When did Hamas become secular? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from NOW Lebanon by Hanin Ghaddar - (Opinion) November 19, 2012 - 1:00am If one reviews the rhetoric of the liberal "resistance" supporters, especially after the escalation of violence in Gaza, you'd think that Hamas is a liberal or secular group, not an Islamic faction. During the nearly two years of systematic and brutal killing by the Syrian regime of the Syrian people who are resisting tyranny, many Arabs preferred to remain silent, justifying their denial by fear of the Islamists. But suddenly, when Hamas decided to respond to the Israeli attack on Gaza, this reaction was cheered as the ultimate resistance. » Read more

How Hamas Won the War ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy by Aaron David Miller - (Opinion) November 19, 2012 - 1:00am Cruel Middle East ironies abound. And here's a doozy for you. Why is it that Hamas -- purveyor of terror, launcher of Iranian-supplied rockets, and source of "death to the Jews" tropes -- is getting more attention, traction, legitimacy and support than the "good" Palestinian, the reasonable and grandfatherly Mahmoud Abbas, who has foresworn violence in favor of negotiations? Since the crisis began, President Obama seems to have talked to every other Middle Eastern leader except Abbas. » Read more

Still Think Middle East Peace Doesn't Matter? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy by Steven A. Cook - (Opinion) November 19, 2012 - 1:00am Everyone knew it was coming. Once the giddy days of the Arab uprising had passed, it was the subject of discussion at almost every roundtable, panel discussion, and bull session among Middle East analysts: What about Gaza? » Read more

Hamas' Leadership Crisis May Spell Radicalization ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'ariv by Shlomi Eldar - (Opinion) November 16, 2012 - 1:00am Two days before the killing of Ahmed Jabari, I talked on the phone with [Deputy Foreign Minister for Hamas in Gaza] Dr. Ghazi Hamad, who had served at the time as a go-between in the Gilad Shalit swap deal and worked closely with Jabari during the secret negotiations with Israel. I asked him one simple question: “Don’t you see where it is all heading, that Israel is on the way to Operation Cast Lead number two?” » Read more

All for one cause ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star (Editorial) November 20, 2012 - 1:00am Bitter infighting has always been the Achilles heel of the Palestinian struggle, and Arab regimes have long propped up these power struggles, supporting one faction over another when they felt it was to their benefit. The aims of these governments have been pursued with no recourse to what might be best for the Palestinians they purport to help. The examples of these divisions and their outside influence abound. Take, for example, fighting in Palestinian camps in Syria, which has essentially come down to a split between those who support the Syrian regime and those who do not. » Read more

Israel's strategy in Gaza leads to endless conflict ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National (Editorial) November 21, 2012 - 1:00am 'Cutting the grass" is the euphemism some Israeli strategists have used to describe the policy that has been conducted in Gaza. The idea behind it is that Israel - unable on the one hand to make peace with its neighbours, and unable, on the other, to completely dominate or deter them by force - must resort to regular military incursions and strikes to degrade their military capability. » Read more

Hamas rule ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post (Editorial) November 19, 2012 - 1:00am It is tempting to call for the toppling of Hamas’s rule in Gaza. In the long run, the only way to stop the barrage of rocket and mortar fire directed at Israeli civilians may indeed be to remove Hamas from power altogether. As was the case in the aftermath of Operation Cast Lead, any sort of cease-fire – even one that comes after a critical blow to Hamas’s infrastructure – will be temporary. » Read more

Before the next baby dies ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Ezzeldeen Abu al-Aish - (Opinion) November 20, 2012 - 1:00am TORONTO – People have been asking me in the past few days if the current situation has opened the wound in my heart. The truth is that this wound has never been closed, so there is nothing to open. » Read more

End the war while you're ahead ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Ari Shavit - November 19, 2012 - 1:00am The first day of Operation Pillar of Defense was quite successful. The Hamas military chief was assassinated and Hamas' long-range rocket capability was impaired, sending the radical Palestinian group into shock. The second day went pretty well too: Iron Dome proved its worth, Israeli civilians proved their steadfastness and Israel showed that it still enjoys a fair amount of international legitimacy and domestic cohesion. » Read more

The callousness of Hamas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Richard Cohen - (Opinion) November 19, 2012 - 1:00am Of all the points of disagreement between Israel and Hamas, maybe the most profound is this one: Israel cares more about sparing innocent lives — including those of Palestinians — than does Hamas. Not only have Hamas and other militant groups this year sent more than 700 rockets crashing haphazardly into southern Israel, but also Hamas instigated yet another war where the chief loser will certainly be its own people. If hell has a beach, it’s located in Gaza. » Read more