July 15th

Despite Settlement Freeze, Buildings Rise
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Ethan Bronner - July 14, 2010 - 12:00am

One of the most contentious issues facing the Middle East peace talks is whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will extend the 10-month-old building freeze in West Bank Jewish settlements, as the Palestinians and Americans want.

»

Cheer, Then Gloom, on Talks for Peace Deal in Mideast
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Isabel Kershner - July 14, 2010 - 12:00am

In the upbeat atmosphere after their recent meeting in Washington, the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, and President Obama expressed hopes of an imminent resumption of direct Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and of achieving a peace deal — within a year, according to Mr. Netanyahu, or in Mr. Obama’s case, before the end of his term. There has been vague talk in Washington about a narrowing of gaps in the weeks since the indirect, American-brokered negotiations started in May.

»

Police suspect alleged Jewish terrorist killed four Palestinians
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Amos Harel, Chaim Levinson - July 15, 2010 - 12:00am

A right-wing Israeli extremist arrested this week over a string of stabbing attacks is suspected of murdering four Palestinians and attempting to murder another seven, according to details of the investigation released on Thursday. Chaim Pearlman was arrested Tuesday, initially on suspicion of carrying out two murders in 1998, and for a series of attacks on other Palestinian victims over the last 12 years. The Petah Tikva Magistrate's Court on Thursday extended his remand by six days.

»

Palestinians in Lebanon deserve better
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News
by Joseph A. Kechichian - (Opinion) July 15, 2010 - 12:00am

Once again, the fate that befell 450,000 plus Palestinian refugees in Lebanon has preoccupied that hapless country's leaders. Like other neighbouring states, Lebanon warmly welcomed Palestinians expelled from Israel over the years, providing them with relative security even if weak governments failed to regularise their presence. After the hugely mistaken 1969 Cairo Accords, which allowed refugees to arm themselves — ostensibly to attack Israel — Lebanon compounded the Palestinian tragedy by authorising a new battlefront on its own territory.

»

Jerusalem home demolition leaves mother, four children homeless
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Maher Abukhater - (Blog) July 15, 2010 - 12:00am

Dalal Rajabi, a mother of four children, came home Tuesday to find that her modest two-room house that has sheltered her family for two years had been razed. A team of Jerusalem municipal workers protected by a large police force came to the Rajabis' 200-square-foot home in Beit Hanina, an East Jerusalem Arab neighborhood, broke down the main door, took the furniture out and proceeded to demolish it. Dalal Rajabi was not home at the time. She had left the house to take her son to see a doctor when the workers and a bulldozer arrived.

»

July 14th

The New York Times profiles the suffering of the people of Gaza under the blockade. Michael Singh says peace in the Middle East will be difficult, but is a win-win scenario. A Palestinian woman is killed and five others injured by Israeli shelling in Gaza, and a 13-year-old boy is shot. The Knesset revokes key parliamentary privileges of a Palestinian MK. The US expresses concern over Israel's destruction of six Palestinian buildings in occupied East Jerusalem. Israeli police are delaying the court-ordered evacuation of settlers in Jerusalem. Bradley Burston says Israelis need a Gandhi of their own. The Jerusalem municipality honors convicted spy Jonathan Pollard. Israel tells a Hamas leader to leave Jerusalem or face jail. Nahum Barnea says the ball is now in Pres. Abbas' court, but PM Netanyahu faces grave difficulties. Israel considers allowing Israelis to visit West Bank cities again. The Forward says it's not too late for a two-state solution. Saad bin Tefla says Netanyahu's strategy is succeeding. Ian Buruma says Jewish suffering is no excuse for Israel's behavior. Yossi Alpher says the warmth following the Obama-Netanyahu meeting may be short-lived.

Next Steps
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
(Editorial) July 14, 2010 - 12:00am

All the right words were spoken. Praise was effusive. The handshake made a perfect photo op. The wives had tea. Now that the July 6 summit between President Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been duly recorded, the true test of its worth will begin. It is clear that, for both political and pragmatic reasons, Obama seriously wants to preside over a peace accord between Israelis and Palestinians. The question is whether Netanyahu and his Palestinian counterparts want it as bad, and are willing to sacrifice for this elusive but necessary goal.

»

Great atmospherics
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons
by Yossi Alpher - (Opinion) July 14, 2010 - 12:00am

The Obama-Netanyahu meeting in Washington last week was an elegant exercise in short-term realpolitik. Very short-term. US President Barack Obama needs urgently to project an image of tranquility, friendship and cooperation in his relationship with Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu. This helps his administration ensure the support of a variety of pro-Israel sectors of American society as mid-term congressional elections approach. It also seeks to correct the impression that Obama has simply mismanaged his relations with Netanyahu and Israel and fumbled the peace process from the start.

»

Jewish suffering is no excuse for Israel's aggression
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
by Ian Buruma - (Opinion) July 14, 2010 - 12:00am

Israel’s decision in May to drop commandoes onto a flotilla of pro-Palestinian activists was brutal. The killing of nine civilians by those commandoes was a terrible consequence. Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip and occupation of Palestinian territories in the West Bank, not to mention the road blocks, destruction of homes, and other daily torments of the Palestinians, are also a form of institutionalized inhumanity.

»

Netanyahu's Success
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat
by Saad bin Tefla - (Opinion) July 14, 2010 - 12:00am

Day after day US President Barack Obama, who is still not a highly seasoned politician, discovers that talk in election campaigns is one thing but political reality is another, and that, as they say, "talk is cheap" during and prior to election campaigns, and even at Cairo University and earlier at the Turkish parliament. However, matching words with deeds is a completely different matter.

»


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