Daily News Feed
Stream ATFP's Middle East News: World Press Round up and stay up to date with the latest news concerning the Isareli-Palestinian issue.
Browse the World Press Round Up Archives

NEWS:

Sec. Kerry says Israel and the Palestinians are determined to push forward with peace talks. (AFP)

Israel complains to the United States regarding alleged media 'leaks' on peace talks by Palestinian officials. (Ma'an/LA Times)

Qatar says Israeli settlements are “obstacles” to the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks. (Reuters/AP)

Kerry asks EU to suspend its new restrictions on financial assistance to Israeli institutions located in the occupied Palestinian territories. (New York Times)

EU is sending diplomats to Israel to talk about new settlement guidelines, and says its implementation will be done “very sensitively.” (Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
 
Four more Palestinian properties will face demolition in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan. (Ma'an)

Dutch engineering firm quits building a sewage project in the occupied East Jerusalem because it was based beyond Israel’s pre-1967 borders. (Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Hamas aims to open naval military academy in Gaza. (Jerusalem Post)

PM Netanyahu rejects new year's greetings supposedly tweeted by Iranian Pres. Rouhani on Rosh Hashanah. (Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Number of Arab countries will join the American coalition of 12 countries on Syria. (AFP)

Charlie Rose's interview with Pres. Assad will be shown today in which the Syrian Pres. denies chemical attack. (Guardian)

Syria, Iran and Russia are working on a proposal to avert an American strike--democratic transition in stages and expedited elections without Assad. (Haaretz)

Israel won't intervene in Syria unless Assad regime crosses "red lines," says Israeli Defense minister Ya'alon. (Ynet)

The Observer issues a correction, stating that Israel did not use chemical weapons in Gaza. (Jerusalem Post)

Israel media questions American deterrence in the Middle East due to Obama's difficulties in securing support for a strike in Syria. (AFP)

Israel deploys Iron Dome battery near Jerusalem. (Ynet)

Israeli forces raid Nablus village. (Ma'an)

Israel permits additional 5000 Palestinians to work inside the Green Line. (Jerusalem Post)

The Palestinian soccer chief accuses Israel of 'playing games' in talks on easing travel restrictions imposed on Palestinian players. (Haaretz)


COMMENTARY:

Haaretz editorial criticizes the "impure alliance"  between some Israeli officials and settlement construction. (Haaretz)
 
Abraham H. Foxman speaks against demoting Arabic language in the Knesset and calls this move undemocratic. (Forward)
 
Smadar Peri says General Al-sisi deserves to be the man of the year because of how he dismantled the Brotherhood in Egypt. (Ynet)

Shoula Romano Horing describes Obama as a weak and unreliable ally over his policy on Syria. (Ynet)

Rick Jacobs says Jewish religion should never be given political power in Israel, nor should the state be given religious authority. (Forward)

NEWS:

Hamas plays down increasing tensions with Egypt. (AFP)

Hamas arrests members of the youth group calling for its ouster from power in Gaza. (Xinhua)

Domestic violence against women is reportedly on the rise in Gaza. (Al Monitor)

Sec. Kerry is visiting Europe to discuss several Middle Eastern matters. (AP/Xinhua)

Pres. Abbas will meet with Kerry on Monday. (AFP/Jerusalem Post)

The G20 continues to be divided on Syria. (AFP)

Israel endorses limited American strikes against Syria. (New York Times)

Israelis mull the potential consequences of a potential US strike on Syria. (Christian Science Monitor)

The Pentagon is ordered to expand its list of potential targets in Syria. (New York Times)

AIPAC is reportedly lobbying heavily for Pres. Obama's request for authorization for force from Congress. (Politico)

Reports suggest Iranian proxies in Iraq may strike US targets if the US attacks Syria. (Ha'aretz)

More Israeli-Turkish reconciliation talks are reportedly underway. (YNet)

The ongoing fuel crisis in Gaza may cause a shutdown in its electrical plant. (Times of Israel)

Israel launches a new 24 hour TV news channel in Arabic, English and French. (The Forward)

Israel's mayor in Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, faces a tough reelection fight. (The Forward)

The St. Catherine's monastery in Sinai shuts down. (Al Monitor)

After a lengthy verification process, the UN has reduced its estimate of Palestinian refugees from Syria and Lebanon by half. (The Daily Star)

Several movies at the Venice Film Festival look at the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Reuters)


COMMENTARY:

Anne-Marie Slaughter says Israel and Palestine can be a stable island in a sea of regional disorder. (The Daily Star)

