January 11th

A Moment in Bil'in ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Aryeh Tepper - (Opinion) January 7, 2011 - 1:00am In hindsight everyone will be able to point a certain moment or event and say: “There, then, that is when it went off the tracks.” The incident will not necessarily be a large event, the place not always monumental or even memorable. It is only in hindsight, when it comes time to mourn or to write history, that it is clarified. » Read more

Hamas trying to stop Gaza groups from firing rockets ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post January 11, 2011 - 1:00am As Kassam lands south of Ashkelon, 'Asharq Alawsat' reports that terror groups agree not to initiate escalation, refuse to commit to ceasefire. Hamas is trying to convince groups in Gaza to stop firing rockets at Israel, according to an Asharq Alawsat report cited by Israel Radio Tuesday morning. The report was published as a rocket from the Strip landed south of Ashkelon, causing no casualties or damage. According to the report, Hamas also deployed operatives along the border with Israel in order to maintain control over the Strip. » Read more

Encountering Peace: The view is clearer from here ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Gershon Baskin - (Opinion) January 10, 2011 - 1:00am Many Diaspora Jewish communities are already perceived us to be on slippery slope of xenophobia, racism and witch-hunts against human rights and peace activists. I am writing from Vancouver, the first leg of my North American speaking tour. My first stop is the University of British Columbia. Its student body, like much of Canada, is a rainbow of striking diversity. The cultural environment on campus is a proud blend of pluralism and politeness, acceptance and curiosity, a thirst for knowledge and academic achievement. » Read more

Israeli NGOs are entrenching the occupation ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz January 11, 2011 - 1:00am The Knesset's decision to probe the human rights' groups funding sources, a move motivated by the right's desire to clamp down on the organizations' activity, should be denounced on several accounts. However, the right-wing parties should be interested in continuing these organizations' activity, for the simple reason that they - albeit unintentionally - are advancing those parties' long-term interest: entrenching the occupation. » Read more

Lieberman is the new Kahane ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Yossi Sarid - January 11, 2011 - 1:00am There is no longer any doubt. Avigdor Lieberman is the big boss of the state, the new landlord. His venom has gone to his head even as he sprays it left and right - at "terror-enabling" leftist organizations and at "finicky" rightists who, with the blind conformity of Ionesco's rhinoceroses, "prevent the right from ruling." Apparently not everyone is willing to stick his nose into Yisrael Beiteinu's open sewer, sniff and enjoy it. Today, the evil spirit sets the tone, spreading the patriot-villain's radiocactive radiation. » Read more

Israel tomorrow: Where will the Mideast be in 2018? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz January 6, 2011 - 1:00am Late last year, Defense Minister Ehud Barak found an unusual message posted on his Facebook profile. It was sent to him by from an individual calling himself Future Ehud Barak and signed “you from the future”. Barak was told in the message that he would soon receive a package containing very important content. “If you use it wisely… we can do amazing things together”. One can only imagine the expression on his face when he found that package, waiting for him on the doorstep of his office at the Knesset – a copy of a newspaper called Israel Tomorrow, dated January 1, 2018. » Read more

Palestinian envoy to visit Washington to revive peace talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua January 11, 2011 - 1:00am Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat announced Tuesday that he will visit Washington to discuss reviving peace talks with U.S. officials. Erekat stressed that he will not meet the Israeli envoy who will also arrive in Washington this week. The bilateral discussions which involve Erekat and U.S. State Department officials will "look into how to get out of the current impasse which resulted from Israel's rejection to halt settlement construction," Erekat told Xinhua. » Read more

Strains emerge between Netanyahu, foreign minister ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Aron Heller - January 11, 2011 - 1:00am Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rebuked his combative foreign minister on Tuesday for attacking members of the Israeli leader's Likud party, pointing to growing strains within Israel's coalition government. In a rambling press conference, Avigdor Lieberman criticized Likud leaders for opposing an initiative to investigate Israeli human rights groups critical of the government. He said it was a "strange spectacle" to see Likud members protecting groups that he described as "terrorist collaborators." » Read more

UPDATE 1-UN's Ban "deplores" Israel demolition of hotel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Louis Charbonneau - January 10, 2011 - 1:00am The U.N. chief "deplores" Israel's demolition of the Shepherd Hotel in East Jerusalem and said it only served to heighten tensions between Israel and the Palestinians, a U.N. spokesman said on Monday. The Shepherd Hotel, torn down as part of a settlement project first announced in 2009, was declared "absentee property" by Israel after it captured and annexed East Jerusalem. Israel views all of Jerusalem as its capital, a claim that is not recognized internationally. » Read more

US not convinced on settlements-Palestinian envoy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Louis Charbonneau - January 10, 2011 - 1:00am The Palestinian U.N. envoy said on Monday that his and other U.N. delegations have yet to persuade Washington to support a Security Council push to condemn Israeli settlement work, but they will keep trying. Riyad Mansour, the permanent Palestinian observer to the United Nations, said that an initial draft resolution that condemns and calls for a halt to all West Bank settlements was delivered to the 15-nation U.N. Security Council in December. » Read more