Middle East News: World Press Roundup

NEWS: Major clashes have broken out in a Palestinian refugee camp near Damascus. Israel arrests 30 Hamas activists in the occupied West Bank, as its policy of isolating the organization by blockading Gaza appears to be unraveling. Pres. Abbas expresses concern that the visit by the Emir of Qatar to Gaza could lead to its separation from the West Bank. Israel believes sanctions against Iran are forcing it to cut back on aid to Hezbollah. Israel says it would limit the use of cluster bombs in any new conflict with Hezbollah. Israeli forces kill a Hamas militant as more projectiles hit southern Israel. PM Netanyahu is going to visit Paris. Two Israeli police officers are indicted for beating an Arab youth. Palestinian citizens in Israel feel unprotected by the Israeli police. European NGOs are pushing for a ban on trade with Israeli settlements. Settler leaders continue to press the Israeli government to adopt the recommendations of the Levy Committee Report. COMMENTARY: Roger Cohen says Jews in Ohio are divided as never before over the election. Abdul-Hakim Salah says the outcome of the US election is unlikely to affect US Middle East policy. Dennis Ross says the two-state solution is not dead and remains the only path to peace. Reuven Pedatzur says Israel has no answer to rocket attacks from Gaza. Kenneth Bandler says the US should make sure other Arab states don't follow Qatar's example in recognizing the de facto Hamas government in Gaza. Gershon Baskin says the situation in Gaza might not escalate, but Israelis and Palestinians must find a way to stop it from continuously repeating. Matthew Brooks says Jewish Americans should vote for Mitt Romney for president. Mel Levine says Romney has many financial ties to Iran. Rami Khouri says a recent letter by American Christian groups to Congress on aid to Israel is an antidote to typical political pandering. Yaron London says Israel is in a low-level war with Gaza whether Netanyahu wants to admit it or not. Andrew Apostolou says the US-Israel relationship is based on practical politics, not romance. Ahram Online interviews former Pres. Carter.

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Syria rebels, Palestinian fighters clash ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Australian (Analysis) October 30, 2012 - 12:00am   » Read more

Israel: Arrests for Rebuilding Hamas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Isabel Kershner - (Analysis) October 29, 2012 - 12:00am Israel’s security service, Shin Bet, has arrested about 30 Palestinians in the West Bank over the past few months on suspicion of working to rebuild the local infrastructure of  » Read more

Israel reckons with unraveling Gaza policy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Joel Greenberg - (Analysis) October 30, 2012 - 12:00am When the emir of Qatar paid the first visit by a head of state to the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip last week, there were two different reactions from the Israeli Foreign Ministry. » Read more

Abbas concerned by Qatar emir visit ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency (Analysis) October 27, 2012 - 12:00am President Mahmoud Abbas said Friday he was concerned about the Qatari emir's visit to the Gaza Strip, saying it could lead to Gaza's separation from the West Bank.  Abbas made the remarks while visiting the grave of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on the first day of Eid al-Adha.  The president stressed that his bid to upgrade Palestine's status at the UN was one of the most important things he could do for the Palestinian people.  The UN bid aims to preserve the two-state solution, he said.  » Read more

Israel believes sanctions on Iran hit Hezbollah ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Amy Teibel - (Analysis) October 29, 2012 - 12:00am   » Read more

Israel to limit cluster bombs in possible war with Hezbollah ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Dan Williams - (Analysis) October 29, 2012 - 12:00am    Israel would use a lot fewer cluster munitions in any future war with Hezbollah than it did in their 2006 conflict, even though it would go into southern Lebanon earlier and harder, a senior Israeli military officer said on Monday. » Read more

Israel kills Hamas gunman, Gaza salvo hits Israeli city ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Allyn Fisher-Ilan - (Analysis) October 28, 2012 - 12:00am   Israel killed a Hamas gunman it accused of preparing to fire a rocket from the Gaza Strip on Sunday and a separate Palestinian salvo struck a southern Israeli city, causing no damage. » Read more

Isreali PM Netanyahu to visit Paris on Wednesday ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua (Analysis) October 30, 2012 - 12:00am   Isreali Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will visit Paris from Oct. 31 to Nov. 1 for bilateral talks, the French foreign ministry announced here on Monday. » Read more

Two Israeli policemen indicted for beating Arab youth ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua (Analysis) October 30, 2012 - 12:00am    Israeli Justice Ministry's Department of Police Investigation recently filed charges against two border police who allegedly assaulted a Palestinian youth and tried to cover up their action. » Read more

Arab citizens in Israel bemoan lack of policing ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Edmund Sanders - (Analysis) October 29, 2012 - 12:00am   When residents of this once-sleepy Arab village gathered to protest recent gang-style shootings in their community, anger quickly focused on the Israeli police. » Read more

NGOs urge European states to cut trade with Israeli settlements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amira Hass - (Analysis) October 30, 2012 - 12:00am   » Read more

