Netanyahu downplays Egyptian natural gas cutoff
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Herb Keinon - April 23, 2012 - 12:00am

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, in his first comments about the cutoff of Egyptian gas to Israel, played it down Monday, saying it was the result of a commercial dispute. "We don't see this gas cutoff as something that is born out of political developments," he told a group of Israel Bonds leaders on Monday. "This is actually a business dispute between the Israeli company and the Egyptian company."

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Egypt Cancels the Delivery of Gas to Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by David Kirkpatrick - April 22, 2012 - 12:00am

CAIRO — Egypt’s state-owned natural gas company said Sunday that it was ending a deal to ship gas to Israel because of a payment dispute. Israeli officials responded by warning that the termination cast a new shadow over the bilateral peace treaty. The gas deal, signed in 2005, has become a target here in Cairo for broader resentment of the supportive relationship with Israel that was forged by Hosni Mubarak, the former Egyptian president.

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Israeli commandoes raid ship searching for arms
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Ian Deitch - April 22, 2012 - 12:00am

JERUSALEM — Israeli military officials say navy commandoes have raided a ship flying a Liberian flag on suspicion it was carrying weapons destined for anti-Israel militants. Israeli media reported the ship was searched and then released after no weapons were found. The officials said that Israeli forces boarded the vessel Sunday about 160 kilometers (100 miles) off Israel's coast. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. They said the ship was suspected of smuggling arms but would not disclose further details, calling the raid "routine."

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EU in Jerusalem condemns eviction of Arab family
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
April 21, 2012 - 12:00am

JERUSALEM — The European Union has condemned an Israeli eviction of an Arab family in east Jerusalem. Israeli police evicted a family from a home in the Palestinian neighborhood of Beit Hanina Wednesday. Police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said the property belonged to Jewish owners. The European Union missions in Jerusalem and Ramallah issued a joint statement Saturday announcing they "are deeply concerned by the plans to build a new settlement in the midst of this traditional Palestinian neighborhood."

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For Israel, Assad's Regime Lesser of Two Evils
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from An-Nahar
by Randa Haidar - (Opinion) April 20, 2012 - 12:00am

It seems that Israel would prefer that Bashar al-Assad’s regime survive rather than see Syria turn into another “failed state” like its neighbors Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. These states suffer from a weak central authority and the collapse of state institutions as a result of internal fighting, chaos and competition among armed groups over control of political life.

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Israeli Official: Rockets Fired Toward Israel Were Smuggled From Libya after Gadhafi’s Fall
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
April 20, 2012 - 12:00am

JERUSALEM — An Israeli defense official says rockets fired from Egypt toward Israel this month were smuggled from Libya. Israel says at least two rockets were launched from Egypt’s Sinai desert at the Israeli resort town of Eilat. No one was hurt. Egypt denies the rockets were fired from its territory. Libya has become an illicit source of weapons since the fall of dictator Moammar Gadhafi last year.

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Fayyad meets Danish activist injured by soldier
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
April 19, 2012 - 12:00am

RAMALAH (Ma'an) -- The prime minister in Ramallah Salam Fayyad on Wednesday met with Andreas Ias, a Danish activist who was injured Saturday by an Israeli officer. Fayyad condemned the attack and all of Israel's "continuous violations" against foreign activists, including the recent efforts by Israel to prevent over 1,000 visitors from visiting Palestine. "When we talk about Israeli violations against out people, we won't forget the attack on Andreas, who arrived in solidarity, nor the Israeli and international campaign to play down the attack," Fayyad said.

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Grand Mufti of Egypt on controversial Jerusalem visit
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
by Hugh Naylor - April 19, 2012 - 12:00am

JERSUALEM // Egypt's top cleric visited Jerusalem yesterday, breaking decades of opposition by Muslim leaders to travelling to areas under Israeli control. The Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa described his visit on Twitter as a show of solidarity with the Palestinians. It was the first time an Egyptian grand mufti had visited Jerusalem since Israel captured the area in the Arab-Israeli war of 1967. Palestinian leaders hailed the visit as an important show of support for Palestinian claims to the eastern part of the city for their future state.

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Egypt’s Brotherhood Blasts Mufti’s Jerusalem Visit
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
April 19, 2012 - 12:00am

CAIRO — Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood on Thursday denounced a rare visit to Jerusalem by the nation's top Islamic theologian that broke with decades of opposition to traveling to areas under Israeli control. Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa replied that his two-hour visit on Wednesday was a show of solidarity with the Palestinians' claim to Israeli-held east Jerusalem.

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Israeli Official Voices Doubts on Iran Nuke Talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Diaa Hadid - April 18, 2012 - 12:00am

JERUSALEM — Israel's deputy foreign minister says the nuclear talks between Iran and Western powers in Istanbul last week may have been a stalling tactic by Tehran. Danny Ayalon, of the hawkish Israel Beitenu Party, is cautioning against "falling into the trap of a good atmosphere." He says the lapse of nearly a year and a half since a previous summit failed was "wasted" time. Ayalon is urging the international community to tighten sanctions on Tehran immediately, rather than wait until July as planned. He spoke to reporters Wednesday in Jerusalem.

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