Why Not in Vegas? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Thomas L. Friedman - (Opinion) July 31, 2012 - 12:00am I’ll make this quick. I have one question and one observation about Mitt Romney’s visit to Israel. The question is this: Since the whole trip was not about learning anything but about how to satisfy the political whims of the right-wing, super pro-Bibi Netanyahu, American Jewish casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, why didn’t they just do the whole thing in Las Vegas? » Read more

Israel's Wild West ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Ayyam by Moshe Ronen - July 30, 2012 - 12:00am The year: 1935. Three Zionist Jews, born in Persia and its environs, decide to buy plots in the Holy Land. They find a Bedouin Sheikh named Hussein Salaam Abu Kuaf, pay him and receive a 654 dunam tract [158 acres] in the Negev. Almost 80 years later, their descendants discover that a Bedouin village was constructed on the land that had been purchased for them, and the new tenants have no intention of leaving. “This is exactly like the Ulpana Hill crisis,” claim the Jewish land-owners. “Only this time, it’s about Bedouins who took over Jewish land.” » Read more

Culture Does Matter ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National Review by Mitt Romney - (Opinion) July 31, 2012 - 12:00am During my recent trip to Israel, I had suggested that the choices a society makes about its culture play a role in creating prosperity, and that the significant disparity between Israeli and Palestinian living standards was powerfully influenced by it. In some quarters, that comment became the subject of controversy. » Read more

Dennis Ross denies ‘split’ with Obama ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) July 31, 2012 - 12:00am Dennis Ross emphatically denied any indication that he no longer supported President Obama. "The idea of trying to get a sense that there is a split with the president is completely untrue," Ross, Obama's former top Iran adviser, told JTA on Tuesday. Ross repeated comments he made to the Daily Beast/Newsweek over the weekend, in which he said that his position as a counselor to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy -- an educational nonprofit subject to tax exemptions -- keeps him from directly advising campaigns. » Read more

Israeli cabinet set to approve grants for building hotels in West Bank settlements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Chaim Levinson - August 1, 2012 - 12:00am A special panel will propose that the government give grants for building hotels in West Bank settlements near Jerusalem to absorb some of the the high demand for hotel rooms in the capital. A new interministerial committee of experts convened this year to designate priority areas for the coming years; it is expected to hand its proposals to the cabinet soon. According to a separate study, Jerusalem could suffer a shortage of accommodations in the future. » Read more

Egypt denies Mursi letter sent to Israel's Peres ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency August 1, 2012 - 12:00am Israel said Tuesday it had received a letter from Egypt's President Mohamed Mursi indicating he wanted to work for peace in the Middle East, but Mursi's office later denied sending it. An Israeli official, who asked to remain anonymous, said the denial was to be expected, due to the sensitivity of the issue. Israeli President Shimon Peres's office said earlier Tuesday he had received a letter from the Muslim Brotherhood's Mursi, in the first such missive to Israel since Mursi took office at the end of last month. » Read more

Egyptian president sends peace letter to Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua August 1, 2012 - 12:00am Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi on Tuesday sent a missive to Israeli President Shimon Peres wishing for peace in the Middle East. Although the letter does not specifically mention the peace agreement with Israel, it does include the "Israeli people" as part of Morsi's peace wishes in the region. "I am looking forward to exerting our best efforts to get the Middle East peace process back to its right track in order to achieve security and stability for all peoples of the region, including the Israeli people," the letter read. » Read more

Israeli PM denies rift with military ranks over Iran ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua August 1, 2012 - 12:00am In an interview with Israel's Channel 2, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that he is still deliberating whether or not to strike Iran's nuclear facilities and downplayed report that the military echelon are not in favor of attacking Iran. Netanyahu said that "Israel cannot count on anyone else" when it comes to the Iranian threat. » Read more

1 militant killed, 2 others wounded in Gaza blast ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press August 1, 2012 - 12:00am Palestinians say a Hamas militant was killed and two others were wounded when an explosion went off in the car they were driving near Gaza City. Gaza health official Ashraf al-Kidra confirmed the death. There were no claims of an Israeli attack, suggesting that the blast may have been from an explosive device that went off prematurely.

Israel, Palestinian Authority sign bilateral trade agreements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Moti Bassok - August 1, 2012 - 12:00am Israel and the Palestinian Authority signed agreements on Tuesday to regulate bilateral trade and taxation. The agreements were thrashed out in a series of secret meetings that lasted more than a year and had many ups and downs. Israeli sources said they also have diplomatic ramifications. » Read more