June 1st

Jewish settler attack injures Palestinians
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News
June 1, 2009 - 12:00am

Several Palestinian workers have been hurt in an attack by a group of Jewish settlers in the northern West Bank. One worker suffered serious head injuries, as dozens of masked settlers threw rocks at their vehicles. Police say no arrests have been made following the attack near the Palestinian city of Nablus, which is circled by Israeli settlements. Friction and violence is common between Jewish settlers and Palestinians in the West Bank, captured by Israel in 1967.

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West Bank fight a grim reminder
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News
(Editorial) June 1, 2009 - 12:00am

The six people who have been killed in a firefight between Hamas fighters and Palestinian policemen is not only the worst clash in the West Bank since Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip two years ago. The deaths also served as a grim reminder that it is not just Benjamin Netanyahu who stands in the way of peace. The Palestinians themselves are doing a fairly decent job of hampering their own aspirations.

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The Middle East peace process may be on the line
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons
by Mkhaimar Abusada - (Opinion) June 1, 2009 - 12:00am

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the White House, the first such visit since US President Barack Obama came to power, revealed major differences between the two leaders. Most importantly, Netanyahu could not say the magic words, "two states for two peoples." He did concede that both Palestinians and Israelis will have to live and coexist side-by-side, and that he supported self-rule for Palestinians. But he made no mention of a state and thus failed to endorse the cornerstone of Washington's Middle East policy, underscoring a rare rift in United States-Israel relations.

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A Historic Opportunity for Obama
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al-Hayat
by Raghida Dergham - May 29, 2009 - 12:00am

When US President Barack Obama gives his awaited speech in Egypt next Thursday on June 4, it will be in his interest to have thoroughly examined the speech given by his predecessor, George W. Bush, on April 4, 2002, which was the most powerful speech given by a US President concerning the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside the State of Israel.

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Resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict would make the US troops less threatened and remove the arguments of movements
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al-Hayat
by Raghida Dergham - (Interview) June 1, 2009 - 12:00am

The Commander of the US Central Command, General David Petraeus, told Al-Hayat in an interview that resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is “very central” for his work as commander of US forces in 20 countries, mostly of them in the Muslim world, and that dealing with this conflict, just like closing Guantanamo, would be “a positive step forward” towards making the US troops less threatened. He said: “I think a lot of things would be better if this issue is resolved.

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The Difficult Questions Concerning Obama's Middle East Visit
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat
by Bilal Hassen - June 1, 2009 - 12:00am

The Palestinian catastrophe [Al-Nakbah] anniversary month, May, has come to an end with American President Barack Obama receiving Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas, and by the end of this month - which has been a month of meetings and discussions - the American president immediately starts his practical moves to concretize the results of his meetings and consultations. This will be done with two visits: A first visit to Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday 3 June 2009, and a second visit to Egypt, on Thursday 4 June 2009.

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May 29th

Following yesterday's meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, President Obama reaffirms the U.S. commitment to Roadmap principles and reiterates his call for an end to Israeli settlements (1) (2) (4) (16). Several articles discuss the increasing importance of a settlement freeze (6) (7) (14). The New York Times reports on the continuing humanitarian crisis in Gaza (3). Israeli police shut down a Palestinian theater in East Jerusalem hosting an international literature festival (9). More than three-quarters of the U.S. House of Representatives sign an AIPAC backed letter urging "every effort" be made for Arab-Israeli peace, but calling on the US not to pressure Israel (11).

Obama tells Israel to halt expansion
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Boston Globe
May 29, 2009 - 12:00am

President Obama received Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House yesterday with an invaluable welcoming gift: a toughly worded, categorical US demand for Israel to stop expanding settlements in the West Bank. But hours before the two men met, the Israeli government flatly rejected the demand. Spokesman Mark Regev said that "normal life in those communities must be allowed to continue," including some construction.

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Palestinians laud 'shared vision' with Obama
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
May 29, 2009 - 12:00am

Saeb Erekat says Palestinians encouraged by Obama administration's commitment to peace in the Middle East; Chief Palestinian negotiator says Israel's credibility undermined 'over failure to live up to previous obligations'

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The Big Question: What are Israeli settlements, and why are they coming under pressure?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Independent
May 29, 2009 - 12:00am

Why are we asking this now? Because the US administration appears to be serious about getting Israel to freeze Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank. Previous US administrations said they wanted a freeze but in practice allowed Israel to continue with at least some building. How did the settlements come about?

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