January 14th

U.S. couple with Jewish roots didn't expect El Al's inquisition ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amira Hass - January 13, 2013 - 1:00am   The El Al security checkers abroad are apparently trained to treat anyone who doesn’t come under the category of Jewish ‏(or Christian Zionist‏) tourist with extreme suspicion. This is the conclusion to be drawn from the treatment meted out to 32-year-old Rebecca and her partner Rafiq, 34, who flew from New York to Tel Aviv on December 23. » Read more

Egypt says Fatah, Hamas agree to enact unity deal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency January 10, 2013 - 1:00am An Egyptian official said the leaders of Hamas and Fatah factions had agreed at talks in Cairo on Wednesday to implement a long-delayed reconciliation pact, although it was unclear if the deal would extend beyond holding more talks. » Read more

Palestinian factions move closer to pact ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Hugh Naylor - January 11, 2013 - 1:00am   Leaders of the two main Palestinian factions yesterday moved a step closer to mending a rift that has divided their people and hindered international ties for almost six years. » Read more

Palestinian activists initiate peaceful struggle against Israeli settlements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua January 14, 2013 - 1:00am   "It is one of the strongest popular messages sent to Israel against the construction of the illegal settlements on the occupied Palestinian territories," one of the Palestinian activists who erected tents in the controversial E1 area between Jerusalem and the West Bank in protest of Israeli settlement expansion said Sunday, as Israeli soldiers were evacuating the activists' newly-set encampment. » Read more

Clearing Palestinian protesters from West Bank site, Netanyahu pledges to build settlement ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Joel Greenberg - January 13, 2013 - 1:00am   » Read more

January 11th

The Palestinian Implosion ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Huffington Post by Ziad Asali - (Opinion) January 11, 2013 - 1:00am   Three years ago, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad launched an ambitious plan to build effective, responsive, and clean government institutions. The results were impressive, and Fayyad was hailed as a figure who was making true progress toward a two-state solution even as formal negotiations faltered. » Read more

A different Israel after January 22 ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Times of Israel by David Horovitz - (Opinion) January 9, 2013 - 1:00am   You may wish to celebrate. You may be plunged into despair. But signs are the country to which you will wake up on January 23 will be a different Israel. » Read more

Netanyahu and Israel's Crisis of Democracy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Monitor by Ben Caspit - (Opinion) January 10, 2013 - 1:00am   Ron Prosor is one of the most distinguished ambassadors in the history of the Israeli Foreign Service. He was the No. 3 man at the embassy in Washington. He was director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under Silvan Shalom; he was a highly respected ambassador to the United Kingdom, and he is now in charge of Israel's public diplomacy efforts as Israel's permanent representative to the United Nations. » Read more

Enduring Failures of Israel's 'Decision Makers' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by J.J. Goldberg - (Opinion) January 10, 2013 - 1:00am   One of Israel’s worst-kept military secrets is the simmering tension between the country’s top security professionals and their civilian bosses, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak. The headlines surface regularly and tend to look the same, so it’s easy to miss the big picture. » Read more

An Israeli Ballot With No Good Options ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Hillel Halkin - (Opinion) January 10, 2013 - 1:00am   Israel doesn’t need to hold elections. It only needs to ask for whom I’d vote, because I’ve never voted for anyone but winners. I was for Golda in 1974, for Begin in 1977, for Rabin in 1992, for Netanyahu in ’96, for Barak in ’98, for the Sharon of the Likud in 2000 and the Sharon of Kadima in 2005, for Ehud Olmert in 2006, for Netanyahu again in 2009. You can’t be more infallible than that. » Read more