Report: New Gaza flotilla postponed
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Itamar Eichner - April 27, 2011 - 12:00am


Pro-Palestinian activists organizing the next Gaza flotilla said Tuesday they are having a hard time recruiting activists, vessels and crew members. Apparently many fear a confrontation with the Israeli naval commandoes after eight Turks and one Turkish-American died during an IDF raid last May onboard the Mavi Marmara, according to reports making their way to the political echelon in Jerusalem. The sea convoy was set to sail to the Gaza Strip in late May, the first anniversary of the raid, but it could be delayed, partly because it clashes with Turkish election campaigning.


Rabbi Lior: Encourage Bedouins to leave Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
April 26, 2011 - 12:00am


Rabbi Dov Lior, rabbi of Kiryat Arba and head of the yeshiva there, chose to use the platform of the fourth Ramla conference to state that the State of Israel "must encourage Bedouins to return to their native land in Saudi Arabia and Libya".


Nablus governor: Don't be deterred by shooting
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Elior Levy - April 26, 2011 - 12:00am


The West Bank city of Nablus was quick to resume normalcy following Sunday's tragic shooting, which left one Israeli dead and five others injured. Nablus Governor Jibrin al-Bakri insisted Tuesday that the incident could have been avoided if the worshipers had simply coordinated their arrival with the proper authorities. Al-Bakri told Ynet that Joseph's Tomb has seen several dozen Israeli visitors since the shooting, who followed proper security protocol: "We welcome visits by people of all religions in Nablus, including Jews, of course, but we want them to coordinate their visit."


'Egypt-Israel gas pipeline attacked by armed gang'
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
April 27, 2011 - 12:00am


Saboteurs on Wednesday blew up a pipeline running through Egypt's North Sinai near the town of El-Arish that supplies gas to Israel and Jordan, a security source told Reuters. "An unknown armed gang attacked the gas pipeline," the security source said, adding that the flow of gas to Israel and Jordan had been hit. "Authorities closed the main source of gas supplying the pipeline and are working to extinguish the fire," the source said, adding there was a tower of flame at the scene.


‘We'll continue to enter Joseph’s Tomb with vigor'
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Jonah Mandel - April 27, 2011 - 12:00am


The head of the group behind the clandestine forays into Nablus to access Joseph’s Tomb stressed on Tuesday that such nocturnal expeditions would continue “with greater vigor and might,” just two days after Ben-Yosef Livnat was killed at the site by PA policemen. Benny Machlev, director-general of the Yesod Olam Society, explained why some – primarily Breslav Hassidim like himself – put themselves at risk to be physically present, even if for short periods of time, at sites believed to be the burial sites of important Jewish figures.


'Annexation for declaration' idea advancing in Knesset
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Gil Hoffman - April 26, 2011 - 12:00am


Ideas about annexing parts of the West Bank that until recently were considered extreme have been gaining traction in the Knesset in recent weeks as the Palestinian Authority continues threatening to declare a state unilaterally in September. National Infrastructures Minister Uzi Landau raised the idea at Israel Beiteinu’s convention in Jerusalem two weeks ago and then spoke about it at length in an interview with The Jerusalem Post’s web site last week.


In the Eye of Jerusalem’s Archaeological Storm
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
by Israel Finkelstein - (Opinion) April 27, 2011 - 12:00am


Archaeological activity in Jerusalem has been sucked into a whirlwind of conflicting political agendas, and the site commonly referred to as “the City of David” is in the eye of the storm. At issue is a place of seminal importance for the Jewish people and indeed for anyone who cherishes the heritage of Western civilization. When dealing with archaeology in Jerusalem, one must first know the facts. Otherwise it is easy to be led astray by unfounded historical interpretations or to succumb to misinformation from those pursuing their own political agendas.


Outdoing Israel in brutality
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News
by Faisal Al Qasim - (Opinion) April 27, 2011 - 12:00am


The Arab media has, for over half a century or so, strongly condemned Zionist crimes against the Palestinians and other Arab peoples. It has in actual fact provided a hell of a lot of satire on Zionist brutality, which is fair enough. But is the Arab media still able to satirise Israeli barbarism with the same vigour after it has witnessed what Arab dictators have done to their own people? Isn't it a bit silly to bombard the Israelis with criticism and keep quiet about savagery against unarmed demonstrators?


The two things we know about a Middle East in flux, and what they mean for Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy
by David Rothkopf - (Blog) April 26, 2011 - 12:00am


A Pew Poll released this week shows that more than half of all Egyptians would like to see the peace treaty with Israel annulled. Almost two-thirds indicated that they thought that the country's laws should be based on the Koran and about half felt it was "very important" that religious parties be part of the next government. It is further evidence that Egypt's push for democracy has been fueled as much by its decades-long conservative shift as it has been by its decades long exploitation by the Mubarak regime.



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