August 8th

The ultra-Orthodox tighten their grip in Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Ruth Marcus - (Opinion) August 7, 2012 - 12:00am The rock hit Nili Philipp on the side of her helmet as she biked last year along the main road in this Jerusalem suburb. A few years earlier, the spitting had begun, as Philipp jogged on a road bordering an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood. Men called her names: Shikseh, the derogatory term for a Gentile woman. Prutzah, whore. » Read more

Gaza pays dearly ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star (Editorial) August 8, 2012 - 12:00am The militarization of the Sinai by all kinds of extremist factions, as well as the spread of such parties inside Gaza, began under the nose of Hosni Mubarak, and has been going on in Gaza since Hamas took over the strip. » Read more

Battle for Sinai ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times by Osama Al-Sharif - (Opinion) August 8, 2012 - 12:00am Egypt is going to war in a bid to reclaim sovereignty over Sinai. Its armed forces will fight to stop arms dealing, overcome rebellious bedouin tribes and chase out foreign jihadist infiltrators.  Sunday’s terrorist attack on a checkpoint along the Sinai-Israel border in which 16 Egyptian soldiers and officers were killed has triggered the biggest security operation by the Cairo government in years to end the state of lawlessness in the peninsula. » Read more

Morsy, Hamas and the short-lived honeymoon ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Khaled Abu Toameh - (Analysis) August 8, 2012 - 12:00am For Hamas, the timing of Sunday night’s terror attack in Sinai could not have been worse. The attack, which resulted in the killing of 16 Egyptian border guards while they were enjoying the fast-breaking meal of Ramadan, took place just when it seemed that Hamas and Egypt were about to embark on a honeymoon. In fact, the terror attack has been a complete disaster for Hamas, both politically and economically. » Read more

Revise peace treaty to uproot terrorism ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Yaron Friedman - (Opinion) August 7, 2012 - 12:00am Until recently the Sinai Peninsula was a tourist paradise: A demilitarized area nearly empty of soldiers that symbolizes the peace between Israel and Egypt – with enchanting desert views and tropical beaches on which courteous Bedouins serve coffee. So how did it become a terrorist paradise? » Read more

Egypt’s Sinai Problem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times (Editorial) August 7, 2012 - 12:00am President Mohamed Morsi of Egypt took office less than two months ago and has been struggling to steer his country, its economy and its politics on a post-Hosni Mubarak course. Now another steep new challenge is on the Islamist leader’s list, after a border attack in the Sinai Peninsula killed 16 Egyptian soldiers and turned longstanding security concerns into a full-blown crisis. » Read more

'Palestinian homes in IDF fire zones face demolition' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Tovah Lazaroff - August 8, 2012 - 12:00am Palestinians living in IDF firing zones, particularly in the Jordan Valley and the South Hebron Hills, are especially vulnerable to home demolitions by Israeli security forces, according to a UN report issued this week by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. “Some 45 percent of demolitions of Palestinian-owned structures in Area C since 2010 have occurred in firing zones, displacing over 820 Palestinian civilians,” the OCHA report said. » Read more

For Sheldon Adelson, political and Jewish giving are all of a piece ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Ron Kampeas - August 7, 2012 - 12:00am Call it the Adelson conundrum: What happens when the guy who acts as if he owns the room really does? In March at TribeFest, the annual gathering of young adults organized by the Jewish Federations of North America at the Venetian hotel in Las Vegas, Sheldon Adelson walked in on a surrogate debate between Matt Brooks, who directs the Republican Jewish Coalition, and his counterpart at the National Jewish Democratic Council, David A. Harris. » Read more

Israel evacuates illegal buildings in West Bank outpost ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua August 8, 2012 - 12:00am Israeli security forces evacuated residents and demolished several structures in an illegal West Bank outpost early Wednesday, with no clashes reported. The Maoz Esther outpost, located in the Benjamin regional council, was founded in 2007 on a private Palestinian land. It was dedicated to the memory of Esther Galia, resident of a neighboring settlement who was killed by Palestinian militants. » Read more

Abbas says going to UN even if it conflicts with others' interests ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency August 8, 2012 - 12:00am President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated Tuesday that the Palestinian Authority would insist on the UN bid seeking to obtain international recognition that Palestine is a state under occupation rather than a disputed territory. “Even if this step conflicts with other parties' interests, we will not step back,” Abbas said in remarks at Al-Najah National University as he joined a ceremony to honor top high school graduates in Nablus district. » Read more