IDF Hands Over Former West Bank Base to Israeli Settlers
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Gili Cohen - May 3, 2012 - 12:00am

  An abandoned Israel Defense Forces base in the West Bank has been handed over to the control of a nearby settlement council, Haaretz learned on Thursday.

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The 'rehabilitated' IDF
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Yossi Sarid - (Opinion) April 27, 2012 - 12:00am

I won a bet recently over Lt. Col. Shalom Eisner. My friend said to me, "That lieutenant colonel is going to be booted from here to kingdom come." And I said, "He'll be suspended, so that he can stay on." I won. Because nowadays, the chief of the General Staff doesn't run the Israel Defense Forces; it's run by the generals of Judea and Samaria - its activists and rabbis - and Eisner is one of their favorite sons.

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War isn’t always a rational outcome
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
by Dylan Evans - (Opinion) April 27, 2012 - 12:00am

Will there be another war between Israel and Hezbollah? Over the past few months I’ve put this question to many experienced commentators in Lebanon, and most of them doubt that there will be a conflict any time soon. The most common reason they give for their optimism is that starting a war is not in the interest of either party. Israel risks greater political isolation if it attacks Lebanon, while Hezbollah handsomely benefits financially from the calm.

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Israel army chief: Other nations could strike Iran
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Diaa Hadid - April 26, 2012 - 12:00am

JERUSALEM — Israel's military chief said Thursday that other countries have readied their armed forces for a potential strike against Iran's nuclear sites to keep Tehran from acquiring atomic weapons. Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz did not specify which nations might be willing to support or take direct action against Iran. Still, his comments were one of the strongest hints yet that Israel may have the backing of other countries to strike the Islamic Republic to prevent it from developing nuclear arms. "The military force is ready," Gantz said. "Not only our forces, but other forces as well."

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Dear Mr. Netanyahu: Will Israel attack Iran?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Oudeh Basharat - (Opinion) April 26, 2012 - 12:00am

On my list of things to leave out - after the prime minister's "leaving-out interview" on the country's economy ("if we leave out the Arabs and the ultra-Orthodox, our situation is excellent" ) - are the threats against Iran this past winter. At least so I can sleep better.

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Defense Minister Adds to Israel’s Recent Mix of Messages on Iran
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Jodi Rudoren - April 26, 2012 - 12:00am

JERUSALEM — One day after Israeli newspapers reported that the nation’s top general had said economic and diplomatic pressures against Iran were beginning to succeed, his superior, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, said Thursday that the chances “appear low” that the Iranian government would bow to international pressure and halt its nuclear program.

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IDF Chief to Haaretz: I do not believe Iran will decide to develop nuclear weapons
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Amos Harel - April 25, 2012 - 12:00am

"If Iran goes nuclear it will have negative dimensions for the world, for the region, for the freedom of action Iran will permit itself," Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz told Haaretz in an Independence Day interview.

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What Israeli hasbara won't hide
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Doron Rosenblum - (Opinion) April 25, 2012 - 12:00am

When the Israeli universe was still young and full of hope, the cartoonist Dosh drew the iconic figure that reflected the collective self-perception: Srulik, a naive boy in a kova tembel (that sort of blue or khaki sailor cap with the brim turned down, sometimes still sighted on kibbutzim and in kindergartens ) whose intentions are pure and whose hands are clean. Were we called upon to update that icon today, possibly a great many Israelis would still cling to the self-image of an innocent child in a hostile world.

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Israel Detains Gaza Fishermen
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
April 25, 2012 - 12:00am

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces on Tuesday detained fishermen working off the coast of the Gaza Strip. Local official Mahfouth al-Kabareeti told Ma'an that Israeli naval forces detained Nader Yousef Abu Simaan, 22, and his brother Hasan at sea and confiscated their equipment. The brothers, from al-Shati refugee camp, were fishing within the area designated by Israel, he added. An Israeli military spokeswoman said forces detained fishermen from Gaza because they deviated from the designated fishing area.

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Palestinian hunger strikes draw attention to Israeli detention practice
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Karin Brulliard - April 23, 2012 - 12:00am

ARRABA, West Bank — A stream of visitors passes through a simple concrete house in this sleepy village, bearing tribute plaques, floral bouquets and plaudits for a soft-spoken man who has become the latest icon for the Palestinian cause.

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