Middle East News: World Press Roundup

NEWS: Jewish congregations experience controversy in embracing the Palestinian UN upgrade. Israel says it's moving forward with controversial building plans in near occupied East Jerusalem. Pres. Abas says the plans cross a Palestinian and international red line. Palestinians would face many obstacles in trying to bring international criminal prosecution against Israeli officials. Palestinians say Israeli settlement construction is leading to the creation of a single, unequal state. PM Netanyahu says Israel is still committed to a two-state solution. Deputy FM Ayalon is dumped from his party's election list. The UK downplays the prospect of European economic sanctions against Israel. Palestinians say European states are considering ways of reviving peace negotiations. Israel's high court is hearing a case about a law that allows the targets of boycotts to sue boycotters. Chancellor Merkel is reportedly warning Netanyahu that Israel faces further isolation without a meaningful peace process in place. Hamas says it wants to reopen the airport in southern Gaza. Efforts to include retaliatory measures against the Palestinians for their UN upgrade fail in the US Senate. COMMENTARY: Tom Friedman says missile defense systems and walls are not enough to protect Israel. Carlo Strenger says Netanyahu is leading Israel into an abyss.Yossi Alpher says the UN may have set the stage for a rebirth of the peace process. The Jerusalem Post argues that it's completely reasonable for Israel to be excluded from the NPT and nuclear nonproliferation regimes. Jill Jacobs says the silence of Jewish-American groups over Israel's planned expansion of the E1 settlement block is shocking. The Forward condemns the plan. Osama Al Sharif says the UN vote upgrading Palestine has transformed the legal and diplomatic context of the issue. Ian Buruma says history shows the kind of rule Israel is conducting in the occupied Palestinian territories is very fragile. Khaled al-Houroub says Abbas should go to Gaza. Danny Rubinstein says Israeli-Palestinian economic ties have declined and are unlikely to improve under the current circumstances. Saree Makdisi says that if Israel will not agree to two-state solution, it must accept a single, equitable state.

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Cheering U.N. Palestine Vote, Synagogue Tests Its Members ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Joseph Berger, Sharon Otterman - December 4, 2012 - 1:00am Congregation B’nai Jeshurun, a large synagogue on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, is known for its charismatic rabbis, its energetic and highly musical worship, and its liberal stances on social causes. » Read more

Abbas says new Israeli settlements 'red line' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Dalia Nammari - December 5, 2012 - 1:00am RAMALLAH, West Bank — An Israeli-Palestinian showdown over plans for new Jewish settlements around Jerusalem escalated on Wednesday. Israel pushed the most contentious of the projects further along in the planning pipeline, and the Palestinian president said he would seek U.N. Security Council help to block the construction. » Read more

Palestinian war crimes case faces long road ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Josef Federman - December 4, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM — Days after winning upgraded status at the United Nations, the Palestinians are threatening to join the world's first permanent war crimes court and pursue charges against the Israelis. » Read more

Palestinians: settlement expansion means 1 state ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Karin Laub - December 4, 2012 - 1:00am RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Palestinians will ask the U.N. Security Council to call for an Israeli settlement freeze, President Mahmoud Abbas and his advisers decided Tuesday, as part of an escalating showdown over Israel's new plans to build thousands more homes on war-won land in and around Jerusalem. » Read more

Netanyahu says Israel still committed to Palestinians peace deal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters December 5, 2012 - 1:00am PRAGUE, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Israel remains committed to a negotiated settlement with the Palestinians, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday, despite worries among the Jewish state's European allies over its plans to build more settlements. » Read more

Blunt Israeli diplomat dropped from election list ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press December 4, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM — Israel's foreign minister has dropped his deputy, known for international incidents, from his list of candidates for Israel's January 22 election. » Read more

UK downplays economic sanctions against Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press December 4, 2012 - 1:00am LONDON — British Foreign Secretary William Hague has downplayed the possibility of European economic sanctions against Israel for its latest settlement-building plans, saying there is "no enthusiasm around the European Union" for such measures. » Read more

Europe mulls new Mideast peace plan: Palestinian official ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua December 4, 2012 - 1:00am RAMALLAH, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- European countries are mulling a new plan to revive the peace talks that have been stalled since 2010 between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), a Palestinian official said Tuesday. » Read more

Israel's High Court hears appeal against controversial 'Boycott Law' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Jack Khoury - December 5, 2012 - 1:00am Israel's High Court of Justice will hear an appeal against the controversial "Boycott Law," on Wednesday, and decide whether to fulfill requests to issue an order nisi against it. » Read more

Merkel to warn Netanyahu: Promote peace process or face world seclusion ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - December 5, 2012 - 1:00am With Israel and European Union states embroiled in a diplomatic crisis, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel Wednesday night in Berlin. » Read more

Hamas seeks to reopen airport in southern Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Khaled Abu Toameh - December 5, 2012 - 1:00am The Hamas government is working toward reopening the only airport in the Gaza Strip. Named after Yasser Arafat, the airport, which is located close to the Egyptian border, opened in 1998, when the Palestinian Authority was still in control of the Gaza Strip. » Read more

Senate amendment penalizing Palestinians for U.N. status does not pass ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) December 5, 2012 - 1:00am WASHINGTON (JTA) -- A U.S. Senate amendment that would have penalized Palestinians for seeking non-member state status at the United Nations was not attached to its intended law. » Read more

Iron Empires, Iron Fists, Iron Domes ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Thomas L. Friedman - (Opinion) December 4, 2012 - 1:00am   I went to synagogue on Saturday not far from the Syrian border in Antakya, Turkey. It’s been on my mind ever since. » Read more

Netanyahu is leading Israel into an abyss ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Carlo Strenger - (Opinion) December 5, 2012 - 1:00am   » Read more

The UN may have given birth to a new peace paradigm ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Yossi Alpher - (Opinion) December 5, 2012 - 1:00am   » Read more

The UN’s NPT vote ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post (Editorial) December 4, 2012 - 1:00am In yet another anti-Israel vote backed by an overwhelming majority, the UN General Assembly singled out Israel – not Iran or Syria – for supposedly violating the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.In a 174-6 with six abstentions, the General Assembly called on Israel Monday to join the NPT & » Read more

Jews Keep Head in Sand on 'E1' Settlements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Jill Jacobs - (Opinion) December 4, 2012 - 1:00am   » Read more

Two States and E1 ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward (Editorial) December 5, 2012 - 1:00am   » Read more

Palestinian statehood ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times by Osama Al-Sharif - (Opinion) December 4, 2012 - 1:00am   The look on the US representative at the United Nations Susan Rice’s face said it all. She had a bad day at the office last Thursday, when 138 nations voted for a General Assembly resolution to upgrade Palestine’s status to a non-member observer state at the international body. » Read more

The observer state of Palestine ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times by Ian Buruma - (Opinion) December 4, 2012 - 1:00am   Palestine is no longer an “entity”, but a state — or, to be precise, a non-member observer state of the United Nations, just like the Holy See. » Read more

Abu Mazen Should Go to Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Monitor (Opinion) December 5, 2012 - 1:00am   » Read more

Israeli-Palestinian Economic Ties Decline ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Monitor by Danny Rubenstein - (Opinion) December 5, 2012 - 1:00am   » Read more

If Not Two States, Then One ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Saree Makdisi - (Opinion) December 5, 2012 - 1:00am   » Read more

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