Veteran Israeli diplomat: Netanyahu and Lieberman harm Israel's international standing
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Barak Ravid - March 2, 2011 - 1:00am

The diplomatic policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman are harming Israel's international standing, a senior Israeli diplomat said in his retiring letter on Tuesday, adding that he felt Israel's declared stance regarding regional peace attempts was aiding in its own delegitimization.

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Netanyahu lacks credibility in the eyes of world leaders
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Aluf Benn - (Opinion) March 2, 2011 - 1:00am

Two years after returning to power, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is enmeshed in a web of onerous constraints and seeking a way out. Polls show his popularity plunging, and his Likud party's brand has been squeezed between Kadima and Yisrael Beiteinu.

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Israel, Where Are You?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Huffington Post
by Alon Ben-meir - February 28, 2011 - 1:00am

While the Arab world joins together in a call for democracy, Israel's democracy is unraveling. As the Arab world demands accountability from its leaders, Israel's leaders are facing investigations and indictments. As the Arab world demands greater social mobility and economic opportunity, Israel's gap between the rich and poor continues to widen. The Arab world has discovered the power of peaceful demonstration, while Israel continues to rely on military might, rather than peacemaking, to safeguard its national interests.

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Ayalon: Diplomats will tour Hebron
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Roni Sofer - February 23, 2011 - 1:00am

Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon announced Wednesday that all new Israeli ambassadors and Foreign Ministry cadets will be forced to visit "Jewish heritage sites" in the West Bank, including the Cave of Patriarchs. Ayalon's message came just a few days after Education Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced a new plan for school trips to Hebron, also including a visit to the sacred Jewish site.

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Netanyahu's new best friend and his greatest enemy
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Aluf Benn - (Editorial) February 23, 2011 - 1:00am

When I was in the army I learned that assignment interviews with the commanders end in one of two ways. When you bend the system, they send you off with your assignment order with neither a blessing nor a hug; they just want you gone. When the system screws you the interview summary always concludes with the words, “I wished the soldier success on his chosen path.”

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Israeli official warns over probe of leftist groups
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
February 21, 2011 - 1:00am

Israeli Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein said on Sunday that a planned Knesset parliament vote to set up a probe of funding sources of left-wing NGO's could violate basic human rights. The Knesset is set to vote next week whether or not to establish two inquiries panels to run such an investigation.

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Encountering Peace: Mirror, mirror on the wall
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Gershon Baskin - (Editorial) February 21, 2011 - 1:00am

While riding in a Jerusalem taxi recently I noticed that the name of the company was decorated with stars of David. I asked the driver about it. He replied: “Yes, our company only hires Jewish drivers, so our passengers can feel safe.” I remember moving trucks in Jerusalem with large signs reading “Jewish workers only.”

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Top Netanyahu aide quits after reported jobs row
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
February 20, 2011 - 1:00am

A senior adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resigned on Sunday after reports of a high-level dispute over whether he would be named the Jewish state's next ambassador to Britain. Uzi Arad, a former Mossad agent and ex-leader of a prestigious Israeli think-tank on foreign policy, asked to step down as national security adviser, "so that he could return to academia," a statement from Netanyahu's bureau said.

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Israeli committee mulls bill to thwart future settlement freeze
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
February 20, 2011 - 1:00am

Israeli Ministerial Committee for Legislation debated Sunday a bill that would make it nearly impossible for defense chief to impose a freeze on settlement construction, local media reported. According to The Jerusalem Post, the committee discussed the bill that calls to apply Israeli law to Jewish settlements in the West Bank, which are currently subject to military rule.

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Will Egypt Be a Partner in Peace?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Michael B. Oren - (Editorial) February 19, 2011 - 1:00am

FOLLOWING an uprising in Cairo, Israel’s prime minister told the Knesset that he “wishes to see a free, independent and progressive Egypt,” and that “the stormy developments there may contain positive trends for progress.” The prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, spoke on Aug. 18, 1952, shortly after a young and seemingly moderate officer, Gamal Abdel Nasser, came to power.

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