The bigger picture eludes Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by George S. Hishmeh - (Opinion) February 10, 2011 - 1:00am Why is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (and many other Israelis) behaving like an ostrich? He is digging his head in the sand and wondering why the Egyptian uprising, triggered by the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia, has engulfed the Middle East and posed a threat to Israel. Netanyahu and his extreme right-wing cabinet may now be regretting their failure to push harder or, at least, be more accommodating in reaching a peace agreement with the Palestinian National Authority. » Read more

Abbas says Israeli measures against Palestinian dangerous ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua February 9, 2011 - 1:00am Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday described Israeli measures against people in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as "dangerous." In his meeting with visiting Spanish Foreign Minister Trinidad Jimenez, Abbas called on Israel to stop house demolitions and settlement building in east Jerusalem, and to lift the blockade on Gaza. "These dangerous violations must stop," Abbas said. » Read more

Israeli president inaugurates Israeli-Arab hi-tech recruitment program ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua February 10, 2011 - 1:00am Israeli President Shimon Peres Wednesday inaugurated a 50-million-U.S.-dollar initiative to increase the numbers of Israeli-Arabs in the hi-tech workforce, called Maantech. The term "Maan" in Arabic mean "together," and in this case, that means backing by the government and two dozens leading Israeli and international firms, among them are Microsoft, IBM, Intel, Amdocs, Checkpoint, and Oracle. The Israeli government is footing 20 million dollars of the sum, with the remainder coming from private sources. » Read more

NATO offers troops after Mideast peace deal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press February 9, 2011 - 1:00am NATO would offer peacekeeping services to Israelis and Palestinians if both parties request it in a peace deal, the alliance's secretary general said Wednesday Anders Fogh Rasmussen said NATO would intervene if a future peace treaty was broken or if the two sides needed assistance. Until then, NATO would "not (become) involved in the Mideast peace process and is not seeking a role in it," Rasmussen said. The NATO leader spoke at an annual security conference in the Israeli city of Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv. » Read more

NATO offers troops after Mideast peace deal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press February 9, 2011 - 1:00am NATO would offer peacekeeping services to Israelis and Palestinians if both parties request it in a peace deal, the alliance's secretary general said Wednesday Anders Fogh Rasmussen said NATO would intervene if a future peace treaty was broken or if the two sides needed assistance. Until then, NATO would "not (become) involved in the Mideast peace process and is not seeking a role in it," Rasmussen said. The NATO leader spoke at an annual security conference in the Israeli city of Herzliya, north of Tel Aviv. » Read more

Gazan students hold Egypt solidarity rally ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency February 9, 2011 - 1:00am Several hundred Islamist students rallied in central Gaza on Wednesday in a show of solidarity with the ongoing anti-government protests in Egypt, onlookers said. "Gaza salutes the Egyptians" they shouted, denouncing embattled President Hosni Mubarak as "an American collaborator." Waving Egyptian and Palestinian flags, they also shouted angry slogans against Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman and Prime Minister Ahmad Shafiq. Earlier on Wednesday, Egyptian immigration officials told AFP they had been ordered to bar Palestinians from entering the country. » Read more

What Israel fears in Egypt ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Sallai Meridor - February 9, 2011 - 1:00am One might expect that Israelis, who live in the only democracy in the Middle East, would turn out in the squares of Jerusalem and the gardens of Tel Aviv to show solidarity with the demonstrators in Egypt. The protesters, after all, are seeking to overthrow an authoritarian regime. Israelis, however, have stayed at home, warily following events on TV and the Internet. » Read more