Middle East News: World Press Roundup

NEWS: CBS' 60 Minutes profiles the plight of Palestinian Christians. Egypt cancels the delivery of natural gas to Israel, citing a payment dispute, but PM Netanyahu downplays the development. Israeli commandos raid a Liberian-registered ship searching for arms. The Israeli military says it is increasing covert operations. The EU condemns the eviction of a Palestinian family from their home in occupied East Jerusalem in favor of Israeli settlers. PM Fayyad announces Palestine has joined an IMF statistical agency. The UN says Israel displaced 67 Palestinian refugees last week. Pres. Peres says Israel could reach a peace agreement with Pres. Abbas. Israeli prosecutors are reportedly seeking a plea bargain with FM Lieberman in a corruption case. Medical malpractice cases are almost impossible to pursue in Gaza. Hunger striking Palestinian prisoners are calling attention to Israel's policy of "administrative detention.” COMMENTARY: Ha'aretz says if Netanyahu cannot enforce High Court orders, he should dissolve the government and seek a popular mandate on peace and settlement policies. Zvi Bar'el says Egypt's cancellation of the natural gas contract is a dangerous precedent. The Jewish Daily Forward says its interview with a senior Hamas leader raises both concerns and possibilities. Natasha Mozgovaya asks if it was proper for Israeli Amb. Oren to attempt to influence the 60 Minutes story on the plight of Palestinian Christians. Asharq Al-Awsat interviews PLO official Quray. Elias Harfoush says the criticism of Egyptian Grand Mufti Gomaa's visit to occupied East Jerusalem is unjustified. Kataryzna Lemanska and Stuart Reigeluth say the EU has a important opportunity to pressure Israel on its aggressive policies towards the Palestinians. Randa Haidar says Israel sees the Syrian dictatorship as the lesser of two evils, preferring it to a failed state in Syria. Rashid Khalidi responds to defenders of the Simon Wiesenthal Center on the proposed “Museum of Tolerance” to be built on a Muslim cemetery in Jerusalem. Yossi Alpher says Kadima leader Mofaz's ideas on peace are an important step in the right direction, but Ghassan Khatib says they show the failings of Israeli mainstream thinking in general.

---

---

---

Christians of the Holy Land ATFP World Press Roundup Article from CBS News by Bob Simon - (Interview) April 22, 2012 - 12:00am Christianity may have been born in the Middle East, but Arab Christians have never had it easy there, especially not today. In Iraq and Egypt, scores of churches have been attacked, hundreds murdered. In Syria, revolution seriously threatens Christian communities. The one place where Christians are not suffering from violence is the Holy Land: but Palestinian Christians have been leaving in large numbers for years. » Read more

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. » Read more

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." » Read more

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." » Read more

Military chief: Israel increases covert operations ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press April 22, 2012 - 12:00am JERUSALEM — Israel's military chief of staff says he has ordered his forces to step up covert operations in enemy countries. Maj. Gen. Benny Gantz made the remarks Sunday in an interview published in Israel's Yediot Ahronot daily. "You almost won't find a point in time where something isn't happening somewhere in the world," he said. "I am escalating all those special operations." Gantz did not identify any of the countries or give any further details. He said 2012 is a critical year in the standoff between Israel and Iran over Tehran's nuclear program. » Read more

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." » Read more

Palestine becomes member of IMF body ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency April 23, 2012 - 12:00am RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad announced Monday that Palestine has joined an IMF initiative to disseminate statistics to the public. Palestine became a member of the Special Data Dissemination Standard, or SDDS, on April 19, becoming the fifth Arab state to join after Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Jordan. SDDS is a standard by the International Monetary Fund to guide countries in the dissemination of national statistics to the public. Palestine's membership, listed as the West Bank and Gaza, indicates the maturity of PA institutions, Fayyad said. » Read more

UN: Israel displaced 67 Palestinians in a week ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency April 23, 2012 - 12:00am BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Israel forcibly displaced 67 Palestinian refugees in East Jerusalem over the last week, UN agencies said Sunday. On Wednesday, Israeli forces evicted two Palestinian families from their homes in East Jerusalem's Beit Hanina. Jewish settlers moved into the homes the same day. Also on Wednesday, Israeli authorities destroyed the homes of seven families in al-Khalayleh in East Jerusalem, displacing them for the third time in six months. » Read more

Peres to Haaretz: Israel could reach a peace deal with Abbas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Yossi Verter - April 23, 2012 - 12:00am Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is a worthy and serious partner, and it was certainly possible to reach a peace agreement with him during the past three years, President Shimon Peres told Haaretz. "I am aware that there are other opinions [about whether Abbas can or wants to make peace], but I don't accept them, and I have a little experience," Peres said during an interview last week in the President's Residence in Jerusalem. » Read more

'State, Liberman likely moving on to plea bargain' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post April 22, 2012 - 12:00am Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman and the prosecution are likely to formally open plea bargain negotiations in the near future, Israeli media sources indicated on Monday. Liberman is under investigation for charges of fraud, breach of trust, obtaining certain items or benefits through deceit, money-laundering and witness harassment. According to an earlier draft indictment, Liberman is suspected of receiving millions of dollars from private business people, through straw companies, between the years 2001 and 2008, while he was a member of Knesset and a cabinet minister. » Read more

