December 22nd

Artist Larissa Sansour Speaks Out About Her Ejection From the Lacoste Art Prize for Being "Too Pro-Palestinian" ATFP World Press Roundup Article from ARTINFO by Arsalan Mohammed - (Analysis) December 21, 2011 - 1:00am Politically-charged censorship or crisis-management gone horribly wrong? The tale of Palestinian multimedia artist Larissa Sansour's dramatic removal from the shortlist of the 2011 Lacoste Elysée Prize appears to have torpedoed the French luxury-goods brand's association with Lausanne institution Musée de l'Elysée, which on Wednesday evening announced that it was immediatley cancelling its partnership to host the €25,000 photography award, now only in its second year. » Read more

Lacoste Elysée Prize withdraws sponsorship of prize after Palestine controversy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Maura Judkis - (Analysis) December 22, 2011 - 1:00am Update 2:30 p.m Lacoste has now withdrawn its sponsorship from the prize. In a press release, they announced: “In light of this situation and to avoid any misunderstanding, Lacoste has decided to cancel once and for all its participation in this event and its support to the Elysée Prize.” Read the company’s full statement at the end of the post. Original post: » Read more

The heart of the matter ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Arieh O'Sullivan - (Analysis) December 22, 2011 - 1:00am Weakly, little Adam stares out from his crib, his dull, three-month-old eyes revealing the rough road life has been for him so far. He struggles to cough. He is a Palestinian infant from the West Bank who was born with a bad heart. But he’s been brought to a hospital in Israel for a life-saving operation – free of charge – by one of a number of humanitarian organizations that specialize in mending hearts. » Read more

U.S. Jewish reform movement is keeping faith young ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Natasha Mozgovaya - (Opinion) December 22, 2011 - 1:00am An Orthodox Jewish friend, who happened to visit over the weekend of the Union for Reform Judaism biennial in Maryland, observed half-jokingly that Reform Jews don't care much about tradition. "They do not want to work hard with keeping mitzvas, but they have so much Judaica stuff here that it's probably the thing their Jewish identity is based upon: nice crafts with Jewish flavor." » Read more

Netanyahu is failing in his mission to 'save Israel' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amir Oren - (Opinion) December 22, 2011 - 1:00am Benjamin Netanyahu was always first. He was the first to understand the extent of the Carmel fire, only 45 minutes after the flames had consumed the bus carrying the prison service cadets. He was the first to publicize his glory with his very own announcement. And he was the first to understand that the self-aggrandizement had made him look ridiculous. Then he attacked the sycophants who had acted in his spirit. » Read more

ACP delivers $10,000 to support the work of the Four Homes of Mercy in Palestine ATFP World Press Roundup Article from American Charities for Palestine December 21, 2011 - 1:00am ACP is pleased to announce its recently established partnership with The Four Homes of Mercy (FHOM), Al Malj’ Alkhairy Al Orthodoxy Al Araby in Arabic, a clinical residence for severely disabled Palestinian men and women. ACP has facilitated a donation of $10,000 to FHOM to provide permanent residency and clinical care to 78 patients, including 25 children and 53 adult men and women. » Read more

Netanyahu office 'shocked' as Abbas meets ex-prisoners ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency December 22, 2011 - 1:00am TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma'an) -- An official in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office says he found it "shocking" to see President Mahmoud Abbas meet with certain released prisoners Wednesday in Turkey. Abbas met in Ankara with 11 ex-prisoners who were released by Israel in the prisoner swap, but the unnamed official was in particular shocked that Abbas met with Amna Muna, Israel's Ynet news site said. Muna was convicted in an Israeli court of luring a teenager to his death in 2001. » Read more

Israel backs aid to Palestinian Authority ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Politico by Ben Smith - December 21, 2011 - 1:00am In a dramatic public shift that appears to lower the intensity of the simmering diplomatic conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, the Israeli government is backing a strings-attached compromise that would restore American aid to the Palestinian Authority. » Read more

US: 'Shouting from UN rooftops' won't help peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post December 22, 2011 - 1:00am The United States on Wednesday addressed the near-complete condemnation of Israeli settlement policy by UN Security Council members the day before and its own vetoes of UNSC resolutions critical of Israel. "Shouting from the rooftops of the Security Council is not going to change the situation on the ground," spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters at the State Department Wednesday. Israelis and Palestinians, she explained, must "get back to the table and settle these issues together, and that's the way we are going to have a lasting, stable peace." » Read more

Israeli campaign: Ariel Sharon's stroke was 'curse of Gaza disengagement' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Ophir Bar-Zohar - December 22, 2011 - 1:00am Former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke in January 2006 came about because of his role in disengagement from Gaza, according to a campaign to be launched on December 31 by an extreme right-wing religious party, Eretz Yisrael Shelanu. » Read more