Middle East News: World Press Roundup

NEWS: There is widespread relief but not euphoria in the Middle East at Pres. Obama's reelection. Obama's victory may spell trouble for PM Netanyahu who has ordered his officials not to make any public comments. Pres. Abbas congratulates Obama and Palestinians express hope for a change to US policies. A crocodile has been on the loose in Gaza. A stray bullet from fighting in Syria sets off a land mine in the occupied Golan Heights, sparking a fire. Syrian rebels kill 10 more pro-Assad Palestinian militiamen. The UK condemns new Israeli settlement construction plans. A US court throws out a lawsuit linking an Arab bank to a Hamas shooting incident. US Ambassador to Israel Shapiro says direct negotiations between the parties are the only way forward. A Druze citizen of Israel challenges mandatory military service. Palestinian date farmers in the occupied West Bank are struggling. Israel prevents Palestinian students from Gaza from traveling to the West Bank to study. COMMENTARY: Amos Harel says Iran will not have to take center stage on Obama's agenda. Barak Ravid reflects on the significance of the election from Israel's point of view. Aluf Benn says Netanyahu has successfully accustomed the world to the idea that Israel will attack Iran. The Jerusalem Post is convinced that US-Israel relations will remain strong. Tony Michels looks at the complex relationship between left-wing thought and Zionism. The National says Obama has a new mandate on foreign policy but Middle East peace will probably take a backseat to other concerns. Tariq Alhomayed says Syrian military moves in the demilitarized zone with Israel show Pres. Assad's desperation. Hazem Saghieh says Abbas' recent controversial remarks were merely realistic and serious. Osama Al Sharif says Abbas' era is over and wonders what will come next. Talal Awkal says Palestinians need to see the full video of Abbas' interview on Israeli TV. Ben-Dror Yemini says Israel must respond to Abbas' overtures. Natan Sharansky denies Hussein Ibish's charge that he uses rhetoric about human rights and democracy as a cover for Israel's occupation and denial of Palestinian rights.

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In Middle East, relief not euphoria at Obama win ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Amena Bakr - (Analysis) November 7, 2012 - 1:00am A tweet from one of Saudi Arabia's most influential clerics summed up the Middle East's response to Barack Obama' » Read more

Obama victory spells trouble for Israel's Netanyahu ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Jeffrey Heller - November 7, 2012 - 1:00am   JERUSALEM, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces an even more awkward time with Washington and re-energised critics at home who accused him on Wednesday of backing the loser in the U.S. presidential election. » Read more

Abbas congratulates Obama, Hamas urges end to Israel bias ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency November 7, 2012 - 1:00am BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday congratulated US President Barrack Obama after he defeated his Republican challenger. » Read more

Palestinians hope Obama changes Middle East policy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua November 7, 2012 - 1:00am   » Read more

A Rare Visitor Finds a Home With Gazans ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Fares Akram - November 6, 2012 - 1:00am   » Read more

Israel: Stray Syria shot sparks Golan Heights fire ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press November 6, 2012 - 1:00am   JERUSALEM —  » Read more

Syrian rebels kill 10 pro-Assad Palestinian militiamen ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency November 7, 2012 - 1:00am AMMAN (Reuters) -- Syrian rebels killed 10 members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, a faction loyal to President Bashar Assad, on Wednesday in clashes near a Palestinian camp in Damascus, opposition sources said. » Read more

Britain condemns Israel’s new construction plans beyond the Green Line ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Anshel Pfeffer - November 7, 2012 - 1:00am   LONDON - The British government on Wednesday condemned the tenders recently issued by Israel's Housing Ministry for the construction of new housing units across the Green Line in Jerusalem and in West Bank settlements. » Read more

U.S. judge dismisses suit linking Arab Bank to Hamas shooting attack ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters November 7, 2012 - 1:00am   A U.S.  federal judge on Tuesday threw out a lawsuit brought by an American man wounded in Israel, who sought to hold Arab Bank liable for providing material support to the Palestinian group Hamas. » Read more

Shapiro: Direct talks with PA are only solution ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Boaz Fyler - (Analysis) November 7, 2012 - 1:00am American Ambassador to Dan Shapiro » Read more

