The Last Jew in Zagare
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Roger Cohen - (Opinion) November 7, 2011 - 1:00am

The last Jew in Zagare, a small Lithuanian town renowned for its cherries, died in September. His name was Aizikas Mendelsonai, born in 1922. He was not buried in either of the two Jewish cemeteries, with their lurching gravestones, faded inscriptions and advancing lichen. Nobody is any more, not even Jews.

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An Ill-Timed Move
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
(Editorial) November 4, 2011 - 12:00am

What were they thinking? The Palestinians, we mean. While there may be heart-thrumming symbolic value to achieving full membership in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as they did October 31, it comes at great cost to all concerned, including the very people the agency aims to help.

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Israel: positive and negative ramifications
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons
by Itamar Rabinovich - (Opinion) November 4, 2011 - 12:00am

The impact of the "Arab spring" on Israel has so far been mixed. Like other actors observing this series of events and being affected by it, Israel understands that this is just the beginning of a lengthy process whose repercussions for its interests will keep changing over time.

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'Spring-less' Palestine?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons
by Ibrahim Shikaki - (Opinion) November 3, 2011 - 12:00am

In recent years, and for various ecological reasons, Palestinians have been witnessing a "two-seasoned" year. Each year more noticeably than the one before, two seasons prevail: a colder-than-average winter and hotter-than-average summer. This means that two lovely seasons have begun to disappear. This brings us to the questions posed in this article, i.e. is there really "no Palestinian spring", and if so, will we need to import our spring from neighboring Arab countries?

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The UNESCO cuts: What’s next on the U.S. chopping block?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy
by Colum Lynch - (Blog) November 3, 2011 - 12:00am

The U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has admitted the Palestinians as a full member, prompting the Obama administration to impose millions of dollars in congressionally mandated cuts. Meanwhile, the Palestinian U.N. envoy in Geneva, Ibrahim Khraishi, said the Palestinians were now studying the prospects of joining 16 other U.N. agencies, raising the possibility of further U.S. funding cuts.

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How Unesco countries voted on Palestinian membership
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian
November 2, 2011 - 12:00am

Breakdown of how Unesco countries voted on Palestinian membership 194 member states 173 votes cast 81 required majority 52 abstentions 14 "no" votes 107 "yes" votes No: Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, Israel, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Palau, Panama, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sweden, US, Vanuatu. Abstentions:

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It’s about time
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
(Editorial) November 1, 2011 - 12:00am

The state of Palestine finally exists – in the eyes of UNESCO, the United Nations body responsible for science, education and culture. Anyone with knowledge of how the U.N. works could remark that in procedural terms, the move is not particularly significant Representatives of Palestine regularly attend such bodies’ meetings. The website of the U.N. organization ESCWA, for example, lists Palestine as one of the “country” members.

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Arab League says will look at UN bid alternatives
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
October 31, 2011 - 12:00am

DOHA (AFP) -- Arab League foreign ministers said Sunday they would look into alternative action if their efforts fail to secure full Palestinian membership of the United Nations. "We support the Palestinian demand for full UN membership," ministers said in a statement after talks in Doha. But the Arab League agreed to form a "committee of experts to study legal and political alternatives."

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U.N. agency approves full Palestinian membership
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from CNN
by Josh Levs - October 31, 2011 - 12:00am

(CNN) -- The U.N. agency focusing on education and science voted Monday to accept a Palestinian bid for full membership, in the first vote on the matter by a part of the world body. The vote, which required two-thirds approval by UNESCO members, passed with 107 votes in favor, 14 against, and 52 abstentions. The vote is separate from the Palestinian bid for full membership in the United Nations. Representatives of several countries pointed out that currently that bid is being discussed by members of the U.N. Security Council.

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Palestine joins UNESCO as full member
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
October 31, 2011 - 12:00am

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The UN's cultural agency voted to admit Palestine as a full member on Monday, weeks before the Security Council is due to report on Palestine's bid for full membership of the United Nations. Palestine overcame US and Israeli opposition to join the cultural body, with UNESCO saying that 107 member states voted in favor, 14 states voted against, with 52 abstentions. The resolution needed 81 votes to pass, as abstentions are not counted, UNESCO said.

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