Middle East peace takes a beating ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Los Angeles Times (Editorial) November 16, 2012 - 1:00am After months of relative quiet — broken, in this country, only by the pandering of the presidential candidates — the century-old Palestinian-Israeli conflict has burst back into the news. It began last week when the Palestinian Authority revived its plan to seek an upgrade in the United Nations to "non-member observer status." On the face of it, that's hardly a game-changing power grab, and it seems unlikely to dramatically alter the regional balance of power. » Read more

Israeli Gaza offensive similar to 2008-2009 campaign, but aims to be more focused ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press (Analysis) November 15, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM — The major operation Israel launched to stop Gaza rocket fire bears some striking similarities to a punishing three-week campaign it unleashed against Hamas militants four years ago. Both began with a sudden series of airstrikes that caught Hamas off guard, included a threat to invade the coastal strip and came shortly after an American election and before an Israeli one. But the rules of the game have changed. That means Israel is now likely to carry out a briefer, more focused operation. » Read more

Israel not rushing to invade Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Dan Williams - (Analysis) November 15, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Israel's threat to reprise its Gaza invasion of four years ago if its air strikes against Hamas do not end rocket fire from the Palestinian enclave masks important differences between then and now. Two days into the assault, the absence of the saturated aerial bombing seen at the start of the last Gaza war in 2008 suggested the Israelis were not yet carving safer access points for ground troops. » Read more

Morsi's challenge: An Israel-Hamas truce ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Zvi Barel - (Opinion) November 16, 2012 - 1:00am Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi is facing one of the most difficult diplomatic challenges of his brief tenure. Recalling his ambassador from Israel for “consultations” hasn’t eased the pressure for stronger action from his own party and others. His decision to send Prime Minister Hisham Qandil to Gaza on Friday is thus in part an effort to show his own people that his government supports Hamas and the Palestinian people in Gaza. » Read more

Morsi's Gaza Challenge ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast by Hussein Ibish - (Opinion) November 15, 2012 - 1:00am Reports that open areas near Tel Aviv or waters off its coast were struck by rockets fired from the Gaza Strip have transformed the politics and psychology of the conflict, making a major Israeli ground offensive in the Gaza Strip much more likely. » Read more

Muslim Brotherhood mobilizes protests against Israel in Cairo ATFP World Press Roundup Article from USA Today by Sarah Lynch - November 16, 2012 - 1:00am 10:36AM EST November 16. 2012 - CAIRO – Thousands of Egyptians took to the streets Friday protesting Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, waving Palestinian flags across the Egyptian capital and demanding the Egyptian government cut ties with Israel. "We're here today to say to Israel: Go to Hell," said Mustafa Kamel from a Cairo neighborhood called Imbaba at a demonstration outside Al-Azhar Mosque that was planned by the Muslim Brotherhood. "Muslims are strong. In Egypt, we refuse Israel and the politics of America." » Read more

Muslim Brotherhood mobilizes protests against Israel in Cairo ATFP World Press Roundup Article from USA Today November 15, 2012 - 1:00am 10:36AM EST November 16. 2012 - CAIRO – Thousands of Egyptians took to the streets Friday protesting Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, waving Palestinian flags across the Egyptian capital and demanding the Egyptian government cut ties with Israel. "We're here today to say to Israel: Go to Hell," said Mustafa Kamel from a Cairo neighborhood called Imbaba at a demonstration outside Al-Azhar Mosque that was planned by the Muslim Brotherhood. "Muslims are strong. In Egypt, we refuse Israel and the politics of America." » Read more

Closing Roads as Popular Resistance in West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Hayat by Mohammad Younes - November 15, 2012 - 1:00am Israeli settlers and soldiers were met yesterday with an unusual Palestinian confrontational approach, as hundreds of youth, accompanied by Israeli and foreign sympathizers, took over roads reserved for settlers and barricaded them with chains or their own bodies. » Read more

Palestinians detached from Sidon instability ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star by Mohammed Zaatari - November 15, 2012 - 1:00am SIDON, Lebanon: Palestinian officials are concerned about mounting sectarian tension in Sidon’s Taamir neighborhood, and stress that they want to remain detached from Lebanese affairs. The comments were made following armed clashes which erupted there last weekend between supporters of Salafist Sheikh Ahmad Assir and Hezbollah supporters, killing three. Also, Tuesday night, an explosion ripped through Taamir, close to the site of Sunday’s deadly clashes, damaging seven vehicles but causing no injuries. » Read more

Deterrence is the idea behind Israel’s strikes in Gaza, but how far will conflict with Hamas go? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Ben Sales - November 15, 2012 - 1:00am SDEROT, Israel (JTA) -- Wage war to get peace. That’s the idea behind Israel’s strikes this week against Hamas targets in Gaza, including Wednesday’s attack that killed Hamas military chief Ahmed Jabari. What’s not clear is how far Israel’s Operation Pillar of Defense will go, what price Israeli civilians will pay in the conflict, whether it will succeed in its goal of deterring Hamas from future attacks on Israel and what consequences there might be for Jerusalem’s fragile relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood-led government in Egypt. » Read more