June 2nd

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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June 1st

The Obama Administration weighs options for increasing the pressure on Israel to agree to a full settlement freeze (1) (2). Jewish settlers attack Palestinian workers in the West Bank (3). The United Nations fact finding team arrives in Gaza to begin its investigation into allegations of war crimes (4). Israeli settlers seek the eviction of dozens of Palestinians from their homes in East Jerusalem (5). In an interview with Raghida Dergham, General David Petraeus insists that resolving the Palestinian-Israeli issue would decrease threats to U.S. troops (7). The Palestinian Authority confronts Hamas in the West Bank (11) (13) (16). In a posting on Ibishblog.com Hussein Ibish argues that ATFP was right to keep focusing on settlements over the past year (6).

U.S. Weighs Tactics on Israeli Settlement
Media Mention of Ghaith al-Omari In The New York Times - June 1, 2009 - 12:00am

WASHINGTON — As President Obama prepares to head to the Middle East this week, administration officials are debating how to toughen their stance against any expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The measures under discussion — all largely symbolic — include stepping back from America’s near-uniform support for Israel in the United Nations if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel does not agree to a settlement freeze, administration officials said.

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