Israeli Envoy Links Bangkok Bombs to Attacks in India and Georgia ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Thomas Fuller - February 15, 2012 - 1:00am BANGKOK — Thai authorities said on Wednesday that the group of Iranians detained after an explosion tore the roof off their rented house was on a mission here targeting Israeli diplomats. Thai police released images of three men who were suspected to have been involved in bomb explosions in Bangkok. “This much I can tell you — the target of the operation was specifically the Israeli diplomatic staff,” Gen. Prewpan Dhamapong, Thailand’s chief of police, said in a television interview. » Read more

Panetta: Israel Has Not Decided to Attack Iran ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) February 14, 2012 - 1:00am U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told a Senate committee that he does not believe Israel has decided definitely to attack Iran's nuclear infrastructure. Panetta also told the Armed Services Committee Tuesday that the United States and Israel have "common cause" on Iran to prevent the Islamic Republic from producing a nuclear weapon, and that the Obama administration does not think Israel has made a decision to strike at Iran's nuclear installations in order to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons. » Read more

Hamas of Contradictions ATFP World Press Roundup Article from NOW Lebanon by Hussein Ibish - (Opinion) February 14, 2012 - 1:00am The growing split that has been emerging within the leadership of Hamas has exploded into a bitter public feud. It was prompted an agreement reached last week in Qatar between the head of Hamas’ political bureau, Khaled Meshaal, and the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas. According to the deal, Abbas would take on the additional role of prime minister until elections are held later this year. » Read more

The Doha Declaration and the Palestinian Mindset ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Yisrael Harel - (Opinion) February 15, 2012 - 1:00am I don't know what developments the Doha declaration will generate at the internal Palestinian level. It certainly won't produce peace between Israel and the Palestinians. When Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu declared that Palestine Liberation Organization Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) "chose Hamas over peace" this was a correct yet trivial statement. » Read more

Putting Doha in Context ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Hani al-Masri - (Opinion) February 13, 2012 - 1:00am The signing of last May's reconciliation agreement would likely not have been possible without the shifting of various Arab, regional and international factors that were hampering reconciliation. The fall of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who was committed to Israeli and United States conditions on Palestinian reconciliation for fear of strengthening Hamas' ally, the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood (the main threat to his rule), as well as the active opposition in Syria have positively influenced efforts to end Palestinian division and restore unity. » Read more

Shrugging at BDS ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward (Editorial) February 10, 2012 - 1:00am Before she became the subject of an Oscar-nominated feature film, Margaret Thatcher was prime minister of Great Britain during a particularly violent period of European airplane hijackings and Northern Irish terrorism attacks. She was especially critical of what she deemed the media circus covering these events. “Democratic nations must try to find ways to starve the terrorist and the hijacker of the oxygen of publicity on which they depend,” she admonished. » Read more

Yalla Peace: Hope for Peace at a Roadblock ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Ray Hanania - (Opinion) February 14, 2012 - 1:00am It’s almost become normal for Palestinians and Israelis who support peace to find themselves at the same old roadblock, going nowhere fast. The only things moving are the extremists who continue to pave the way to the mutual destruction of both sides. Israeli and Palestinian leaders refuse to take the steps necessary to make peace. » Read more

Ahmadinejad’s Iran is the New Best Friend of Israeli Settlers ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Bradley Burston - (Opinion) February 14, 2012 - 1:00am The red-bordered headline on Israel's weekend newsstands was as jarring for its calm, consumer-guide choice of wording as for the subject matter, which was, in essence, a countdown to Armageddon. WHERE IT'S BEST TO LIVE IN A TIME OF EMERGENCY, read the Yedioth Ahronoth banner. Lest the meaning be lost, the full-out article – framed by stories hinting at IDF preparations for a possible attack on Iran - ranked a long list of Israeli cities, towns, and Arab villages for their survivability and "preparedness for wartime." » Read more

Israel’s Academy for Occupation ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Editorial) February 15, 2012 - 1:00am When the violent conflict in the territories was at its height a decade or so ago, then IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon said Israel's goal was to sear the Palestinians' consciousness with the understanding that violence doesn't pay. Today, the government in which Ya'alon now serves as a minister doesn't miss an opportunity to sear the consciousness of Palestinians and Israelis alike with the idea that a diplomatic agreement on a two-state solution is no longer on the table. » Read more

Abbas and Obama Should Not Expect a Helping Hand From Netanyahu ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Huffington Post by Akiva Eldar - (Opinion) February 15, 2012 - 1:00am After the uproar over the Palestinian Authority's admission to UNESCO some three months ago, President Mahmoud Abbas ordered a freeze on PA requests for admission to other UN organizations. It seems that Abbas promised Barack Obama that until the presidential elections he would spare the U.S. president from having to choose between a vote that would annoy Jewish voters and one that would upset the Palestinian voters and their sympathizers. » Read more