michael Luongo - (Opinion) January 4, 2012 - 1:00am Israel is known as the most advanced country in the Middle East on LGBT rights issues. It has openly gay politicians, a parade and bars in Tel Aviv, open service in the military, and a burgeoning queer film and arts scene. This positive atmosphere, however, is largely useful only if you happen to be Jewish and are living on a certain side of the West Bank separation wall. » Read more

I miss Ariel Sharon ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Tzipi Livni - (Opinion) January 5, 2012 - 1:00am Arik Sharon sank into a coma six years ago. All of us followed it and prayed with hope as the ambulance disappeared into the hospital. When today I try to think about the essence of the public longing for Sharon, six years later, it appears that the longing for Arik has turned into longing for a prime minister who does not fear domestic politics and who sees the welfare of the nation of Israel before him when making decisions. » Read more

Israel must salvage its last refuge in the Middle East ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Gideon Levy - (Opinion) January 5, 2012 - 1:00am ISTANBUL - The conveyor belt at Istanbul Ataturk Airport spit out only two bags. The Turkish Airlines flight from Tel Aviv was packed full, but only two people got out. The Turkish airline is still used by Israelis, but almost exclusively for connecting flights. They've been boycotting Turkey - a preferred destination until recently - and fearing it. » Read more

How subs could save Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from New York Post by Ronald Lauder - (Opinion) January 4, 2012 - 1:00am It’s time the Israelis “went deep.” That is, it’s time they took their submarine force and reinvented it as a strategic deterrent against a potentially nuclear-armed Iran and its terrorist surrogates seeking to literally wipe Israel off the map. » Read more

Jordan talks may help Palestinian leader ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Mohammed Daraghmeh - January 4, 2012 - 1:00am (AP) JERUSALEM -- After this week's attempt to restart Mideast peace talks, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is now caught between undesirable choices. Despite Abbas' deep misgivings, a Jordanian offer to salvage the peace process may be his best hope. » Read more

Hamas witnesses fundamental changes, but not enough to join peace process ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua by Emad Drimly, Osama Radi - January 5, 2012 - 1:00am GAZA, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Analysts said the discourse and approach of the Islamic Hamas movement, which rules the Gaza Strip, recently witnessed fundamental changes and seemed to be more moderate and pragmatic than what it used to be. Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal has recently accepted the principle of adopting popular resistance against Israel instead of armed struggle that the movement was always sticking to. » Read more

IDF rabbinate edits out Dome of the Rock from picture of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Gili Cohen - January 5, 2012 - 1:00am Israel’s military rabbinate released an educational document ahead of the holiday of Hanukkah last month, featuring a photo of Jerusalem’s Temple Mount without the Dome of the Rock, Haaretz learned on Thursday. The photo was featured in a packet prepared by the Military Rabbinate issued to Israel Defense Forces bases ahead of Hanukkah, under the section titled “The Festival of Jewish Heroism,” which included an article and a quiz on the Jewish struggle against Hellenistic rule. » Read more

Israel Police struggling to suppress Jewish extremists in West Bank, says senior officer ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Chaim Levinson, Jonathan Lis - January 5, 2012 - 1:00am Israel Police has been unsuccessful in running its agents in the West Bank, a senior police officer said Thursday, adding that officers have been struggling to gather evidence on crimes committed by right-wing activists. Haim Rahamim, head of the investigations and intelligence wing of the Judea and Samaria District in the West Bank, made the statement during a discussion at the Knesset's Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee on law enforcement in the territories. » Read more