September 13th, 2012

Israeli gov't boosts army budget by over 126 mln USD ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua by Dave Bender - September 13, 2012 - 12:00am   JERUSALEM, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- An Israli Knesset (parliament) committee ruled to allocate an extra 500 million shekels (126.7 million U.S. dollars) to the Israeli army's 2012 budget, according the Jerusalem Post on Thursday Israeli Finance Committee's decision raised the total sum to about 60.3 billion shekels (15.2 million U.S. dollars), the Jerusalem Post said. » Read more

Palestinian farmers wither in tough climate ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Jihan Abdalla - September 12, 2012 - 12:00am BEIT UMMAR, West Bank, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Once a mainstay of the local economy, Palestinian agriculture in the rocky West Bank is in decline as farmers struggle to protect their livelihoods and their lands. Deprived of water and cut off from key markets, farmers across the occupied territory can only look on with a mix of anger and envy as Israeli settlers copiously irrigate their own plantations and export at will. » Read more

Middle East crisis in spotlight at Toronto film fest ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Julie Gordon - September 12, 2012 - 12:00am TORONTO, Sept 12 (Reuters) - The Palestinian-Israeli conflict has taken a backseat in recent days to the Arab Spring, but at the Toronto International Film Festival an unusually high number of films shine fresh light on the decades-long conflict. Dramas like "The Attack" and "Out in the Dark" explore the human side of the strife, while documentaries such as "State 194" and "The Gatekeepers" offer insight into the politics behind the conflict through interviews with top political and security players. » Read more

Israel distances itself from Prophet Muhammad film ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press September 12, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM — The Israeli government is distancing itself from a filmmaker whose movie ridiculing the Prophet Muhammad sparked a deadly riot at an American consulate in Libya, but says it will be "vigilant" at its diplomatic offices overseas. The movie, "Innocence of Muslims," was produced by Sam Bacile, a 56-year-old California real estate developer who has said he's both Israeli and American. The film depicts Muhammad as a fraud, womanizer and madman. » Read more

Israel hints it will keep pressing US on Iran ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Amy Teibel - September 13, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM — Israel's leader suggested in an interview Thursday that he'll keep publicly pressing the United States to get tougher on Iran, despite the strains his remarks have caused with the Obama administration. » Read more

Washington needs to appreciate the other side ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by George S. Hishmeh - (Opinion) September 12, 2012 - 12:00am As Americans (and many others in the world) were marking last Tuesday the 11th anniversary of the horrendous 9/11 terrorist attack by Al Qaida, there is no doubt that many are still wondering whether the US is now a safer place or US governments can avoid similarly devastating incidents. The obvious grievances that motivated the attackers were attributed to the one-sided US policies in the Middle East, still a source of great concern to many inside the US and others elsewhere. » Read more

Israelis Fear Fallout From Netanyahu’s Blunt Comments ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Isabel Kershner - September 12, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM — In Israel, where arguments are rife, there are at least two issues of national consensus: that the special relationship with the United States must be preserved at all costs, and that the looming threat of a nuclear Iran must be dealt with. » Read more

The next president and the peace process ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Douglas Bloomfield - (Opinion) September 13, 2012 - 12:00am Two days after taking office, Barack Obama announced a major Middle East initiative, complete with a high-level special envoy, to restart Israeli- Palestinian peace talks. It was a major blunder. It was poorly prepared, asked more of the Israelis than the Palestinians, raised Palestinian expectations beyond Obama’s ability to deliver and he failed to take his case directly to the Israeli people. And he had no Plan B. Don’t look for a repeat next January no matter who is in the Oval Office. » Read more

The Fayyad opportunity is fading ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Ari Shavit - (Opinion) September 13, 2012 - 12:00am The news generated by the Middle East in recent years has usually been bad. Hamas took over the Gaza Strip, the Muslim Brotherhood took over Egypt and Turkey became an aggressive neo-Ottoman power. The Iranian rebellion was quashed, Iraq was drawn into the Shi'ite sphere of influence and Syria turned into a gruesome slaughterhouse. Even in Libya, which raised hopes for a while, the American ambassador was murdered on Wednesday. » Read more

U.S. and Israel need mutual diplomacy, not recriminations ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Daniel Kurtzer - (Opinion) September 13, 2012 - 12:00am The United States and Israel do many things well together. We do strategic cooperation, security planning, intelligence sharing, economic and trade relations, and cultural interaction. Every day, scores of official and unofficial interactions take place between our governments and our two peoples, and for the most part, they are extraordinarily productive and mutually beneficial. » Read more