Inna Lazareva profiles a group of Israeli women who mediate between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians at checkpoints. (Al Monitor)

Ilene Prusher says Israel may be building the most political park in the world in occupied East Jerusalem. (Ha'aretz)

Hussein Ibish says the United States potentially faces a "Suez moment" of its own if it doesn't act in Syria. (The National)

Robert Scales explains why he thinks the Pentagon might not want an action in Syria. (Washington Post)

Nathan Guttman describes how the White House enlisted the support of Jewish American organizations for a strike on Syria. (The Forward)

A.B. Yehoshua looks at the perennial Israeli problem of defining "who is a Jew." (Ha'aretz)

David Horovitz defines nine challenges facing the Israeli military in the coming year. (Times of Israel)

Dov Maimon says Israel is drifting into a dangerous new level of Jewish tribalism. (The Forward)

Marwan Kabalan says Obama was smart to ask for approval for any strike on Syria. (Gulf News)

Noam Chomsky thinks Israeli-Palestinian negotiations are "a complete farce." (Salon)

NEWS:

Palestinian officials say Israel has proposed an interim agreement leaving dozens of settlements and military bases scattered throughout the West Bank. (AP/YNet)

Palestinian officials say Israel's proposal would leave it in control of at least 40% of the occupied West Bank. (Times of Israel)

Palestinian officials say the Israeli proposals are "unacceptable," and say they will not accept any"temporary solutions." (Ha'aretz/Jerusalem Post)

Palestinians complain Israel cannot be shifted from the sole topic of security in talks. (Xinhua)

Israel begins construction on 620 new settler housing units in occupied East Jerusalem. (PNN)

Israeli police arrest at least seven people following unrest at East Jerusalem holy sites. (Ha'aretz)

The World Bank transfers $72.2 million to the PA. (Ma’an)

The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics and its UN partners say about 1.6 million Palestinians suffer food insecurity. (PNN)

Hamas is reeling from Egypt's establishment of a Sinai-Gaza buffer zone. (Al Monitor)

Shortages in Gaza are intensifying as Egypt continues to clamp down on smuggling tunnels. (Xinhua)

One Egyptian soldier is killed and nine are wounded by extremists in Sinai. (Xinhua)

Egypt's Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim survives an attempted assassination bomb attack. (BBC)

Senior advisers to Pres. Obama recommend a suspension of aid to Egypt. (AP)

A Pentagon official warns cutting aid to Egypt could cost the US billions of dollars. (Jerusalem Post)

A Senate panel narrowly approves the use of American military force in Syria. (Los Angeles Times)

Syrian regime forces reportedly used large payloads of chemical weapons and cluster bombs. (New York Times)

Sec. Kerry says Arab states have offered to help pay for any Western intervention in Syria. (AFP)

The Pentagon may help arm Syrian rebels, instead of the CIA. (Times of Israel)

Many Jewish-American organizations are backing Obama on Syria, but are downplaying the "Israel angle." (JTA)

A former Syrian Defense Minister defects from the regime. (Reuters)


COMMENTARY:

David Ignatius says the Syrian war is reaching a turning point. (Washington Post)

Abdulkhaleq Abdulla says the GCC will back any American effective action in Syria. (Gulf News)

Michael Young says a very hard American hit that may signal the end of Pres. Assad is coming unless Russia can find a last-minute solution. (The Daily Star)

Jon Alterman says that if Obama doesn't get approval for action in Syria, Iran will no longer be interested in nuclear talks. (Al Monitor)

Nick Kristof says there's no point in calling for peace in the middle of a war. (New York Times)

The CSM says any American action in Syria should be proportionate and just. (Christian Science Monitor)

The Forward says the US needs to do "the right thing" and take action in Syria. (The Forward)

Aijaz Syed says international intervention is required in Syria. (Arab News)

Albert Hunt says Obama is haunted by his own redline in Syria. (New York Times)

Benny Morris says Obama's hesitation on Syria leaves many Israelis feeling he is unreliable. (Los Angeles Times)

Rajan Menon says preserving US credibility is no reason for military action in Syria. (Los Angeles Times)

Hagai Segal says history will mock Obama for his hesitation on Syria. (YNet)

Nathan Guttman says the White House pressed Jewish-American organizations to support it on Syria. (The Forward)

Eyad Abu Shakra explains the sectarian breakdown and dynamics in Syria. (Asharq Al Awsat)

