September 21st, 2012

Bill Clinton for the Middle East peace process ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Uri Savir - (Opinion) September 20, 2012 - 12:00am Barack Obama will most likely be reelected to a second term in the Oval Office. If so, one of the dramatic turning points in the election campaign will be considered the rousing and brilliant endorsement speech by former president Bill Clinton at the Democratic convention in Charlotte. » Read more

The Jewish refugee issue ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Yoram Dori - (Opinion) September 20, 2012 - 12:00am In recent days I have been exposed, like many others, to a campaign of the Foreign Ministry and the National Security Council which is titled: “Restitution of property to Jewish refugees from Arab countries.” The intention, according to the international campaign editors, is to compare in the eyes of the world public opinion the loss of the property of the Palestinian refugees with the loss of Jews who were forced to leave the Arab countries and came to Israel. To compare the damages and the costs. » Read more

Oslo – a missed opportunity ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Danny Caravan - (Opinion) September 21, 2012 - 12:00am   The Palestinians are threatening to cancel the Oslo Accords. On the Israeli side, unbridled attacks on the agreement have crossed all red lines. They stem from maliciousness, distortion of facts, lack of understanding and ignorance of those who want to hide and blur the truth. » Read more

Judith Butler gets a taste of her own politics ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Eva IIIouz - (Opinion) September 20, 2012 - 12:00am Judith Butler has recently been awarded the prestigious Theodor W. Adorno Prize by the city of Frankfurt. The award mandate is to reward someone who reflects the late philosopher’s varied intellectual interests in the arts, culture and music, as well as his engagement with critical theory. » Read more

If Netanyahu is reelected, history will repeat itself ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Yossi Verter - (Opinion) September 21, 2012 - 12:00am Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's selection as Man of 5773 - that is, of the Year to Come - is so painfully obvious that maybe it even begs to be set aside. Netanyahu is indeed the man of the year in which Iran, according to the minimalist forecast, is expected to become a member of the nuclear club - or at least to reach the threshold of the club. Unless the United States does the dirty work for him, the premier is the man who, in the next few months, will make the most critical decision in these parts since David Ben-Gurion decided to declare Israel's statehood. » Read more

Fayyad’s democracy of bread ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by David Rosenberg - (Opinion) September 20, 2012 - 12:00am The economic protests of the last couple of weeks have been principally about the rising price of fuel and the government’s austerity measures. But across the Middle East, it’s the price of bread that can spark revolution or ensure political quiet, which is why Egypt spends billions of dollars annually subsidizing bread prices. Thus, the agreement reached earlier this week between the Palestinian Authority and bakery owners in the West Bank to freeze bread prices until next month is laden with symbolism. » Read more

Palestine to Bid For Observer Status at UN General Assembly ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Carnegie Middle East Center by Yezid Sayigh - (Opinion) September 20, 2012 - 12:00am Following a month of contradictory statements from various Palestinian Authority (PA) officials, on September 5 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas confirmed that he would seek non-member observer status for Palestine at the United Nations when he addresses the General Assembly on September 27. In his announcement, he pointed to support for the bid from the Non-Aligned Movement, the Arab League's Council of Foreign Ministers and the Islamic states. » Read more

Palestine — The Sustainable Unsustainable Status Quo? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Monitor by Aaron David Miller - (Opinion) September 20, 2012 - 12:00am In recent months, the issue of Palestine has been pushed over the world’s and region’s radar screen by Iran, Syria and recent anti-American demonstrations sweeping the Arab and Muslim world.  hat’s happening here? Is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict old hat? Does anyone care anymore? Will it simply keep? » Read more

Ireland moves to ban imports from Israeli settlements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Arabiya September 21, 2012 - 12:00am A committee in Ireland’s Oireachtas, the country’s legislature, has called for a national ban on imported products from Israeli settlements considered internationally as illegal. The Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade is set to write a proposal on the ban to the deputy head of government, Eamonn Gilmore, who is also the minister of foreign affairs, Irish Times reported on Wednesday. » Read more

PLO: Over 400 Palestinians killed in Syria conflict ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Khaled Abu Toameh - September 20, 2012 - 12:00am More than 400 Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of the fighting between the Syrian army and anti-government forces, Zakariya al-Agha, a senior PLO official, announced Thursday. The announcement came as Palestinian refugees who fled from Syria to Jordan complained that the Palestinian Authority was doing nothing to assist them. Nearly 500,000 Palestinians live in a number of refugee camps in Syria. » Read more