Peril and paranoia in the New Middle East
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Arabiya
by Nader Mousavizadeh - (Opinion) December 2, 2011 - 1:00am

The year of the Arab Awakening is drawing to a close with an ominous air of peril and paranoia hanging over the Middle East. A movement of genuine promise for more legitimate and accountable government for the peoples of the Arab world is in danger of being overwhelmed by the forces of tyranny, corruption, fundamentalism and conflict. From Syria to Egypt to Libya, Palestine, Israel and Iran, resistance to peaceful change is manifesting itself in ways new and old – and all in the context of a global re-alignment of power that few in the region yet recognize.

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Chabot: U.S. Warned That It Would Defund UNESCO
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Roll Call
by Representative Steve Chabot - (Opinion) December 1, 2011 - 1:00am

On Oct. 31, the United States announced that it would be withholding its contribution to UNESCO in response to that body’s decision to grant full membership to a state of Palestine. This decision was neither rash nor surprising; on the contrary, it was mandated by provisions of two U.S. laws, one of which has been on the books for more than a decade.

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Chabot: U.S. Warned That It Would Defund UNESCO
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Roll Call
by Representative Steve Chabot - (Opinion) December 1, 2011 - 1:00am

On Oct. 31, the United States announced that it would be withholding its contribution to UNESCO in response to that body’s decision to grant full membership to a state of Palestine. This decision was neither rash nor surprising; on the contrary, it was mandated by provisions of two U.S. laws, one of which has been on the books for more than a decade.

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Netanyahu won, Israel lost
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Akiva Eldar - (Opinion) November 28, 2011 - 1:00am

PARIS - Had Benjamin Netanyahu served in the French army 200 years ago, he would have had a splendid career. Napoleon, who preferred lucky generals to smart, good and loyal officers, would have easily recognized that Bibi had fortune on his side.

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Israeli Leader Visits Jordan to Discuss Palestinian Issue
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Ethan Bronner - (Analysis) November 28, 2011 - 1:00am

King Abdullah II of Jordan played host on Monday to Shimon Peres, the president of Israel, in an effort to make progress on the stubborn Palestinian question at a time of regional diplomatic uncertainty and fragmentation. Last week, the king made his first visit in a decade to the West Bank to see Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, and is to travel next week to Washington. As postrevolutionary Egypt pulls back from its longstanding role as the bridge between Israel and the Arab world, Jordan sees an opportunity and is using these public visits to make that clear.

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Binyamin Netanyahu attacks Arab spring uprisings
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian
by Harriet Sherwood - (Analysis) November 24, 2011 - 1:00am

Binyamin Netanyahu has launched a scathing attack on the uprisings in the Middle East, saying that Arab countries are "moving not forward, but backward" and support from the US and European countries was naive. The Israeli prime minister said the Arab spring was becoming an "Islamic, anti-western, anti-liberal, anti-Israeli, undemocratic wave". Speaking to the Israeli parliament amid renewed protests and violence in Egypt, Netanyahu said concessions to the Palestinians were unwise in a period of instability and uncertainty in the region.

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With eye on militants, Israel builds Africa ties
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Josef Federman - (Analysis) November 17, 2011 - 1:00am

Israel has identified eastern Africa as an important strategic interest and is stepping up ties with nations in the region in a joint effort to control the spread of Islamic extremists, officials said Thursday. In effect, Israel would become a player siding with Christian-led African nations in conflicts with Muslim movements, a fault line that has sharpened around the continent in recent years. Israeli moves come as the United States as well has hiked up military support for African governments, in large part to combat al-Qaida-linked groups.

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Netanyahu is less of a liar than past Israeli PMs
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Amira Hass - (Opinion) November 16, 2011 - 1:00am

Does Benjamin Netanyahu lie more than other politicians? That, at least, is the impression one gets from various reports in the press. But does he lie more than other prime ministers about Israel's strong (lack of ) desire for peace with the Palestinians? To say that would be downright mendacious.

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‘You are fed up with him?’
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News
by Uri Avnery - (Analysis) November 14, 2011 - 1:00am

With the Internet now everywhere, it has become impossible to suppress news YOU CAN lie to all of the people some of the time, and to some of the people all of the time, but you cannot lie to all of the people all of the time.”

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The anti-Bibi debacle
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Deborah Danino Harkham - (Opinion) November 13, 2011 - 1:00am

“I cannot stand him anymore,” said S. “He is a liar.” “You’re fed up with him, but I have to deal with him every day!” added O. At first, this seems like an innocuous and banal exchange – albeit petty – between colleagues indulging in gossip for lack of better things to discuss. The problem here is that the characters of this scene are not your average men on the street, they are the heads of state of two of the world’s most powerful countries: US President Barack Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

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