December 9th

WEST BANK: Palestinian reaction to U.S. reversal on settlement freeze
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Maher Abukhater - December 9, 2010 - 1:00am

Palestinian politicians and analysts said Wednesday that they were not surprised that the U.S. government had failed to get Israel to agree to a temporary settlement freeze as a precondition for resuming Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations. To them, It had only been a matter of time before U.S. officials acknowledged failure.

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Obama's double-or-nothing moment in the Middle East
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Jackson Diehl - December 9, 2010 - 1:00am

The latest collapse of the Middle East peace process has underlined a reality that the Obama administration has resisted since it took office -- that neither the current Israeli government nor the Palestinian Authority shares its passion for moving quickly toward a two-state settlement. And it has left President Obama with a tough choice: quietly shift one of his prized foreign policy priorities to a back burner -- or launch a risky redoubling of U.S. efforts.

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U.S. hurting peace chances by giving up on Israeli settlement freeze, analysts say
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Janine Zacharia - December 9, 2010 - 1:00am

The Obama administration's decision to stop seeking a new Israeli settlement freeze as a way back into talks with the Palestinians has diminished prospects of achieving a peace accord within a year and eroded U.S. credibility in the region, analysts said Wednesday. The decision also represented a belated recognition that even if they had persuaded Israel to renew a construction moratorium in the West Bank for three months, U.S. officials would have faced an even more difficult problem after that expired.

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Why the U.S. Ended Push for Israeli Building Freeze
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Ethan Bronner - December 9, 2010 - 1:00am

When it became clear a month ago that American and Israeli officials were negotiating a partial, one-time, 90-day Israeli settlement construction freeze in exchange for American military hardware and diplomatic guarantees, few analysts applauded. Related Israel Says It Will Permit More Exports From Gaza (December 9, 2010)

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December 8th

Giving up is not an option
In Print by Ziad Asali - The Huffington Post (Opinion) - December 8, 2010 - 1:00am

Introduction The Administration has mercifully, and honestly, admitted that the time has come to abandon its policy of seeking a settlement freeze as a path to negotiations.  It will pay a political price and will be blamed and endure the gloating of its critics. However, at the end of the day, the US government will be the one that everyone else will look to for providing answers and driving policy.  The two-state solution is the unchanging American policy because it is in our own national strategic interest.

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The US abandons efforts to secure a settlement freeze, and considers reviving indirect negotiations. Palestinians criticize the move, say talks are in crisis and explore international recognition for a Palestinian state. The CSM looks at why Argentina and Brazil have recognized Palestine. The UN says it is concerned about Hamas' closure of an NGO in Gaza. Three Palestinians are wounded by Israeli shelling in Gaza. Israel will allow flower exports from Gaza. The US will hold separate talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials. The Israeli military resumes use of tear gas canisters that have caused death and injuries. An effort to provide an alternative to Israeli-owned hummus at Princeton fails. The National says Turkey is driving Latin American recognition of Palestine.

The peace process is not captive to Israeli intransigence
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
(Editorial) December 8, 2010 - 1:00am

Seasons may change, but renewal is never a guarantee. This is especially true for Middle Eastern peace, where an autumn of possibility has given way to a winter of discontent. Latin American support for a Palestinian state may be one way to help break the ice. This week Argentina and Uruguay joined the BRIC heavyweight Brazil in recognising an independent Palestine. Bolivia and Ecuador are expected to follow suit.

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Sabra staying as only Princeton hummus
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from
December 8, 2010 - 1:00am

A Princeton student referendum on whether to ask the university's dining services to provide an alternative brand of hummus to Sabra was defeated. Some 1,014 students voted against the referendum and 699 students were in favor during the three days of voting last week, according to results announced Dec. 3, the Daily Princetonian student newspaper reported.

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IDF resumes use of prohibited tear gas canisters
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Chaim Levinson - December 8, 2010 - 1:00am

Israel Defense Forces soldiers recently resumed the use of prohibited tear gas canisters to disperse demonstrations in the West Bank.

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Middle East peace talks 'crisis' over settlement row
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC World News
December 8, 2010 - 1:00am

His comments come hours after the US admitted that it had failed to get Israel to renew its settlement curbs. Mr Abbas suspended talks in September after a 10-month halt on Israeli building in the occupied West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem, expired. The US has vowed to find other ways to bring the two sides together. The peace talks resumed in Washington in September after a break of almost two years, but broke down just weeks later over the settlement issue. US sweeteners

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