Swedish academics call for boycott of Israeli institutions
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA)
October 7, 2011 - 12:00am

More than 200 professors and students from Sweden have signed on to a call for an academic boycott of Israeli institutions. The boycott petition was initiated by the Action Group for the Boycott of Israel at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.

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Palestinians Feel Effects Of Frozen U.S. Aid
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from National Public Radio (NPR)
by Sheera Frenkel - October 7, 2011 - 12:00am

The Obama administration is urging Congress to rescind a decision blocking some aid to the Palestinians. The congressional decision to put a hold on $200 million of aid money was prompted by the Palestinian Authority's bid for statehood recognition at the United Nations —something both the administration and Congress oppose. The funding cut is already having an impact in the Palestinian territories.

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It's only a matter of time until Netanyahu falls
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Yoel Marcus - (Opinion) October 7, 2011 - 12:00am

Something bad happens to us during the holiday period. Not only is work not work, not only is it unclear what's open and what's closed and whether the clock is showing summer time or winter time - official intelligence also goes on vacation. You have to be emptyheaded in order to get to a situation in which German Chancellor Angela Merkel - the only leader in Europe, if not in the entire world, who treats us with understanding and empathy - loses trust and is disappointed in our prime minister.

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It’s about peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Uri Savir - (Opinion) October 7, 2011 - 12:00am

We are inundated with analysis in these days of soul-searching, regarding all the important issues that determine our well-being as a country in crisis in a tumultuous Middle East. Everyone seems to have a recipe for a better tomorrow. For Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu the magic wand is better hasbara – if we would just succeed to tell the world the “truth,” we would convince it to support Israel, except for Muslims and anti-Semites of course. From foreign policy to speechology.

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Why Did Tunisia Block Palestinians From Arab Blogger Conference?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Voice of America
by Cecily Hilleary - October 7, 2011 - 12:00am

Pro-democracy activists attending this week’s 3rd annual Arab Bloggers Conference in Tunis thought they were gathering for four days of networking, socializing and information sharing; instead, they found themselves organizing yet another protest.

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Supporting Netanyahu’s policies imperils Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Alon Ben-meir - (Opinion) October 6, 2011 - 12:00am

For all the protestations by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in support of returning to peace negotiations (if only the Palestinians would agree), one simple fact cannot be masked: Mr. Netanyahu does not want a two-state solution; he wants only to delay decision-making at all costs. Thus far he has succeeded, and he is likely to continue to succeed with the unwavering support of US Congress and pro-Israel advocates in the US. But in doing so, Netanyahu and his American backers are jeopardizing Israel’s national security.

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Why Kosovo but not Palestine?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Jazeera English
by Zoltan Grossman - (Opinion) October 6, 2011 - 12:00am

In his September 21 speech to the United Nations, President Obama announced that he would veto UN recognition of a Palestinian state, because its independence was not a result of a negotiated settlement with Israel. He said that "peace depends upon compromise among people who must live together long after our ... votes have been tallied ... That's the lesson of Sudan, where a negotiated settlement led to an independent state. And that is and will be the path to a Palestinian state - negotiations between the parties."

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Jesus loves the little Palestinian children, too
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Dick Staub - (Opinion) October 6, 2011 - 12:00am

Inasmuch as others have attempted to clear up the muddy waters of religious dogma and the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, let me further muddy the waters with some insights from my own experience. As the child of an evangelical pastor, it was clear that my father and mother shared a special affection for Israel. They led “Holy Land Tours” for their friends and congregants called “For Love of His Land.” Like many Christians, their love of Israel grew out of their religious beliefs.

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America cannot solve Israel's challenges
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from CNN
by Haim Malka - (Opinion) October 6, 2011 - 12:00am

For a brief moment, the Palestinian statehood debate brought together two leaders seemingly at odds: President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu. Many Israelis were genuinely surprised by the depth of President Obama’s defense of Israel at the United Nations.

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Palestinians Win a Vote on Bid to Join Unesco
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Steven Erlanger - October 6, 2011 - 12:00am

Despite strong opposition from the United States, Germany and several other European states, the Palestinians gained initial approval on Wednesday of a bid for full membership in Unesco — the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization — as part of their broader campaign for recognition as a state by the United Nations Security Council. But full membership in Unesco could mean a legally mandated cutoff of all contributions from the United States, both dues and voluntary.

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