October 15th

Demographics may scuttle Mideast peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star by Joseph Chamie - (Opinion) October 15, 2010 - 12:00am Countless words have been spoken and written, several wars and numerous armed clashes have taken place. Thousands have died, with even more injured and suffering. Yet, after more than 60 years of struggle, numerous diplomatic initiatives, agreements and peace offers, intergovernmental conferences and behind-the-scenes negotiations, comprehensive resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains disappointingly elusive. » Read more

Will Israel Expel a Million Palestinians? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat by Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed - (Opinion) October 14, 2010 - 12:00am The extremists in Israel are trying to build a case that aims to bring the peace process to a complete halt. [They are saying] if you want a Palestinian state, you must realize that we will expel a million and a quarter Palestinians who hold the Israeli nationality and live inside the Jewish state. This proposal means that Israel is for Jews only. Is it reasonable for a state to be established for three million people, whilst at the same time this results in the displacement of another million? » Read more

An oath for the few excludes the many in an ethnocracy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Jonathan Cook - October 15, 2010 - 12:00am In all likelihood, I will be one of the very first non-Jews expected to swear loyalty to Israel as an ideology rather than as a state. Until now, naturalising residents, like the country's soldiers, pledged an oath to Israel and its laws. That is the situation in most countries. But soon, if the Israeli parliament passes a bill being advanced by the government, aspiring citizens will instead be required to uphold the Zionist majority's presumption that Israel is a "Jewish and democratic state". » Read more

Bibi's Tough Choices ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Nathan Jeffay - October 13, 2010 - 12:00am All eyes are on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as the world awaits his final response to calls for a further settlement freeze. But what happens if he agrees – will he be able to push it through his cabinet and keep his coalition together? Since the final days of Netanyahu’s first settlement freeze in late September, his right-wing coalition partners have been flexing their muscles. But a close examination of their stands suggests Netanyahu may have more flexibility than most perceive. » Read more

Palestinians earn a living making Jewish skullcaps ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News by Jon Donnison - October 15, 2010 - 12:00am From the minaret of the next-door mosque, the call to prayer rings out as their fast-moving fingers click the needles at a rapid rhythm. Slowly forming in their laps are three small, round, white pieces of crocheted cloth. These three Palestinian Muslim women are making one of the most obvious symbols of Jewishness and Judaism - the kippa. Kippot (as they are known in the plural) are the small domed skullcaps that many Jewish men wear on their heads. Kippa literally means "dome". » Read more

Jews seek to reclaim houses in Shiekh Jarrah ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Yair Altman - October 15, 2010 - 12:00am The leftist protest is gaining momentum, but rightist organizations are continuing to reinforce Jewish presence in the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. Three Jewish people on Thursday arrived at the east Jerusalem neighborhood and claimed they were the original owners of houses inhabited by Palestinian families, demanding their property be returned to them. "My grandfather built this house and the synagogue that was burned down by Arabs in 1948," said 76-year-old Elisha Ben-Tzur. » Read more

Time to stick it again to the Arabs ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Gideon Levy - (Opinion) October 15, 2010 - 12:00am Underneath everything is hatred - hatred and contempt for Arabs. The ideology of the right has been dead for some time, nothing of its former glory remains; primeval emotions are now its true driving force. This is what is behind the right wing's nationalist laws and its so-called "peace." Lurking beneath all the unpretty words are not just political considerations, but a lack of any systematic ideas - only dark and dangerous instincts. » Read more

Arabs states may ask UN to recognize Palestinian state if settlements continue ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz October 15, 2010 - 12:00am Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said Friday that Arab nations may seek United Nations recognition of a Palestinian state if Israel continues to build settlements in the West Bank. If Israel goes ahead with building settlements, the Arab League will study some other options such as going to the United Nations and ask for the recognition of the Palestinian state, Gheit said. The Arab League request to the UN could come next month. » Read more

Abbas urges the Quartet to realize Palestinian statehood ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua October 14, 2010 - 12:00am Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday urged the international Quartet for Middle East peace to find alternative solutions to end the Israeli occupation and give the Palestinians a homeland. Abbas made the comments at a joint press conference in Ramallah with visiting Finnish President Tarja Halonen. "We want a state on the lands occupied in 1967 and to live in peace with our neighbors, including Israel," Abbas said. » Read more

Dismay, disillusionment prevail in Palestinian camp ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Crispian Balmer - October 15, 2010 - 12:00am The stalemate in direct peace talks with Israel risks undermining the moderate Palestinian leadership and should force world powers to reassess their Middle East strategy, senior Palestinian officials say. The U.S.-brokered negotiations kicked off in Washington last month, but stalled less than 4 weeks later after Israel refused to extend a freeze on settlement building in the occupied West Bank, prompting the Palestinians to refuse to carry on talking. » Read more