October 29, 2012

Middle East News: World Press Roundup

NEWS: Iran reportedly acquires images of sensitive Israeli military installations from Hezbollah drones. DM Barak is hoping to extend his political career. Israel and militants in Gaza continue to exchange fire. Palestinians are moving forward with a renewed UN bid later in November. The controversy continues about Jews praying on the Temple Mount/Haram Al-Sharif in occupied East Jerusalem. UNRWA strongly disputes Israeli claims that militants use its facilities to fire rockets towards Israel. Hamas leaders insist they want to end Palestinian political divisions. A new poll suggests more Americans believe Pres. Obama is Jewish than he is Muslim, when in fact he is a Christian. An Israeli human rights group says, unlike the government, it will cooperate with a UN investigation into settlement activity. The Dead Sea is shrinking at a record rate. Bahrain denies reports that its King will visit Gaza. COMMENTARY: Geoffrey Aronson says Israel's new Netanyahu-Lieberman alliance could make it almost impossible for the United States to secure a settlement freeze. Gideon Levy agrees with critics of his article last week that Israelis would accept apartheid-like arrangements, but only if their preference for two states cannot be realized. Yehuda Ben Meir insists most Israelis don't want apartheid. Benjamin Pogrund says Israel has moved to the right, but it is not an apartheid state. Akiva Eldar says the alliance between PM Netanyahu and FM Lieberman could be counterintuitively good news. Eitan Haber says the plans of the late PM Rabin will be implemented by whoever is Prime Minister. Jeff Barak says the Likud party may be abandoning the legacy of Jabotinsky. Linda Gradstein says Hamas may be gaining in international legitimacy. Nathan Jeffay says Israeli government recognition of a university in a settlement in the occupied West Bank may spur boycott movements. Nicolas Pelham looks at the growth of extremist Islamist movements in Gaza.

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Iran has drone pictures of Israeli bases

 

Israel's Barak hopes to extend political career

 

Rocket fire from Gaza draws Israeli airstrike

 

Palestinians to seek UN recognition next month

 

More Jews praying on site also sacred to Muslims

 

A simple, ancient ritual is threatening the delicate security balance atop Jerusalem's most sacred plaza: Jews are praying.

UNRWA responds to Israel TV's Gaza war claims

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees issued a response this week to an Israeli TV channel's claim that Palestinian militants had used UNRWA facilities to fire rockets at Israel during its war on Gaza.

During a recent interview, a reporter from Israel's Channel Two News claimed that during Operation Cast Lead in 2008-9, Hamas militants had been operating from inside UNRWA installations and attempting to fire rockets at Israel.

The popular Israeli news channel did not provide any evidence to substantiate the claims made by its reporter.

Haniyeh says Hamas wants to end political division

 

Yesh Din: We will help UN mission on settlements

 

Yesh Din – Volunteers for Human Rights said Sunday it would present its research materials and reports to an UN fact-finding mission appointed to investigate the affect of the settlements on Palestinians in the West Bank.

Is the Dead Sea dying? Water loss continues at record rate

 

The Dead Sea is shrinking at a record rate, prompting calls for Israel and Jordan to stop fertilizer makers from siphoning so much of the water whose restorative powers have attracted visitors since biblical times.

King of Bahrain will not visit Gaza, foreign minister says

 

Israeli Parties' Merger Thwarts US Push to Halt Settlements

 

Errors and omissions excepted

 

This article is meant to fix a few mistakes. They shouldn't have happened; we must acknowledge them, apologize for them and fix them. They were not made intentionally, but as a result of neglect due to time pressure. Now is the time to make things right.

Most of us don't want apartheid

 

Last week Haaretz wrote about a survey of a representative sample of Israeli Jews. In Hebrew, the article was entitled "Most Israelis support an apartheid regime in Israel," and below it appeared the subhead: "A new survey reveals racist viewpoints of Israeli Jews."

Israel has moved to the right, but it is not an apartheid state

 

Two of them going nowhere

 

Rabin's path will prevail

 

Reality Check: Is Likud abandoning Jabotinsky?

At tonight’s (Monday) Likud convention, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will ask his party to jettison its proud liberal-democratic heritage and run on a joint list with Yisrael Beytenu, solely in order to ensure he will be asked by the president to form the country’s next government following January’s elections.

As to whatever happens afterwards to the Likud, Netanyahu frankly does not give a damn so long as he is safely ensconced back in the official prime ministerial residence in Balfour Street for a third term.

Islamist Hamas in Gaza Gaining International Legitimacy?

 

Since the Islamist Hamas movement forcibly took over the impoverished Gaza Strip in 2007, Israel has worked hard to isolate Hamas. It imposed a strict blockade on the Strip, and repeatedly insisted that Hamas is a terrorist organization with whom Israel will not negotiate until it renounces terrorism and recognizes the Jewish state. Israel also succeeded in keeping visiting heads of state away from Gaza.

Will Upgrading West Bank College Boost Boycott Movement?

 

 

Gaza: A Way Out?

 

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