Israeli PM says only U.S. military strike can halt Iran's nuke program
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
January 31, 2013 - 1:00am

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that while American military action can eliminate Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program, an Israeli strike will only temporarily set it back, local media reported Wednesday.

»

Netanyahu must watch The Gatekeepers, if only to save his own legacy
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Carlo Strenger - (Opinion) January 30, 2013 - 1:00am

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in an unenviable position. His next tenure is bound to be much more difficult than the one ending now, in which he could balance his various coalition partners against each other to do what he does best: stalling, evading and avoiding big decisions. Now he is faced with Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party, which stands in a formidable bargaining position and is intransigent on a number of its demands.

»

Syria says Israel attacked military research centre
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by James Webb - January 30, 2013 - 1:00am

Israeli warplanes attacked a military research centre in Damascus province at dawn on Wednesday, Syria's military command said, denying reports that the planes had struck a convoy carrying weapons from Syria to Lebanon. Two people were killed and five wounded in the attack on the site in Jamraya, which it described as one of a number of "scientific research centres aimed at raising the level of resistance and self-defence". The building was destroyed, the military command said in a statement carried by state media.

»

No Israeli strike on Lebanon soil - Lebanese security source
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Oliver Holmes - January 30, 2013 - 1:00am

A Lebanese security source said on Wednesday that a reported attack by Israeli forces on a convoy near the Syrian-Lebanese border overnight had not occurred on Lebanese territory. A western diplomat and regional security sources said earlier that Israeli forces had hit a convoy in the border area, a few days after Israeli Vice Premier Silvan Shalom said that any sign that Syria's grip on its chemical weapons was slipping could trigger Israeli intervention. There were no details of precisely where the action had occurred.

»

Hamas plans more "enemy language" Hebrew in Gaza schools
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Nidal al-Mughrabi - January 30, 2013 - 1:00am

Islamist Hamas authorities plan to expand Hebrew-language classes in the Gaza Strip's high schools to help Palestinians know their enemy in times of conflict with Israel. Far from a sign that peace will soon break out, Hamas's promotion of Hebrew learning in the Israeli-blockaded Mediterranean enclave aims to make linguistic skill a useful new front in the struggle against the Jewish state.

»

Palestinian apprehended for stabbing Israeli youth in West Bank
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
January 29, 2013 - 1:00am

A 23-year-old Palestinian was apprehended by soldiers after allegedly stabbing a Jewish young man at the Tapuach junction in the West Bank on Tuesday. The 17-year-old victim from Jerusalem's surroundings suffered light to moderate wounds and was evacuated by medical emergency services to the Bellinson Hospital in Petach Tikva, near Tel Aviv, the Walla! news website reported. Police spokesperson Mickey Rosenfeld confirmed to Xinhua that the suspected perpetrator was arrested by the Judea and Samaria police department.

»

Encountering Peace: Good governments make peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Gershon Baskin - (Opinion) January 28, 2013 - 1:00am

The most important thing any government can provide for its people is peace. Peace is the precondition for everything else. Economic growth, welfare for those in need, good education for all, culture, infrastructure, opportunity and hope are all attainable, if there is peace. Israel is the land of promise, the land of great potential. Amazing things have been achieved here over the past 65 years under very difficult circumstances. The major promise that has not been fulfilled is peace.

»

Israel Girds for Attacks as Syria Falls Apart
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Anne Barnard, Jodi Rudoren - January 28, 2013 - 1:00am

JERUSALEM — At least one Iron Dome missile defense battery was deployed Sunday in northern Israel amid reports of intense security consultations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding Syria and the possibility of chemical weapons falling into the hands of Islamist rebels or being transferred to the militant group Hezbollah.

»

Israeli security forces nab suspected Palestinian militants in West Bank
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
January 27, 2013 - 1:00am

Israeli security forces arrested on Sunday morning two Palestinians suspected of plotting to carry out an armed attack, Army Radio reported. The two were detained at the Hawara checkpoint near the West Bank city of Nablus. A search of their belongings yielded improvised grenades, petrol bombs and knives. Bomb squad officers disarmed the grenades and security forces were scouring the area, according to the report. The suspects, whom police estimated were members of a local militant cell, carried a letter which indicated their intention to commit suicide, the report said.

»

Israel's Decision To Withhold Tax Money From Palestinians May Impact Security
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
by Ben Lynfield - January 26, 2013 - 1:00am

In August 2011, a report by the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee hailed the Palestinian Authority’s “comprehensive security coordination” with Israel in thwarting terrorist attacks — a judgment echoed in May 2012 by the chief of the Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic intelligence agency. “The security coordination with the P.A. is good,” Yoram Cohen told the same committee then.

»


American Task Force on Palestine - 1634 Eye St. NW, Suite 725, Washington DC 20006 - Telephone: 202-262-0017