January 30th

Israel's New Kingmaker ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy by Neri Zilber - (Opinion) January 29, 2013 - 1:00am Though one of Israel's best known public figures, Yair Lapid, the surprise star of the Jan. 22 election, is a mystery abroad. He now finds himself in the unexpected position of kingmaker, free to dictate terms to a badly weakened Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. » Read more

The Israel Debate In South Africa ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast by Peter Beinart - (Opinion) January 29, 2013 - 1:00am South Africa is America on steroids. It’s even more sports-obsessed. It’s even more violent. Its state-sponsored racism was even more brutal. Its racial progress has been even more jaw-dropping. Its gulf between rich and poor is even more awful. South Africa’s debate over Israel is more extreme too. The right is further right; the left is further left. And the big reason is apartheid, which haunts South Africa’s Israel conversation at every turn. » Read more

I won’t attend Beitar games ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Ehud Olmert - (Opinion) January 30, 2013 - 1:00am I have been a Beitar Jerusalem fan for decades. As someone who was born in "Shuni" (formerly a secret base of The Irgun where my parents lived with dozens of other Beitar movement couples) and educated in the Beitar youth movement, it was only natural that I would become a Beitar Jerusalem supporter. » Read more

The Cartoon and Anti-Semitic 'Mission Creep' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Eddy Portnoy - (Opinion) January 30, 2013 - 1:00am When it comes to cartoons, it’s usually Muslim fundamentalists that throw hissy fits. But, in a turn of events, some of our storied communal defenders, Abraham Foxman and Marvin Hier among them, have taking the lead. Indiscriminately tossing around accusations of anti-Semitism, our fearless leaders have attacked at least three editorial cartoonists over the past few months on charges that they have defamed the Jewish people. » Read more

Meet the new MK: Esawi Freige ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Ariel Ben Solomon - (Interview) January 30, 2013 - 1:00am Incoming Meretz MK Esawi Freige is the first Arab legislator for the party since the 15th Knesset and comes from the town of Kafr Kasim. » Read more

Obama is waiting for Israel's new star ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Leon Hader - (Opinion) January 30, 2013 - 1:00am Not that long ago, when someone would sharply criticize the performance of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the response would go something like this: » Read more

Netanyahu must watch The Gatekeepers, if only to save his own legacy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Carlo Strenger - (Opinion) January 30, 2013 - 1:00am Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in an unenviable position. His next tenure is bound to be much more difficult than the one ending now, in which he could balance his various coalition partners against each other to do what he does best: stalling, evading and avoiding big decisions. Now he is faced with Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party, which stands in a formidable bargaining position and is intransigent on a number of its demands. » Read more

Why Palestine Should Take Israel to Court in The Hague ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by George Bisharat - (Opinion) January 29, 2013 - 1:00am LAST week, the Palestinian foreign minister, Riad Malki, declared that if Israel persisted in its plans to build settlements in the currently vacant area known as E-1, which lies between Palestinian E » Read more

PA official: Female dress code at Gaza university 'illegal' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency January 27, 2013 - 1:00am The Palestinian Authority Minister of Higher Education on Sunday issued an official condemnation over a Gaza university's decision to implement an "Islamic" dress code for female students. Al-Aqsa University president Salam al-Agha told Ma'an Sunday that the code, which is set to be implemented when the new semester begins, does not require the jilbab (full-length coat) or niqab (face-veil), but rather what he termed dress befitting of the university. He said students would not be expelled for violations of the dress code. » Read more

Alcohol serving restaurants set alight in Ramallah ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by Nasouh Nazzal - January 30, 2013 - 1:00am The Palestinian security apparatus has released a number of Palestinians accused of setting alight two restaurants which serve alcohol in Beir Zeit, a town north of Ramallah, for lack of evidence. Palestinian crowds gathered in front of the adjacent restaurants last weekend and threw stones at their windows, doors and signboards. Others set the two restaurants on fire and the crowds remained at the scene, watching until the two restaurants were totally gutted. » Read more