Border Control/Nothing Natural About it
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Akiva Eldar - June 2, 2009 - 12:00am


The myth of "natural population growth" doesn't impress Col. (res.) Shaul Arieli, nor do the stories about little children from good Jewish homes who are left without a kindergarten. Arieli, who in the late 1990s served as deputy military secretary to former prime minister and incumbent Defense Minister Ehud Barak, did the calculations and found that one third of Israelis living in the territories (not including East Jerusalem) settled there during the Oslo years and another third after the peace process was suspended.


Obama: U.S. will be 'honest' with Israel on settlements
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Natasha Mozgovaya, Barak Ravid - June 2, 2009 - 12:00am


The United States will be more blunt in raising objections to Israel's settlement policies in the Palestinian territories than previous administrations, President Barack Obama told a U.S. radio network in an interview on Monday. "Part of being a good friend is being honest," Obama told National Public Radio. "And I think there have been times where we are not as honest as we should be about the fact that the current direction, the current trajectory, in the region is profoundly negative, not only for Israeli interests but also U.S. interests.


Democrats pressure Barack Obama on Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Politico
by Ben Smith - June 1, 2009 - 12:00am


As President Barack Obama prepares to depart for his first trip to the Arab world, the administration’s escalating pressure on Israel to freeze all growth of its settlements on Palestinian land has begun to stir concern among Israel’s numerous allies in both parties on Capitol Hill.


Obama Hopeful on Mid-East Peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News
June 2, 2009 - 12:00am


US President Barack Obama has told the BBC he believes his country can help to get serious Middle East peace negotiations back on track. Mr Obama's first interview with a UK broadcaster comes on the eve of a trip to the Middle East and Europe. On Iran, he said he hoped to see progress by the end of the year, through "tough, direct diplomacy". But he said, rather than imposing its values on other countries, the US should act as a role model.


Israeli Minister's Visit Aims To Calm Settlements Dispute
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Glenn Kessler - June 2, 2009 - 12:00am


Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak began a round of meetings with top U.S. officials yesterday in a bid to head off an increasingly sharp dispute between the United States and Israel over the expansion of Jewish settlements in Palestinian territory.


6 Die as Palestinian Authority Forces Clash With Hamas
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Ethan Bronner - June 1, 2009 - 12:00am


Palestinian Authority forces clashed with Hamas militants in the West Bank early on Sunday, leaving six dead in the bloodiest such encounter in two years. The violence erupted days after the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, assured President Obama in Washington that his troops were imposing order on the area. In Gaza, Hamas reacted by arresting Fatah activists and hinting of further revenge.


No More Room for Excuses in Peace Process
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
(Editorial) June 1, 2009 - 12:00am


It would be easy to dismiss Fatah’s crackdown on Hamas members in the West Bank as yet more factional infighting. Since the collapse of the Palestinian government and the ousting of Fatah from the Gaza Strip, the two sides have been in constant conflict. It seems that every time Hamas needs to score political points it cracks down on Fatah, and every time Fatah needs to show it is tough on terror it arrests Hamas members.


Obama Talks of Being ‘Honest’ With Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Helene Cooper - June 1, 2009 - 12:00am


Obama Talks of Being ‘Honest’ With Israel By HELENE COOPER WASHINGTON — President Obama indicated on Monday that he would be more willing to criticize Israel than previous administrations have been, and he reiterated his call for a freeze of Israeli settlements.


Blair Sees Possibility of Israeli-Palestinian Breakthrough
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
by David Sapsted - June 1, 2009 - 12:00am


There could be a breakthrough in diplomatic moves to establish peace between Israel and the Palestinians within a few weeks, Tony Blair, the UN’s special Middle East envoy, predicted yesterday. The former British prime minister told a committee of British MPs that the month of June would be “critical” to efforts to find a way forward.


ATFP Original Translation: The Nakba Narrative
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Hayat
by Hassan Khader - (Opinion) May 24, 2009 - 12:00am


A quick review of the annual commemoration of the Nakba leads to the realization that there is a standard operating procedure repeated each year.



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