A Teenage Druze Challenges his Compulsory Army Service ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line (Analysis) November 7, 2012 - 1:00am Serving in a country’s army can be a source of pride for many, but for one young man from Galilee compulsory army service represents anything but honor. In August, 17-year-old Druze musician Omar Saad returned from a concert tour in Italy only to find a summons to attend Israeli army pre-enlistment phy » Read more

Palestine's date farmers suffer double burden of occupation and indifference ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Phoebe Greenwood - (Analysis) November 7, 2012 - 1:00am   » Read more

Palestinians Barred from Studying in West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Tania Hary - (Analysis) November 7, 2012 - 1:00am   » Read more

Iran to take center stage again on new-old President Obama’s agenda ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amos Harel - (Opinion) November 7, 2012 - 1:00am   Despite the understandable disappointment felt at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem at the results of the U.S. presidential election, American voters have left a responsible adult in the White House. » Read more

Five thoughts from Israel on Obama’s re-election ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - (Blog) November 7, 2012 - 1:00am   » Read more

Read his lips ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Aluf Benn - (Opinion) November 7, 2012 - 1:00am   The upcoming Knesset election will be a referendum on a single issue: going to war against Iran. It won't be about social policy, or drafting the ultra-Orthodox or annexing the territories. All these are important issues, but secondary. The election will revolve around the question of whether the next government will order the Israel Defense Forces to attack Iran's nuclear facilities. » Read more

A winner either way ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post (Editorial) November 7, 2012 - 1:00am Perhaps more than any previous election in the United States, the 2012 presidential race has seen attempts to turn Israel into a partisan issue.Democrats have accused Republicans of being “bad for Israel” because they would refrain from pushing for a two-state solution with the Palestinian » Read more

Left's Love-Hate Relationship With Zionism ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Tony Michels - (Opinion) November 7, 2012 - 1:00am     » Read more

Obama gets a new mandate on foreign policy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National (Editorial) November 7, 2012 - 1:00am   There were not as many tears of joy this time around, nor spontaneous videos riffing on a pledge to return "hope" to a troubled nation. This time, Barack Obama's triumph at the ballot box seem to be fuelled less by a desire for "change" than voters' belief that his challenger, Governor Mitt Romney, could not do any better under difficult circumstances. » Read more

Al-Assad’s desperation ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat by Tariq Alhomayed - (Opinion) November 7, 2012 - 1:00am   Without doubt, Bashar al-Assad was always aware that moving on the Syrian-Israeli front would be a last resort if he failed to crush the Syrian popular revolution. He knew that igniting the Israeli front would not be seen as merely another maneuver, but that it would change the rules of the game as a whole in the region, and would have widespread results. So why is al-Assad undertaking a skirmish against Israel now? » Read more

Abbas’ dwindling fortunes ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times by Osama Al-Sharif - (Opinion) November 7, 2012 - 1:00am   One of the forgotten political casualties of the Arab Spring in the past two years has been Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. He is still in power in Ramallah, but his political fortunes have been dwindling ever since he lost control of Gaza Strip to Hamas in 2007. » Read more

What did Mahmoud Abbas Say? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Hayat by Hazem Saghiyeh - (Opinion) November 7, 2012 - 1:00am   For those who still intend to “liberate Palestine from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea,” President Mahmoud Abbas’s statements about Safad and not residing there is a crime. The reason is that all of historic Palestine “belongs to us”, and that the returnees shall live in any place of their choosing in Palestine. And all this is a plan to be carried out “Now, now, and not tomorrow.” » Read more

Palestinians Need to See Full Abbas Interview ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Monitor by Talal Awkal - (Opinion) November 7, 2012 - 1:00am   » Read more

Netanyahu Must Respond to Abbas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Monitor by Ben-Dror Yemini - (Opinion) November 7, 2012 - 1:00am   The latest statements of Abu Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas) in an interview on Channel 2, which hinted at a concession on the right of return, require a serious and proactive Israeli response. » Read more

The Real Hypocrites ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast by Natan Sharansky - (Opinion) November 7, 2012 - 1:00am   » Read more

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