Middle East News: World Press Roundup

NEWS: Hamas military chief Ahmed Jabari is killed by an Israeli missile attack. Israeli diplomats say their country will consider the Oslo Agreements null and void if Palestinians go forward with a request for nonmember state observer status at the UN. An internal Israeli government document says toppling Pres. Abbas is one possible response. The PA rejects the threats. Israel is reportedly considering a compromise in which the Palestinian UN bid would be dropped in favor of “provisional statehood.” 6 Palestinians are injured by Israeli forces in West Bank commemorations of the1988 Palestinian Declaration of Independence. Four rockets from Sinai land in southern Israel. Palestinians prepare to exhume the body of the late Pres. Arafat, as a French doctor at the hospital where he died says there is "absolutely no way" he was poisoned. Israel prepares its latest missile-defense system. Egypt strongly criticizes Israel for attacks against Gaza. Fighting between Israel and militants in Gaza appears to have subsided. Israel says it will launch a satellite in the coming months. Israel is planning to evict 120 Bedouins to make way for a landfill. The PA continues to struggle to pay public employee salaries. European watchdogs say they're concerned by PA pressure against Palestinian journalists. Some Palestinian refugees in Jordan say they still want to return to Israel. Khalid Mishal may still be a contender to continue to head Hamas' politburo. COMMENTARY: Sufian Abu Zaida says Palestinians can only envy the American elections and accountable political system. James Zogby says Hussein Ibish is wrong and that the Arab-American community is already politically "normalized." Carlo Strenger says Akiva Eldar is wrong and that Israelis and Palestinians have to look beyond a two-state solution. Daniel Levy says fault lines between Israel and the second Obama administration are already showing. Zvi Bar'el says discrimination against Arabs in Israel is normal. The Jerusalem Post says Israel would be better off promoting an independent state in Gaza. Ben Sales interviews Palestinian businessman Munib al-Masri. George Semaan says Pres. Obama will have to deal with the Middle East, including the Palestinian issue. Rafi Noy argues that Pres. Assad’s regime may be better for Israel than that of the Syrian insurgents.

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Hamas military chief Ahmed Jabari killed by Israeli strike ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz November 14, 2012 - 1:00am LIVE BLOG: 5:39 P.M. IDF source: Some of rockets struck in ammunition warehouse were hidden in Gaza residential building (Haaretz) 5:36 P.M. IDF Spokesman: Israeli military ready for ground operation in Gaza, should there be need for an incursion (Barak Ravid) » Read more

New Israeli airstrikes rock Gaza City ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Ibrahim Barzak - November 14, 2012 - 1:00am GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Palestinian witnesses say Israeli airstrikes have hit a series of targets across Gaza City, shortly after the assassination of the top Hamas commander. » Read more

Israel ministry paper proposes 'toppling' Abbas over UN bid ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News November 14, 2012 - 1:00am A position paper by Israel's foreign ministry proposes "toppling" President Mahmoud Abbas if Palestine's bid for UN non-member state status is approved. The internal document says it is "the only option" if deterrence efforts do not succeed, despite the consequences. » Read more

PNA rejects Israeli threats to annul Oslo Accords ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua November 14, 2012 - 1:00am RAMALLAH, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) on Wednesday rejected Israeli threats to annul Oslo Accords, though the interim peace deal is hardly functional. "Oslo agreement is no longer existed on the ground, since it was supposed expiring in 1999," said Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator. » Read more

Lieberman mulling offer to Palestinians: Drop UN bid and Israel will recognize state within provisional borders ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - November 14, 2012 - 1:00am Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman is considering a draft document that would offer the Palestinians immediate recognition of statehood within provisional borders as an incentive for dropping their UN bid.  » Read more

Fatah youth launches West Bank rallies, 6 injured ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency November 14, 2012 - 1:00am BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Six people were wounded by Israeli forces on Wednesday as Fatah's youth organization organized rallies across the West Bank to kick off a week of activities to commemorate independence day, Ma'an's reporter said. Fatah youth organized demonstrations in Qalqiliya, Ramallah, Nablus and Hebron, blocking bypass roads linking Israeli settlement infrastructure in the West Bank. » Read more

Four rockets fired from direction of Sinai strike southern Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Gili Cohen, Yanir Yagna - November 14, 2012 - 1:00am Four rockets were fired on Wednesday from the direction of the Sinai Peninsula toward an Israeli community on the border with Egypt. One of the rockets exploded in a moshav in the Eshkol Regional Council. The other three landed in the moshav's citron field. » Read more

Palestinians Prepare to Exhume Arafat to Check for Poison ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Isabel Kershner - November 13, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM — The West Bank tomb of Yasir Arafat has been cordoned off and screened from public view ahead of an expected exhumation, a Palestinian Authority official said Tuesday, four months after a television investigation raised new suspicions that the Palestinian leader had been poisoned. » Read more

‘Absolutely no way’ Arafat was poisoned, says top doctor who teaches at Paris hospital where Palestinian leader died ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Times of Israel by Anica Pommeray - November 13, 2012 - 1:00am PARIS — A leading French doctor who teaches at the Paris hospital where Yasser Arafat died in 2004 has broken the official French medical silence surrounding the case to tell The Times of Israel, based on Arafat’s medical report, that there is “absolutely no way” the Palestinian leader was poisoned. » Read more

Israel prepares new missile defense system ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Lauren E. Bohn - November 13, 2012 - 1:00am CARMIEL, Israel — Israel's newest missile defense system, designed to provide another layer of protection against enemy fire, is on schedule for deployment in 2014, defense officials said Tuesday. » Read more

