February 21st, 2013

Jewish Gays Should Fight Pinkwashing But Not With Censorship ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Jay Michaelson - (Opinion) February 21, 2013 - 1:00am Is censoring disagreeable speech ever a good idea? A porn star and an aging Jewish icon seem to think so. Both men, Michael Lucas and Abraham Foxman, have recently opined that speech in favor of “BDS” — boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel — is hate speech and should be banned from Jewish, LGBT, and academic community institutions. » Read more

Trial Offers Rare Look at Work of Hezbollah in Europe ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Nicholas Kulish - February 20, 2013 - 1:00am LIMASSOL, Cyprus — In a little-noticed trial in a small courtroom here on Wednesday, a 24-year-old man provided a rare look inside a covert global war between Israel and Iran, admitting that he is an operative of the militant group Hezbo » Read more

Doing business – tangible peacemaking ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Paul Hirschson - (Opinion) February 20, 2013 - 1:00am The anti-Israel crowd is all gung-ho on assaulting Israel’s legitimacy. They propose advancing this through imposing sanctions, calling for divestment and implementing boycotts. Indicting Israelis for all sorts of supposed wrongs would be the ultimate thrill, turning the individual Israeli into all of Israel, facilitating the next round of assault. Isolation achieved, the undermining of the very legitimacy of Israel, they argue, is feasible. » Read more

Encountering Peace: Israeli-Palestinian peace is achievable ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Gershon Baskin - (Opinion) February 20, 2013 - 1:00am Many of those who claim that a comprehensive Israeli-Palestinian peace treaty putting an end to the conflict is not possible are the very people who do not want it to happen. This includes those who say it’s too late, there are too many Israelis living beyond the green line, or too many new settlement houses have been built, and those who say there is no Palestinian partner. » Read more

A real Mideast peace process should look different ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Gideon Levy - (Opinion) February 21, 2013 - 1:00am A moment before our attention shifts once more to the chatter about peace and the nonsense about the talks, about Barack Obama’s upcoming visit and Tzipi Livni’s appointment as “chief negotiator,” it would be good if we remembered what people ought to mean when they utter the words “peace process.” Not another round of negotiations, endless meetings and photo opportunities. We’ve already had enough of those to spare, and they led nowhere. The solution has long been known, and it could have been carried out long ago. » Read more

Yair Lapid's crucial choice ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Ari Shavit - (Opinion) February 21, 2013 - 1:00am Yair Lapid, the chairman of Yesh Atid, wants to be prime minister. Okay, good. Lapid doesn’t have the experience necessary to be prime minister. Okay, good. But Lapid has impressive political skills, which he demonstrated during the election campaign. Okay, good. Therefore, in order to prove that he is indeed worthy of being prime minister in the future, the good Israeli needs to prove he is a good reader of the reality map. He has to prove he knows how to distinguish between what is important and what is not. » Read more

Israel's Dan Meridor on the future of the Likud Party ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Los Angeles Times by Edmund Sanders - (Opinion) February 20, 2013 - 1:00am Israel's conservative Likud Party may have dominated last month's national elections, but it faces a historic identity crisis that could affect its survival and ability to govern, says longtime Likud member Dan Meridor. » Read more

Israel's coalition is a missed opportunity ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National (Editorial) February 21, 2013 - 1:00am When it comes to peace, it has been clear for a long time that Israel's politicians will never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. Faced with a peace-minded president in the White House and world opinion against the occupation, Israel's leadership still continues to find ways of avoiding putting peace talks back on the agenda. » Read more

Poll: Large Majority of Palestinians Want Immediate Elections ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Palestine News Network February 21, 2013 - 1:00am A large majority of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and West Bank support holding immediate presidential and legislative elections, a new poll published Thursday said. The poll, by the Arab World for Research and Development (AWRAD) and reported by WAFA, said 95% of Gaza residents and 82% of West Bank residents support the holding of immediate legislative and presidential elections. » Read more

Tzipi Livni 'won't be fig leaf' for Netanyahu if he doesn't want peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Ian Black - (Opinion) February 20, 2013 - 1:00am Tzipi Livni's appointment as Israel's justice minister is a significant first step in Binyamin "Bibi" Netanyahu's laborious construction of a new coalition government. Giving her the additional role of chief negotiator with the Palestinians appears designed to indicate a readiness to re-engage in the moribund peace process. » Read more