James Denselow says bureaucracy and red tape are impeding aid to Syria's most vulnerable communities. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed thinks the prospects for a US-Russian understanding on Syria have improved. (Asharq Al Awsat)

Shmuel Rosner acknowledges that demographics and the occupation mean Israel must choose between being Jewish or democratic. (Al Monitor)

Diana Moukalled says Syria's plight is overshadowing Iraq's desperate cries for help. (Asharq Al Awsat)

David D'Arcy looks at a new movie about Palestinian identity, "Palestinian Stereo." (The National)

Yair Rosenberg says Peter Beinart's recent essay on Jewish lack of empathy with Palestinians doesn't acknowledge Palestinian reticence to reach out to Jews. (Tablet)

The Media Line profiles Maysoon Zayed and other edgy, young Palestinian comedians. (The Media Line)

NEWS:

A senior PLO official says negotiations with Israel seem "futile" and are "going nowhere." (Reuters)

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators met again on Tuesday with no sign of progress. (Times of Israel)

Israel says settlement evacuations are not part of the ongoing negotiations. (Jerusalem Post)

A new UN report suggests Palestinians are losing about $300 million a year of their tax revenue to Israeli withholding. (The Guardian)

A new poll shows most Israelis are not concerned about their overall security situation. (Jerusalem Post)

Israeli occupation forces detain five people after disturbances at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound. (Ma'an)
 
Palestinians in the West Bank rally in support of the new Egyptian government. (Xinhua)

Jihadist unrest in Sinai is intensifying, amid a major Egyptian military offensive. (AP/Times of Israel)

Hamas dismisses any notion of an Egyptian strike in Gaza. (Jerusalem Post)

With the Egyptian crackdown on Gaza intensifying, Palestinian residents are increasingly turning to Israel for an outlet. (Times of Israel)

The Palestinian Tamarod group plans a mass protest against Hamas rule on November 11. (Al Monitor)

Palestinian women in Gaza are struggling to achieve greater divorce rights. (Al Monitor)

His attorneys say that Israel has released the country's leading Islamist, Raed Salah. (Ma'an)

Pres. Abbas cancels a Rosh Hashanah celebration with Israelis after Palestinian criticism and several MKs refused to attend. (Jerusalem Post)

Two more Palestinian refugees are reportedly killed in Syria. (Ma'an)

Pres. Obama secures bipartisan congressional leadership support for authorization for action in Syria. (AP/Los Angeles Times)
 
Many American pro-Israel groups are quietly backing US intervention in Syria. (Reuters)

In Senate testimony, Sec. Kerry allows for the possibility of some American "boots on the ground" in Syria, but quickly backtracks. (Reuters/AP)
 
France says international intervention in Syria would be intended to "rebalance" the situation there. (AP)

A U.S. Air Force commander warns that budget cutbacks may undermine the effectiveness of any action. (Ha'aretz)

The World Bank announces a major new solid waste management program for the occupied West Bank. (PNN)

Saudi Arabia has reportedly donated $200 million to Palestinian cities to preserve their Palestinian character. (Jerusalem Post)

FIFA chief Blatter plans to host the heads of the Israeli and Palestinian soccer federations to iron out differences. (AP)

Jewish and Israeli souvenirs are being increasingly sold by West Bank merchants to tourists. (The Media Line)


COMMENTARY:

AP interviews Israel's mayor in Jerusalem, Barkat, who says the city can never be divided. (AP)

AP interviews Russian Pres. Putin, who explains his position on Syria. (AP)

Thomas Friedman says the best response to Assad's use of chemical weapons is more arming and training of the FSA. (New York Times)

Michael Young says Obama has a "Greta Garbo" attitude towards the rest of the world, but Syria has forced his hand. (Wall Street Journal)

Roger Cohen says when redlines are delineated they must be enforced. (New York Times)

Jonathan Zimmerman says the US must be ready to act alone against Syria if necessary. (Christian Science Monitor)

Doyle McManus says the tussle over Syria is dangerous for Obama and Congress alike, but the debate must be had. (Los Angeles Times)

Tom Geoghegan looks at six techniques Obama is using to convince Congress. (BBC)

James Stavridis says NATO should help the US deal with Assad. (New York Times)

George Semaan has real doubts Obama can get it right in Syria. (Al Hayat)

Zvi Bar'el says it's because of the occupation that Israel is being asked to stay on the sidelines in Syria. (Ha'aretz)

Shlomi Eldar says Hezbollah's threats against Israel are empty. (Al Monitor)

