April 30th

'U.S. told Palestinians it would consider allowing UN censure of Israel' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz April 30, 2010 - 12:00am The Obama administration would consider allowing the United Nations Security Council to censure Israel over its activity in West Bank settlements in order to encourage the Palestinians to participate in peace talks, a Palestinian source told The Guardian on Friday. According to the source, U.S. special Mideast envoy George Mitchell's deputy, David Hale, told Abbas that the Obama administration views Israeli construction in East Jerusalem as "provocative." » Read more

Abbas urged to name deputy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Khaled Abu Toameh - April 30, 2010 - 12:00am In the wake of reports that he’s facing health problems, Fatah is demanding that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas appoint a deputy, The Jerusalem Post has learned. Senior Fatah officials who met with Abbas, 75, over the past week urged him to consider appointing a deputy president, to prevent power vacuum if he were unable to carry out his duties. » Read more

'Israel must remove 23 outposts' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Hilary Leila Krieger - April 30, 2010 - 12:00am The US pushed back against indications Israel has abandoned its commitment to take down authorized outposts Thursday, calling on Jerusalem to live up to its obligations. “The Israeli government has pledged to take specific actions,” US State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said. “They have responsibilities and we would expect them to fulfill those responsibilities.” » Read more

J'lem fears PA may seek UN recognition ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Khaled Abu Toameh, David Horovitz - April 30, 2010 - 12:00am While Israel and the Palestinian Authority are finally expected to begin US-mediated indirect “proximity” talks in the very near future, concern is growing among some in the Israeli government that the PA is planning to marginalize the diplomatic process and instead unilaterally seek UN recognition for a Palestinian state along the pre-1967 lines. » Read more

Jordan's Abdullah: Israel playing with fire ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews April 30, 2010 - 12:00am Jordan's King Abdullah II said Thursday that Israel was "playing with fire" in Jerusalem, stressing that the Hashemite Kingdom retains all political, diplomatic and legal options to "protect" Jerusalem and its Muslim holy sites. Speaking to foreign ambassadors on the shores of the Dead Sea, Abdullah said reaffirming the Palestinian quest for statehood was a top priority for his country. » Read more

Price tag: Who's to blame for settler violence? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Anat Shalev - April 30, 2010 - 12:00am Torching fields, vehicles and houses, uprooting olive trees, vandalizing kindergartens – these are part of a long list of almost routine violent acts of settlers against Palestinians, dubbed "price tag." The latest incident occurred Thursday in the village of Hawara, when residents from the settlement of Yitzhar hurled stones, torched fields and caused havoc in a kindergarten and in private homes. » Read more

Interview: U.S. pledges to stop Israeli provocations: Abbas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua by Zhao Yue - (Interview) April 29, 2010 - 12:00am Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas revealed that he has got a U.S. pledge to stop "any provocative activities" by Israel as part of Washington's efforts to resume Middle East peace talks. In an exclusive interview with Xinhua in Amman on Wednesday, Abbas, 74, said Washington made the pledge during a recent visit of U.S. Mideast envoy George Mitchell to the region. Once "the credibility of the U.S. pledges are demonstrated," the negotiations, stalled since December 2008, "would restart immediately," he said. » Read more

Israeli officials: Obama to call world summit if Mideast peace talks fail ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - April 30, 2010 - 12:00am U.S. President Barack Obama has told several European leaders that if Israeli-Palestinian talks remain stalemated into September or October, he will convene an international summit on achieving Mideast peace, senior Israeli officials told Haaretz on Thursday. » Read more

Israel's choice: Make peace or disappear ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Tzvia Greenfield - (Opinion) April 30, 2010 - 12:00am The student senate at Berkeley University in California recently passed a resolution calling for divestment from Israel. Prof. Judith Butler, the feminist theoretician, expounded to the enthusiastic audience on her new "Jewish" vision, which calls for renouncing the State of Israel. In this way, the intellectual elites once again expressed their strong belief in the theological principle whose basis is opposition to Western culture. » Read more

Clinton seeks concrete action on peace from Arabs ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Arshad Mohammed - April 30, 2010 - 12:00am Arab states should offer more moral and financial support to Palestinians, reach out to Israelis and stop arming militants to foster Middle East peace, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Thursday. In her third speech on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in two months, Clinton stressed U.S. support for Israel after a period of acute U.S.-Israeli tension while laying out actions she expects of Israel, the Palestinians and Arab countries. » Read more