When Gaza’s Doctors Err, Remedies Are Rare ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line by Omar Ghraieb - (Analysis) April 19, 2012 - 12:00am GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – Manal Al-Turk Seidam, was 32 and pregnant when she entered a maternity hospital in July 2006 suffering from sharp abdominal pains. Her doctor told her that the fetus’ heart had stopped beating and it would have to be aborted. The procedure is common and simple to do medically, but in Seidam’s case it turned deadly. Her doctor accidentally opened holes in her uterus and intestines, and then tried to fix the problem surgically. He told the family the problem was cleared up. » Read more

Palestinian hunger strikes draw attention to Israeli detention practice ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Karin Brulliard - April 23, 2012 - 12:00am ARRABA, West Bank — A stream of visitors passes through a simple concrete house in this sleepy village, bearing tribute plaques, floral bouquets and plaudits for a soft-spoken man who has become the latest icon for the Palestinian cause. » Read more

The Israeli government's badge of shame ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Editorial) April 23, 2012 - 12:00am The behavior of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and most of his ministers with regard to Beit El's Givat Ha'ulpana neighborhood recalls that of a career criminal who is undaunted by condemnation or punishment. » Read more

Termination of Israeli-Egyptian natural gas agreement serves dangerous precedent ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Zvi Barel - (Opinion) April 23, 2012 - 12:00am Mohamed Shoeb, head of the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company, announced Sunday evening that the company will terminate its agreement to provide natural gas to Israel, after a decision had been made on Thursday due to what he termed “Israel’s repeated breaching of the agreement.” Shoeb, in interview on Al-Hayat television, stressed that the termination of the deal was due to failure on the part of the Israeli side to transfer the payments owed by Israel for some months and “had nothing to do with the repeated attacks on the pipeline.” » Read more

The Message From Hamas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward (Editorial) April 23, 2012 - 12:00am The Forward’s exclusive interview with Mousa Abu Marzook, who is widely considered the second most important leader of Hamas, sends a message that is stunning and sobering. The very fact that the meeting happened will empower those who believe — or need to believe — that the terrorist organization is softening and maturing as it seeks wider acceptance and a more productive role in the new Middle East. » Read more

The PLO's Ahmad Quray ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat by Kifah Zaboun - (Interview) April 22, 2012 - 12:00am Jerusalem, Asharq Al-Awsat - Ahmad Quray, member of the PLO Executive Committee and former chief negotiator, describes the Palestinian mentality as experimental, and says that the mechanism that the Palestinians have tried for many years at the negotiations has failed, and he calls for changing it by including Arab and international sides in negotiating the most important dossiers, such as Jerusalem, the refugees, and security. The following is the full text of the interview: » Read more

When Michael Oren irked Bob Simon ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Natasha Mozgovaya - (Opinion) April 23, 2012 - 12:00am Israeli Knesset members and diplomats have a long-term grudge against the CBS flagship program, "60 Minutes", over several critical reports that deal with the issues of Jewish settlements, the City of David and the Stuxnet computer worm. But Suday's segment of the program, dedicated to the exodus of the Palestinian Christians from cities like Bethlehem and Jerusalem, seemed to bring about record tensions. » Read more

Is the Campaign Against Grand Mufti Gomaa Justified? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al-Hayat by Elias Harfoush - (Opinion) April 23, 2012 - 12:00am It was only natural for the visit of Grand Mufti of Egypt Sheikh Ali Gomaa to East Jerusalem and his prayer at the Al-Aqsa Mosque to arouse the controversy that it did among Palestinians and among Muslims in general. Such a controversy is justified by the man’s religious position, and by Jerusalem’s political position at the heart of the conflict between the Palestinians and the Arabs on the one hand and Israel on the other, being the promised capital of the Palestinian state and the alleged “eternal capital” of the Israeli entity. » Read more

Why Europe should reject Israeli deal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by Kataryzna Lemanska, Stuart Reigeluth - (Opinion) April 23, 2012 - 12:00am From tomorrow, the Committees on Foreign Affairs (AFET) and International Trade (INTA) at the European Parliament will decide on the fate of the controversial proposed Agreement between Europe and Israel on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial Products (ACAA). The meetings end on April 26. Those in favour of this agreement argue correctly that it will bring economic benefits to Europe as it would lift barriers to trade and lower the prices of specific industrial products entering the European market. » Read more

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. » Read more

Rashid Khalidi Responds to Avra Shapiro and Gil Troy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast by Rashid Khalidi - (Opinion) April 20, 2012 - 12:00am It was disappointing to read Avra Shapiro’s letter on behalf of the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Sadly, it was full of red herrings, distortions and falsehoods. Firstly, Ms. Shapiro claims, “the campaign to stop construction of the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem was…intended to undermine the sovereignty and authority of Israel and its juridical institutions.” She cites as evidence the role of “a declared Muslim extremist,” in initiating “the petition to Israel’s Supreme Court.” » Read more

In the right direction ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Yossi Alpher - (Opinion) April 23, 2012 - 12:00am Judging by accepted standards for Israeli election or party-primary candidates, Shaul Mofaz of Kadima did something fairly unique. He actually presented a detailed platform to back up his candidacy to lead Kadima in that party's leadership primary in late March. Mofaz, a former Israel Defense Forces chief of staff and minister of defense under Ariel Sharon, defeated incumbent party leader Tzipi Livni by a landslide. » Read more

The failings of Israel's mainstream ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Ghassan Khatib - (Opinion) April 23, 2012 - 12:00am The election of Shaul Mofaz, former Israeli minister of defense, as head of Israel's Kadima party is not surprising news, at least for Palestinians. Polls continue to show right-wing trends in Israeli public opinion, and despite differences between Mofaz and the Israeli mainstream, there remains a rift between his politics and the international consensus over the basic requirements of a peaceful solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. » Read more

---

---