June 19th

Five Myths About the US-Israeli Relationship ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Monitor by Aaron David Miller - (Opinion) June 18, 2012 - 12:00am Urban legends, fantasies, misconceptions abound in life. But nowhere do they seem to be more pronounced and durable than in the discussion of America's relationship with the State of Israel. Some are simply a result of fuzzy thinking; others flow from the willful propaganda efforts of both the pro and anti-Israeli advocates and the battles they wage for the hearts and minds of the committed and the not-so-committed. » Read more

Palestinians seek full representation at Rio+20 ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Economic Times June 19, 2012 - 12:00am Palestinians are pushing for full representation as a state at the UN Rio+20 summit on sustainable development, but the issue will have to be decided by world leaders, according to officials. "We expect full-status participation because we already have it in UNESCO and we have ties with Brazil (the host country which recognizes the Palestinian state) and with more than 130 countries," Palestinian ambassador Ibrahim Alzeben told AFP. » Read more

MRSA scare in Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National (Editorial) June 19, 2012 - 12:00am MRSA is an all-too-real monster. A bacterium that can resist most antibiotics, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus can be fatal. It spreads easily and quickly, and is particularly dangerous to patients in hospitals and nursing homes, where it is increasingly found. And now a strain of this microbe has been found in Gaza City, Haaretz reports. The danger of this fast-moving, hard-to-treat and potentially deadly germ must now be added to the list of tribulations afflicting people in Gaza, one of the most densely populated areas on Earth. » Read more

Encountering Peace: Unity, disunity and peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Gershon Baskin - (Opinion) June 18, 2012 - 12:00am From what I hear around the area, once again the reconciliation talks between Fatah and Hamas have re-entered the freezer. Just last week the parties announced that on June 20, Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal would be announcing a new transitional government supported by both movements without any direct or representatives of either. The task of the transitional government was to prepare new elections for president of the Palestinian Authority, the PA Legislative Council and the Palestinian National Council of the PLO. » Read more

Former Palestinian Prisoners Describe Life on the Outside ATFP World Press Roundup Article from As-Safir by Amjad Semhan - June 18, 2012 - 12:00am After 20 to 30 years of detention, how does a released Palestinian prisoner live his life? What kind of psychological situation does he face? After all those years, does he believe that he still has a future? » Read more

The good fence? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Nachman Shai - (Opinion) June 18, 2012 - 12:00am Afew days ago, Israel marked the 30th anniversary of the outbreak of the war initially “Operation Peace for the Galilee,” now known as the “First Lebanon War,” since it was recently followed by another one. With the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in June 1982, the concept of the “Good Fence,” through which Israel had tried to good relations with Lebanon, collapsed. » Read more

No Arabs in Israeli Olympic Delegation ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Yedioth Ahronoth by Erin Lahav - June 14, 2012 - 12:00am The Israeli delegation to the Olympics in London will not include even one Arab athlete. Not that it’s been any better in previous years; only two Arabs have represented the country in Olympic Games to date. The Arab sector is convinced that this is due to discrimination, but the athletic establishment denies the accusations. » Read more

Hamas claims responsibility for rocket fire into Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post June 19, 2012 - 12:00am Hamas on Tuesday took responsibility for at least some of the rocket fire aimed at Israeli civilians Monday night, stating that it was responding to the killing of Palestinians in recent days. The IAF killed four Palestinian terrorists in the last 24 hours, at least two of whom were members of the Islamic Jihad terrorist group. » Read more

Hamas fires four rockets from Gaza into Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Avi Issacharoff, Yanir Yagna - June 19, 2012 - 12:00am The military wing of Hamas fired four rockets toward Israel overnight Monday, which landed in open areas and caused no casualties. Hamas claimed responsibility for the act. The rocket fire marks an unusual move for the group, which has been avoiding launching rockets toward Israel for many months now. Following the attack, communities near the Gaza border were put on heightened alert. The residents were given instructions to remain at a close distance to a bomb shelter. » Read more

A hybrid of peace and terror ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Yaakov Katz - (Analysis) June 19, 2012 - 12:00am There is something ironic about the situation in Sinai, a senior defense official said on Monday. Israel is officially in a perpetual state of war with Lebanon and Syria, but those are two of Israel’s quietest borders today. “Egypt, which we have peace with, is turning into our biggest problem,” the official said. » Read more