Settler leaders lobby PM to pass Levy report ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Tovah Lazaroff - (Analysis) October 30, 2012 - 12:00am As Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu weighs bringing the Levy Report on legalizing West Bank outposts to the cabinet, settler leaders on Monday held a small protest outside the Knesset. The leaders plan to sit there throughout the week, as part of their lobby to get Netanyahu to approve the report, which states that West Bank settlements are legal under international law. » Read more

The Jews of Cuyahoga County ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Roger Cohen - (Opinion) October 29, 2012 - 12:00am   Things are getting ugly among the Jews of Cuyahoga County, with family splits and dinner invitations declined. “I have never seen the divisions this acute,” said James Ratner, an executive of the Forest City real estate group. » Read more

US elections result unlikely to change Mideast policy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency by Abdul-Hakim Salah - (Opinion) October 30, 2012 - 12:00am As the countdown to the US presidential race nears, and polls show very close results, Palestinians both at popular and official levels are more concerned about an expected change in US foreign policy than about who will win.  Whether the US will devote greater efforts to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and be more realistic and objective when dealing with Palestinian and Israeli affairs, is the major question the Palestinians need an answer to. » Read more

Dennis Ross: Two-state solution is not dead, only way to Mideast peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Chemi Shalev - (Analysis) October 30, 2012 - 12:00am   "Those who say that the two-state solution is dead are not serving the interests of peace and certainly not serving the interests of Israel and the Palestinians," says former top White House adviser and peace negotiator Dennis Ross. » Read more

IDF reached a dead end in Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Reuven Pedatzur - (Opinion) October 30, 2012 - 12:00am   The Israel Defense Forces has reached a dead end in the Gaza Strip. The defense minister and the prime minister are arrogantly threatening Hamas day and night with a painful reaction if the rocket fire doesn't stop. And the chief of staff has declared that "the IDF is powerful and ready to react, initiate and respond to any threat at any time." » Read more

Qatar’s Gaza gambit ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Kenneth Bandler - (Opinion) October 29, 2012 - 12:00am Recep Tayyip Erdogan earnestly wanted to be the first head of state to visit Hamas-controlled Gaza. Turkey’s Islamist prime minister had hoped to add the stop to his Cairo visit in September 2011, when he also traveled to Tunisia and Libya to join new governments in celebrating the Islamist fruits of the Arab Spring. But he changed his mind just before leaving Turkey for his regional tour. “I will not visit Gaza, but I’m longing to visit Gaza as soon as possible,” said a disheartened Erdogan. » Read more

The end of rocket fire from Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Gershon Baskin - (Opinion) October 29, 2012 - 12:00am There is an argument within the Israeli security establishment regarding what should be done vis-àvis the Gaza Strip. All agree that the continued rocket fire from Gaza against the civilian population in the south is intolerable and must be stopped. The argument is mainly between those who favor a major military operation a la Cast Lead II and those who believe that developments in Egypt, Qatari influence in Gaza and some of the more pragmatic elements inside of Hamas can contain the more radical militant forces inside the Gaza strip. » Read more

Time to stop digging and start building ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Matthew Brooks - (Opinion) October 29, 2012 - 12:00am   As Will Rogers said, “When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging!" In the last four years, the Obama administration has dug our country deeper and deeper into several painful and dangerous holes. It's time to stop digging and find better solutions. » Read more

The rich irony: Romney’s many financial ties to Iran ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Times of Israel by Mel Levine - (Blog) October 27, 2012 - 12:00am During last Monday’s foreign policy debate, President Obama systematically refuted Governor Mitt Romney’s accusations about US policy on Iran. » Read more

Challenging politics as usual in the U.S. ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star by Rami Khouri - (Opinion) October 29, 2012 - 12:00am   Two very different ways for the United States to deal with Arabs and Israelis were on show last week in the United States. The contrast was stunning between the televised debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in which “I Love Israel more than You Love Israel” was the background theme song that permeated most discussions of issues, and a letter to Congress by 15 American religious leaders asking for aid to Israel to be assessed according to law-based human rights standards that Washington applies around the world. » Read more

Israel is at War, Whether Netanyahu Admits it or Not ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Monitor by Yaron London - (Opinion) October 29, 2012 - 12:00am   Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toots his own horn that during his term as prime minister, we have not gone to war. He explains his success by stating that war became superfluous once the Israel he headed demonstrated a resolve and determination that deterred its enemies. » Read more

The Not So Special U.S.-Israel Relationship ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast by Andrew Apostolou - (Opinion) October 29, 2012 - 12:00am   » Read more

Jimmy Carter on Mideast peace, Arab Spring and looming US elections ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ahram Online (Interview) October 30, 2012 - 12:00am   Ahram Online: You said in a recent interview that Israel 'never' keeps its promises regarding the rights of Palestinians. Were there any changes on the ground that prompted the so-called 'Elders' to visit the region to attempt to restart peace talks? » Read more

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