December 16th

Israel's far right-wing is real threat to Mideast peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Yoel Marcus - (Opinion) December 16, 2011 - 1:00am The undersigned was educated in a religious boarding school near Kfar Hasidim in the north. Boys and girls studied together. The girls would crochet skullcaps for the boys, and the institution was under the sponsorship of Hapoel Hamizrahi, a moderate Zionist party, from which the first advocates of Greater Israel eventually emerged. » Read more

Iceland recognizes state of Palestine ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters December 15, 2011 - 1:00am Iceland on Thursday became the first west European country to formally recognize a Palestinian state, three months after the Palestinians began to seek full membership of the United Nations with peace talks with Israel frozen indefinitely. "(This) will surely have positive influence on other states to follow the same steps," Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki told a news conference in Reykjavik. » Read more

Factions warn of 'last chance' ahead of unity talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency December 16, 2011 - 1:00am Palestinian political groups have called their upcoming meeting in Cairo the last chance for implementation of a reconciliation deal between Fatah and Hamas. Seven months after the agreement was signed in the Egyptian capital, the factions say nothing has moved on the ground to implement the terms of the deal that would end four years of divided government in Gaza and the West Bank. » Read more

Palestinian aid to continue, with strings ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Paul Richter - December 16, 2011 - 1:00am Despite Congress’ unhappiness with the Palestinian leadership, top appropriators have agreed to continue funding the Palestinian Authority provided that it does not press any further with its campaign to win more diplomatic recognition at the United Nations. An appropriations bill for the coming fiscal year that was released this week by House Republicans would allow a continuation of aid as long as the Palestinian Authority does not join any more U.N. organizations in its bid to increase its global diplomatic standing. » Read more

Israeli police call to cancel election result after women prevented from voting ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press December 16, 2011 - 1:00am Israeli police say they have urged Jerusalem’s city hall to cancel some results from a recent local election after a group of ultra-Orthodox Jews prevented some women from voting. TV video showed a group of ultra-Orthodox Jews screaming at a few dozen women at a polling station and then pushing them away. Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said police at the scene saw “a large number” of women obstructed from voting. Rosenfeld said Friday police are investigating the incident, the latest attempt by extremely pious Jews to try impose their practices on others. » Read more

December 15th

New York charity abets Israeli settler violence ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Salon.com by Jared Malsin - December 14, 2011 - 1:00am On the June 18, 2007, a nonprofit organization called the Hebron Fund held a fundraiser on a cruise ship in the Hudson River to support Israel settlers’ occupation of a Palestinian house in the West Bank city of Hebron. Some 250 people paid a minimum of $65 each for the “Cruise ‘n’ Schmooze.” The proceeds went to support the settler who had taken the property from the Rajabi family, who denied the settlers’ claims that they had legally purchased the home. » Read more

Emboldened Hamas renews call for the end of Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Independent by Donald MacIntyre - December 15, 2011 - 1:00am Hamas yesterday declared itself bolstered by the Arab Spring and the exchange with Israel of more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, as the group mounted a show of strength with tens of thousands attending a lavishly staged rally in the centre of Gaza City. Gaza's ruling Islamic faction bussed in supporters from across the territory for a mass rally to mark its 24th anniversary at which their leaders' rhetoric laid heavy emphasis on continued adherence to armed struggle and the eventual "liberation" of the whole land, including what is now Israel. » Read more

Clinton: Gingrich's comments on Palestinians 'unhelpful' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters December 14, 2011 - 1:00am Newt Gingrich's comment that the Palestinians are an "invented people" was unhelpful, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday, saying the Republican presidential candidate had realized this. Gingrich, a former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, stirred controversy on Friday when told the Jewish Channel cable television broadcaster he saw the Palestinians as an invented people who want to destroy Israel. "Remember, there was no Palestine as a state. It was part of the Ottoman Empire" until the early 20th century, Gingrich said in the interview. » Read more

Israel's Gaza foray warnings not immediate precursor to offensive ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua by Adam Gonn - (Analysis) December 15, 2011 - 1:00am Jerusalem Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- With a renewed upsurge in rocket fire into southern Israeli cities and towns in recent weeks by Gazan Palestinian militants, Israeli government officials and analysts are raising the possibility of a ground invasion along the lines of Operation Cast Lead in 2008. "I think we can't avoid another confrontation. There's a lot of weapons in the Gaza Strip, a lot of terror groups," Southern Command Deputy Division commander Col. Jonathan Bransky told reporters during a tour of the border area between Israel and Gaza on Monday. » Read more

Abbas: Palestine peace key to stability ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) December 15, 2011 - 1:00am RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- President Mahmoud Abbas said Wednesday a key component of peace and stability in the Middle East was an agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians. Such a scenario requires a deal between the two sides, and after that ties between Israel and the rest of the Arab and Islamic world, Abbas was quoted as saying by Palestinian Authority media. At a joint news conference with the president of the European Council in Brussels, Abbas said that "yesterday we raised the Palestinian flag at UNESCO, and I hope in the future we will raise it at the UN." » Read more