October 28th

Behind Bars, Palestinians Find Love, Marriage ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line by Omar Ghraieb - (Analysis) October 27, 2011 - 12:00am He was from Fatah and she was from Hamas, the two rival Palestinian movements. They were both serving multiple life sentences. They had participated in killings – she for her role in a Jerusalem restaurant bombing, he in connection with the killing of an Israeli. As lovers go they could not have been more star crossed, yet Nezar and Ahlam Al Tammimi met, fell in love, got engaged and finally married while they were sitting in Israeli jails. Both were among some 450 Palestinian prisoners swapped for Israeli hostage Gilad Shalit last week. » Read more

The Palestinian struggle at a crossroads ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Arabiya by Dawoud Abu Lebdeh - (Opinion) October 28, 2011 - 12:00am The Israel-Hamas prisoner exchange last week was a very emotional moment for thousands of Palestinians who were reunited with family members they had not seen for years. But it came at a price. Some of the public perceive the prisoner release deal as an achievement for Hamas’ militant approach, a success story that Palestinian diplomatic efforts and negotiations with Israel have not yet been able to deliver. » Read more

Kadima source: Livni undermined peace talks with Palestinians during Olmert's term ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Yossi Verter - (Analysis) October 28, 2011 - 12:00am Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's autobiography indicates that former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni undermined a potential peace agreement with the Palestinians during Ehud Olmert's term as prime minister, according to a senior Kadima source. Two and a half years after ending their troubled relationship as prime minister and foreign minister, tensions have again flared between Olmert and Livni. » Read more

Post Script: No harm in thinking ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Hirsh Goodman - (Opinion) October 28, 2011 - 12:00am Those who argue that America should reconsider its military aid package to Israel have a point. » Read more

Fatah fires senior member for criminal, financial charges ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua by Xiong Tong - (Analysis) October 27, 2011 - 12:00am The Fatah party has officially fired a senior member for criminal and financial charges, a source from the party said Thursday. The decision to fire Mohammed Dahlan, the former head of the Palestinian National Authority's forces in the Gaza Strip, was supported by 76 members of Fatah's revolutionary council, a member of the council told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. Thirteen members voted against the decision while seven refused to vote. » Read more

There must be another way ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Uri Savir - (Opinion) October 28, 2011 - 12:00am Last Tuesday was one of the most emotional days in Israel’s modern history. Virtually the entire nation was moved to its core at the sight of the young, frail Gilad Schalit making his way to freedom after almost five-and-a-half years in Hamas captivity. It touched on the nation’s fundamental values of the sanctity of life, especially in this case of a young soldier, sent by his government and cared for by his family who struggled with tremendous dignity to rescue their son and found a place in almost every Israeli heart. » Read more

In the Holy Land, a changed Christian world ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Statesman by Matti Friedman - (Analysis) October 27, 2011 - 12:00am The schedules for Mass at the two Roman Catholic churches in Jaffa, on Israel's Mediterranean coast, reveal a change that has dramatically, if quietly, altered the face of Christianity in the Holy Land. » Read more

How not to solve the Bedouin problem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Opinion) October 28, 2011 - 12:00am Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent order to Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman to find ways to retroactively legalize illegal outposts on privately held Palestinian land should surprise no one familiar with the coalition's contempt for Palestinians and our legal system: If we can't have Greater Israel, at least we can have Lesser Palestine. But the government's legal arsenal is also being deployed against another target - Israel's Bedouin citizens in the Negev. » Read more

Abbas must choose to seek peace deal with Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Yoel Marcus - (Opinion) October 28, 2011 - 12:00am In a manner reminiscent of the popular movie "Free Willy," a new script is being written, tentatively entitled "Free Mahmoud Abbas." As a result of the Hamas "victory," the IDF wants to strengthen Mahmoud Abbas via a series of gestures. Haaretz's editorial page has recommended that Netanyahu listen to the army's recommendation, as though Abbas deserves compensation for the wholesale prisoner release won by Hamas. » Read more

Abbas says to discuss PA fate with Hamas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Alternet by Tom Perry - (Analysis) October 28, 2011 - 12:00am President Mahmoud Abbas plans to discuss the fate of the Palestinian Authority with his rivals Hamas next month, raising questions over its future with the peace process at a dead end. The remarks make clear Abbas is seriously mulling the future of the Palestinian Authority (PA), which was set up as a state-in-waiting 17 years ago but is now seen by critics as compromised body that eases the burden of occupation for Israel. » Read more