Shemuel Meir says Israel has systematically undermined the Oslo agreements by creative interpretations of "security zones." (+972)

NEWS:

Hamas says the Egyptian military is building a buffer zone with Gaza and strengthening its isolationon all fronts. (Reuters/AP)

Egypt condemns a raid by Hamas on an Egyptian cultural center in Gaza. (Xinhua)

Hamas again asks Egypt to reopen the border crossing with Gaza permanently. (Xinhua)

The Egyptian military says it has killed 15 militants in the Sinai Peninsula. (Reuters)

A planned meeting between Palestinian and Israeli officials has been postponed, although other reports say negotiators met secretly on Saturday. (AP/Xinhua)

Negotiators are said to be ready to meet again on Tuesday, although amid disputes. (Xinhua/Jerusalem Post)

Palestinians say they would like Pres. Abbas to discuss the talks with Sec. Kerry in Europe. (Jerusalem Post/Times of Israel)

Israel says it has conducted a joint missile test with the United States, and Russia expresses alarm. (AP/Reuters)

The Arab League endorses international action in Syria. (New York Times)

Pres. Peres supports Pres. Obama's policy toward Syria, although most Israelis are staying quiet. (New York Times)

Many Israelis believe the stakes are high for them in any US attack on Syria. (Christian Science Monitor)

Yet another Palestinian refugee is killed in the Syrian conflict. (Ma'an)

Hamas insists it will not be dragged into any conflict on the question of Syria. (Xinhua)

Lebanon braces for the fallout of any US attack on Syria. (Washington Post)

The number of refugees from Syria in neighboring countries has passed 2 million. (New York Times/AP)

Palestinian truck thieves briefly disrupt work at Israel's international Airport. (AP)

Egyptian authorities accuse a bird of "spying" for Israel. (AP)

Israeli authorities detain Raed Salah, the head of the main Islamist group in Israel. (Ma'an/Jerusalem Post)

Israel pledges to destroy settler structures built with forged deeds on Palestinian land. (Ha'aretz)


COMMENTARY:

Hussein Ibish urges Congress to authorize military action in Syria. (Now Media)

Elizabeth O'Bagy says her experiences on the ground prove Jihadists are not dominating the Syrian rebels. (Wall Street Journal)

Murhaf Jouejati says the US should strengthen the secular opposition in Syria to promote democracy. (Al Monitor)

Bruce Riedel says the US should also conduct a major information campaign against Al Qaeda in Syria. (Al Monitor)

Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed says Western airstrikes would be the beginning of the end for Pres. Assad. (Asharq Al Awsat)

The New York Times says Obama needs to make his case for action better. (New York Times)

Vali Nasr says US credibility is now on the line in Syria. (New York Times)

The LA Times says limited strikes make sense but a US-led campaign for regime change does not. (Los Angeles Times)

Blake Hounshell says Obama's decision might be good domestic politics but could turn out to be strategically catastrophic. (The National)

Steven Cook says he's changed his mind and now thinks US intervention would destroy Syria. (Washington Post)

J.J. Goldberg says all scenarios in Syria produce bad outcomes for the United States. (The Forward)

Rami Khouri warns US air strikes against Syria could violate international norms and backfire. (The Daily Star)

David Horovitz says Obama's decision to seek approval from Congress horrified many Israelis. (Times of Israel)

Yaron London says American "indecisiveness" on Syria shows Israel cannot rely on the United States. (YNet)

Peter Beinart says Jewish Americans are willfully ignoring the existential conundrums facing Israel. (New York Review of Books)

Jill Jacobs says Jewish Americans should see the fate of Israel's Bedouin communities as a test of Jewish values. (Ha'aretz)

Amira Hass looks at new arguments being used by the Israeli government to justify the destruction of eight villages near Hebron. (Ha'aretz)

Oudeh Basharat says there are plenty of overlooked reasons for optimism about the Arab world. (Ha'aretz)

Yan Barakat says peace between Israel and Jordan on paper needs to become culturally internalized. (Jerusalem Post)

Aaron Magid says the Israeli left should give PM Netanyahu more credit. (Jerusalem Post)

Bassem Sabry asks if Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood is all but destroyed. (Al Monitor)

Hussein Ibish says Arab Americans should learn from the March on Washington and embrace American politics. (The National)

Browse the World Press Round Up Archives

American Task Force on Palestine - 1634 Eye St. NW, Suite 725, Washington DC 20006 - Telephone: 202-262-0017