Middle East News: World Press Roundup

NEWS: Israel is focusing "national investment" in nine sites in the occupied Palestinian territories. Palestinians accuse occupation forces of killing a farmer near the Gaza border, but Israel denies any responsibility. Palestinians also say occupation forces killed a teenager in the West Bank. A new manuscript details Jewish life in 11th-century Persia. Centrist parties in Israel are hoping a last-ditch voter drive movement will help alter what looks like a sure victory for PM Netanyahu. Settlers, however, appear confident of a strong right-wing victory. The UN Human Rights Council says Israel seems to be resisting a routine review of its rights record. Palestinians say Israeli forces arrest the former mayor of Al-Bireh village in the occupied West Bank. Teachers and other civil servants are on strike this week in the occupied West Bank. Netanyahu says "preconditions" from Pres. Abbas are making negotiations impossible. A group of Israeli academics predict that a Netanyahu victory in the coming Israeli election will mean the end of the peace process. Winter storms intensify the plight of Palestinians in Gaza. COMMENTARY: Jeffrey Goldberg says Pres. Obama wants Netanyahu to act in Israel's best interests by withholding settlement activity and pursuing peace. Bradley Burston expresses admiration for the Palestinian E1 tent city protest. Uzi Benziman says Netanyahu is widely perceived as someone addicted to deceit. Yoel Meltzer says Israeli ultranationalists, torn between Likud and the Jewish Home parties, may soon merge into one large extremist group. David Bernstein says Israeli politics are cyclical, not stuck on the far-right. Hassan Barari says it's tragic that peace is not an issue in the Israeli election, but blames regional trends as well. Shalom Yerushalmi says Israel's settlements cannot actually be evacuated. Gideon Rachman says Netanyahu is a "tactical genius" but a "strategic idiot."

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Israel investing in disputed West Bank sites ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Daniel Estrin - January 14, 2013 - 1:00am   » Read more

Gaza: Farmer Killed at Border ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Fares Akram - January 14, 2013 - 1:00am A Palestinian farmer died M » Read more

Palestinians: Israel military shot dead teen ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Mohammed Daraghmeh - January 15, 2013 - 1:00am   The Israeli military shot dead a 17-year-old Palestinian near the West Bank separation barrier on Tuesday, Palestinians said. The Israeli military said he had breached the barrier, which separated soldiers from protesters. » Read more

Illuminating Jewish Life in a Muslim Empire ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Isabel Kershner - January 14, 2013 - 1:00am   » Read more

Voter turnout push could challenge Israeli leader ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Amy Teibel - January 14, 2013 - 1:00am   » Read more

Settlers confident Israel will lurch rightwards in election ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Maayan Lubell - January 14, 2013 - 1:00am Entrenched in what they view as their biblical heartland, the hardline Jewish settlers of Hebron look forward with delight to next week's Israeli election. » Read more

UN body concerned over Israel’s participation in review of rights record ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press January 15, 2013 - 1:00am   The top United Nations rights body says Israel appears to be reluctant to submit to a routine review of its record. » Read more

Israeli forces arrest former mayor of Al-Bireh, locals say ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency January 15, 2013 - 1:00am Israeli forces arrested two people in al-Bireh overnight Monday, including the former mayor of the city, locals said. » Read more

West Bank teachers, civil servants on strike this week ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency January 14, 2013 - 1:00am Civil servants and public school teachers will go on strike this Wednesday and Thursday, union representatives said Monday. » Read more

PM: No peace process due to Abbas's preconditions ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post January 14, 2013 - 1:00am "Today there is no peace process because Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas won't agree to talk without preconditions," Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Monday night in an interview with Channel 2. He also told Channel 2 that he would make peace when he has someone » Read more

Peace process dead if Netanyahu wins Israeli election, academics warn ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian January 15, 2013 - 1:00am   » Read more

Winter Storm Brings More Misery to Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Monitor by Abeer Ayyoub - January 14, 2013 - 1:00am   Om Sobhi Awaja gathers her seven children around a small fire as the cold winter air blows into her home that has no flooring, windows or doors. The smoke from the fire stings the children’s eyes, but there’s no other way to keep them warm. » Read more

Obama: ‘Israel Doesn’t Know What Its Best Interests Are’ ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bloomberg by Jeffrey Goldberg - (Opinion) January 14, 2013 - 1:00am   » Read more

An Israeli in awe of a Palestinian act of non-violence ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Bradley Burston - (Opinion) January 15, 2013 - 1:00am   An act of non-violence is a fuse playing the role of a bomb. If the act of non-violence is creative enough, appropriate and resonant and shocking, and, therefore, dangerous enough, it will do what no bomb can: Change things for the better. Persuade. Put the lie to the liar. And cause a man like Benjamin Netanyahu to panic. » Read more

It’s deceit, stupid ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Uzi Benziman - (Opinion) January 15, 2013 - 1:00am   » Read more

Likud or Jewish home? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Yoel Meltzer - (Opinion) January 15, 2013 - 1:00am One of the hottest topics currently being discussed in the broadly defined national camp is whether to vote for a seemingly more right-wing Likud or for a revitalized Bayit Yehudi (Jewish Home) in the upcoming elections.With quality candidates such as Yariv Levin, Tzipi Hotovely and Moshe Feiglin in t » Read more

Israel’s political cycle not stuck on the right ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by David Bernstein - (Opinion) January 14, 2013 - 1:00am With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu poised to win re-election later this month, some critics of Israel’s peace and security policies worry out loud that Israel’s political cycle -- its pattern of cycling alternately between the political left and right -- is stuck on the right. » Read more

Peace is not an ‘issue’ ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times by Hassan Barari - (Opinion) January 14, 2013 - 1:00am   » Read more

Israeli Settlements Are Irreversible ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Monitor (Opinion) January 15, 2013 - 1:00am   Is there a prime minister, from the right or the left, who will evacuate Jewish neighborhoods in East Jerusalem or settlements in Judea and Samaria? » Read more

Netanyahu: tactical genius, strategic idiot ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Financial Times by Gideon Rachman - (Opinion) January 14, 2013 - 1:00am   In a normal time, in a normal country, Benjamin Netanyahu would be a political giant. He is already the second-longest serving prime minister in Israel’s history. Next week, when the country goes to the polls, he is likely to win a third spell in office. He has presided over an economic renaissance in Israel, during which the country has become a byword for high-tech flair. At a time when the world economy has been in turmoil, Israel has kept growing strongly.   » Read more

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