Egypt's Brotherhood slams Israel over Gaza strikes ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Aya Batrawy - November 13, 2012 - 1:00am CAIRO — Egypt's powerful Muslim Brotherhood sharply criticized Israeli leaders on Tuesday over airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, accusing them of heating up the conflict to score political points ahead of elections. » Read more

Israel, Palestinians put lid on Gaza, for now ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Alertnet November 13, 2012 - 1:00am TEL AVIV/GAZA, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Israel and the Palestinians stepped back from the brink of a new war in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, sending signals to each other via Egypt that they would hold their fire unless attacked, after five days of mounting violence. » Read more

Iran plans to launch new homemade satellite in 3 months ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua November 14, 2012 - 1:00am TEHRAN, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- President of Iran's Amirkabir University of Technology Alireza Rahaei announced on Wednesday the country is preparing to launch a new homemade satellite, called Nahid (Venus), into orbit in the next three months, semi-official Fars news agency reported. » Read more

Jerusalem to evacuate 120 Bedouins for building waste landfill ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua November 13, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- The Jerusalem municipality initially approved a plan to evacuate 120 Bedouins from their east Jerusalem village in order to build a waste landfill. The landfill is set to be stretched over a valley between the city and the settlement of Ma'aleh Adumim over 120 acres. The objectors charge the real aim of the plan is to create a continual territorial land stretch between east Jerusalem and the West Bank settlements. » Read more

Palestinian Authority unable to pay salaries, even as it pursues statehood ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Christian Science Monitor by Ben Lynfield - November 13, 2012 - 1:00am Doha, West Bank » Read more

European watchdog 'concerned' by PA pressure on journalists ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency November 14, 2012 - 1:00am RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- A European press freedom group said Monday it was concerned about the Palestinian Authority's steps to put pressure on a columnist who criticized President Mahmoud Abbas' office. The Vienna-based International Press Institute said it was joining Palestinian journalists who have raised concerns about the PA's treatment of Jihad Harb after he questioned hiring practices at Abbas' office. » Read more

Palestinian Refugees in Jordan Still Want to Return to Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line by Adam Nicky - November 13, 2012 - 1:00am BAQAA CAMP, JORDAN The aroma of toasted coffee mixes with sounds of vendors shouting from behind shabby stalls in the market of the Baqaa camp for Palestinian refugees. » Read more

Mishal still a contender for Hamas leadership – Source ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat by Ali El-saleh - November 13, 2012 - 1:00am London, Asharq Al-Awsat - Contrary to recent reports that Khalid Mishal, head of the Hamas movement’s Political Bureau, would not nominate himself for a fifth term to the post he’s held since 1996, an informed Palestinian source told Asharq Al-Awsat that Mishal's name is still on the table. » Read more

US vote a painful reminder for divided Palestinians ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency by Sufian Abu Zaida - (Opinion) November 11, 2012 - 1:00am I didn't follow the United States elections due to my belief that in the Palestinian subject particularly, and US policy in the Middle East in general, the difference between the candidates is negligible. » Read more

We Already Are Politically "Normalized" ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast by James J. Zogby - (Opinion) November 13, 2012 - 1:00am There is a wonderful old Indian tale about three blind men who come upon an elephant and ask, "What is this?" One grabbing the elephant's tail says, "I think it is a rope." Another putting his arms about the elephant's leg says, "No, it is more like a tree." While the third touching its side says, "I think it is like a huge, smooth rock." The elephant, of course, is more than it's individual parts. » Read more

An open letter to Akiva Eldar: Looking beyond the two-state solution ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Carlo Strenger - (Opinion) November 14, 2012 - 1:00am Dear Akiva. » Read more

Obama II and Israel: The faultlines are starting to show ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Daniel Levy - (Analysis) November 14, 2012 - 1:00am Ever since the U.S. news networks placed Ohio in the blue column last Tuesday night, the speculation has been as feverish as it was predictable - how will a re-elected Barak Obama square off to Sheldon Adelson’s more successful political investment, Benjamin Netanyahu? » Read more

No Arabs allowed ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Zvi Barel - (Opinion) November 14, 2012 - 1:00am The Soho restaurant in Rishon Letzion apparently refused an Israeli couple's request for a reservation. Landlords deny requests from Arab citizens to rent their apartments. Businesses look for excuses to fob off Israeli applicants who seek employment, and residential communities make sure that only certain Israelis can live there. » Read more

State of Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post (Editorial) November 13, 2012 - 1:00am Our political leaders are reassessing their options in the wake of the latest escalation in the South. Israel’s current policy is to react to each new barrage from Gaza by identifying and singling out the specific terrorist organization that fired at our civilians, targeting rocket-launching crews and arms caches. » Read more

From his West Bank Italian villa, Palestinian billionaire Munib al-Masri calls for peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Ben Sales - (Analysis) November 13, 2012 - 1:00am NABLUS, West Bank (JTA) -- Dozens of photographs line the wall of a room on the first floor of Palestinian billionaire Munib al-Masri's West Bank villa, depicting a man of global influence but also of divergent impulses. » Read more

Obama in his Second Term: No Escaping the Middle East ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Hayat by George Semaan - (Opinion) November 13, 2012 - 1:00am The United States cannot quit its responsibilities, regardless of the obstacles and the internal and objective difficulties getting in the way of the performance of its leading role around the world, knowing it does not wish to relinquish this position, which it has occupied since the end of the Cold War. » Read more

Is Israel Better Off With Assad in Power? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Monitor by Rafi Noy - (Opinion) November 13, 2012 - 1:00am Nobody knows who the insurgents really are or the kind of Syria Israel will have to grapple with once they seize power. With the incumbent regime, by contrast, we’ve been getting along for dozens of years.  » Read more

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