January 25th, 2012

Brotherhood Vows to Shun Israeli Officials ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Masry Al-Youm January 25, 2012 - 1:00am The Muslim Brotherhood will not speak or meet with Israeli officials and its stance on Israel is not up for discussion, group spokesperson Mahmoud Ghezlan told London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper. “It’s illogical to have dialogue, any dialogue, in light of the Israeli practices against the Arab peoples,” the paper quoted him as saying in an article published Wednesday. Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yigal Palmor told Israeli radio that Israel has not ruled out talks. “We will be happy to hold dialogues with whoever wants to have dialogue with us,” Palmor said. » Read more

“Jordan Mulling Sanctions Against Israel” ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Israel News by Roi Kais, Elior Levy - January 25, 2012 - 1:00am Jordan's King Abdullah alluded to a possible deterioration in Amman's relationship with Jerusalem if unless Israel will "demonstrate it is willing to make considerable moves" to reignite the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process, the Al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper reported Wednesday. According to the London-based Arab publication, Abdullah expected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to "make significant concessions which will allow the Palestinian leadership to justify their return to the negotiating table." » Read more

Obama assassination column raises question: Why do some Jews see Obama as so sinister? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Uriel Heilman - (Analysis) January 24, 2012 - 1:00am NEW YORK (JTA) – When news outlets began reporting last Friday that the owner of the Atlanta Jewish Times had published an opinion column seemingly suggesting that Israel might be wise to assassinate President Obama, the response from prominent American Jews was fast and furious. Here was a Jewish newspaper publisher providing fodder for something the Anti-Defamation League regularly deplores as a pernicious anti-Semitic canard: that Jews are more loyal to Israel than the United States. » Read more

Let Hanin Zoabi speak ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Moshe Ronen - (Opinion) January 25, 2012 - 1:00am French philosopher Voltaire is attributed with the famous quote: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” This is democracy’s ultimate test – the ability to listen to views we do not agree with and that may appear despicable to us. » Read more

U.S. to Grant Three-Year Extension of Loan Guarantees to Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - January 24, 2012 - 1:00am The U.S. government has informed Israel that it will recommend that Congress approve a three-year extension of loan guarantees to Israel, worth $3.8 billion. The announcement came after several months of worry in Israel that the loan guarantees would not be extended, despite Israel's request. » Read more

Elections Office Opens in Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency January 25, 2012 - 1:00am GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- The Gaza headquarters of the Central Elections Commission reopened Tuesday and will start work Wednesday, officials said. CEC director Jamil Khalidi received keys for the Gaza City office a day after the commission's chairman Hanna Nasir lamented its closure. Nasir said Monday that the Hamas-led government had failed to reopen the elections offices despite pledging to do so two weeks earlier. » Read more

Hollywood's Jews need to see Israel's "Footnote," Oscar or no ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Bradley Burston - (Analysis) January 25, 2012 - 1:00am In an age of films imagining all, baring all, demolishing all, in this decade of cinematic Holocaust and Jewish-Arab confrontation and IDF agonistes, in this season of obsession with Iran, why should Hollywood's Jews go to see a picture about an abrasively dysfunctional relationship between professors of Talmud strait-jacketed in thick sweaters and inhibition? Because they need to. » Read more

Israeli, Palestinian Negotiators Clash at Jordan Meeting ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Jack Khoury, Barak Ravid - January 25, 2012 - 1:00am A bitter confrontation broke out between the head of the Israeli negotiating team Yitzhak Molcho and chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat during their meeting In Jordan on Saturday, after Erekat refused to let a senior Israeli officer present the Israeli position on security arrangements. » Read more

Palestinians To Declare End of Exploratory Talks With Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua January 25, 2012 - 1:00am RAMALLAH, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinians will declare the end of exploratory discussions with Israel after their sixth meeting in the Jordanian capital of Amman ends Wednesday, sources said. On Tuesday night, Palestinian and Israeli negotiators held their fifth meeting in Amman, but failed to make any progress in reviving stalled peace talks between the two sides, an official at the negotiation affairs department of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. » Read more

No compromise on Migron outpost ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Zvi Barel - (Opinion) January 25, 2012 - 1:00am Strong, choking nausea wells up in face of the "compromise proposal" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has offered the trespassers in Migron. It is hard to identify exactly what is causing this. Is it the fact that the prime minister has once again surrendered to the settlers? Is it the realization of the weakness of the Israel Defense Forces - the army that apparently can attack Iran but can't manage to impose its sovereignty over a handful of settlers? Or could it be that the nausea is a symptom of a fatal disease that has been going on for decades and has been treated only with aspirin? » Read more