Middle East News: World Press Roundup

NEWS: Remarks by Pres. Abbas on Israeli television are denounced by Hamas and left-wing factions and dismissed by PM Netanyahu. Israeli media suggests Netanyahu was considering military action against Iran in 2010, but was overruled by security officials. Palestinians reject Netanyahu's demands they drop a renewed UN bid, and the Arab League encourages them to go forward with it. Israeli forces kill a mentally ill Palestinian man near the Gaza border. 20 are killed in fighting in a Damascus Palestinian refugee camp. Swiss investigators visit the tomb of the late Pres. Arafat in preparation for possible exhumation. Israel releases a Palestinian teenager improperly jailed for six months. Despite a new promise of aid from the UAE, no date is set for paying PA employees. Newly released documents illustrate the range of Palestinian reactions to early Zionist settlement. A once-thriving Palestinian village has been turned into a virtual ghost town by the separation barrier. COMMENTARY: Ha'aretz says Israel needs to say "yes" to Abbas' overtures, but the Jerusalem Post says the whole affair proves the Palestinians aren't ready for peace. Hussein Ibish says Abbas didn't say anything new and explains the official Palestinian position on refugees. The National praises Abbas' "realism and openness to calculated compromise." The New York Times says a new Palestinian bid for greater UN recognition won't help anyone, and Netanyahu seems unwilling to make any substantial compromises. Issam Younis writes an open letter of complaint to Hamas. Christa Case Bryant says US-Israel relations have never been stronger, and don't depend on presidential personalities. Saeb Erekat says whoever wins tomorrow's US presidential election may be the last American leader with a real chance of securing a two-state solution. Zvi Bar'el says with Pres. Morsy distracted by domestic politics, a volcano of violence may explode in Sinai. Jamal Zahalka calls for international sanctions against Israel, but Adel Safty says a boycott campaign is pointless. Danny Rubinstein says the visit to Gaza by the Emir of Qatar is a devastating and possibly fatal blow to the PA. George Hale describes the pitfalls of trying to report on corruption in the West Bank.

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Palestinian’s Remark, Seen as Concession, Stirs Uproar ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Jodi Rudoren - (Analysis) November 4, 2012 - 12:00am The question seemed simple enough: Would President Mahmoud Abbas of the » Read more

Israeli PM reacts coolly to Abbas' remarks on borders, violence ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua (Analysis) November 3, 2012 - 12:00am   » Read more

Israeli Report Cites a Thwarted 2010 Move on Iran ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Jodi Rudoren - (Analysis) November 4, 2012 - 12:00am » Read more

Palestinians reject Netanyahu call to drop UN initiative ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Jeffrey Heller - (Analysis) November 5, 2012 - 1:00am The Palestinians will press ahead with a bid to upgrade their status at the United Nations, a senior official said on Monday » Read more

Arab League chief says time is right for upgraded Palestinian membership at UN ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press (Analysis) November 5, 2012 - 1:00am The Arab Leag » Read more

Gaza man killed by Israeli forces was mentally ill ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Diaa Hadid - (Analysis) November 5, 2012 - 1:00am » Read more

Fighting rages at Damascus Palestinian camp, 20 killed ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters (Analysis) November 5, 2012 - 1:00am The Syrian army shelled rebel positions inside a Palestinian refugee camp on the edge of Damascus on Sunday killing at least » Read more

Swiss team visits Arafat grave ahead of exhumation ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Mohammed Daraghmeh - (Analysis) November 5, 2012 - 1:00am A team of Swiss investigators visited the West Bank grave of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat Monday » Read more

Israeli court releases Palestinian teen falsely jailed for 6 months ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua (Analysis) November 5, 2012 - 1:00am An Israeli military court released Monday a 16-year old Palestinian who had been wrongly accused for raping a Jewish girl after spending six months in priso » Read more

Despite UAE funds, no date set for PA salary payments ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency (Analysis) November 5, 2012 - 1:00am The Palestinian Authority finance minister said Monday it was too early to set a date for the payment of October's government salar » Read more

New documents reveal early Palestinian attitudes toward Zionist settlements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Nir Hasson - (Analysis) November 4, 2012 - 12:00am In the history of Zionism, the Zarnuka incident of 1913 has gone down as one of the first violent encounters between Jewish settlers and t » Read more

How the West Bank barrier has starved business and community ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Harriet Sherwood - (Analysis) November 5, 2012 - 1:00am Inside the derelict wedding hall, bird droppings have stained the golden cloths th » Read more

Yes to Abbas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Editorial) November 5, 2012 - 1:00am After too many months spent almost exclusively dealing with the prospect of a nuclear Iran, Israelis have gotten a reminder about another » Read more

Peace divide ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post (Editorial) November 5, 2012 - 1:00am In an interview last week with Channel 2’s Udi Segal, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas presented a surprisingly moderate stance vis-à » Read more

Abbas Stays Put On Refugees ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast by Hussein Ibish - (Opinion) November 5, 2012 - 1:00am » Read more

Refugee issue must not cloud statehood bid ATFP World Press Roundup Article from (Opinion) November 5, 2012 - 1:00am On Israeli television last weekend, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said that he is unlikely to ev » Read more

Palestinians at the U.N., Again ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times (Editorial) November 5, 2012 - 1:00am » Read more

An open letter to the Hamas movement ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency by Issam Younis - (Opinion) November 4, 2012 - 12:00am I remain an advocate of the right of Hamas to govern and I absolutely reject the double standards employed by the international communi » Read more

US-Israel relations won't be shaken no matter who wins Tuesday ATFP World Press Roundup Article from (Opinion) November 5, 2012 - 1:00am It’s no secret that there’s been little love lost between  » Read more

U.S. elections: Palestine can't wait ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Saeb Erakat - (Opinion) November 5, 2012 - 1:00am Palestine has not been part of any major discussion during the presidential election debates. » Read more

With Egypt's Morsi distracted by politics, Sinai's volcano of terror is about to erupt ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Zvi Barel - (Opinion) November 5, 2012 - 1:00am The  » Read more

It's time for sanctions on Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Jamal Zahalka - (Opinion) November 5, 2012 - 1:00am Ahead of the Israeli elections next January,&n » Read more

The boycott campaign serves little purpose ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by Adel Safty - (Opinion) November 5, 2012 - 1:00am » Read more

Pitfalls Of Covering Palestinian Corruption ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast by George Hale - (Opinion) November 5, 2012 - 1:00am A Palestinian columnist faces possible criminal charges after raising questions in an article two months ago about suspicious hiring practices at President Mahmoud Abbas’ » Read more

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