March 18th

Israel crisis: US must keep up the pressure
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
(Editorial) March 17, 2010 - 12:00am

The Obama administration appears to be turning down the rhetoric in its heated exchange with Israel over last week’s surprise announcement of 1,600 more Jewish housing units in East Jerusalem. It should not, however, relieve pressure on Israel to show that it is ready to compromise in making peace with the Palestinians.

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Rocket fired by Gaza militants kills man in Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
March 18, 2010 - 12:00am

A rocket fired by Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip killed a man inside Israel Thursday, Israeli medics said, in the first death from a rocket attack since Israel's Gaza offensive last year. Magen David Adom of Israel's emergency service said the man killed was about 30 years old and appeared to be a farm worker from Thailand employed in an agricultural community just north of Gaza. Such rocket fire was once common but has become rare since the Israeli military's Gaza campaign, which brought about a steep drop in the number of attacks launched from the Palestinian territory.

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Palestinians must not stay on the sidelines, official says
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Edmund Sanders - (Interview) March 17, 2010 - 12:00am

Almost overshadowed in the recent days of diplomatic tussle between the U.S. and Israel is the Palestinian Authority, whose leaders have been watching with concern -- and perhaps a little amusement. It's not often Palestinians get to see the U.S. and Israel clash so publicly.

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For Israel and America, a Disagreement, Not a Crisis
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Michael B. Oren - (Opinion) March 17, 2010 - 12:00am

ISRAEL and America enjoy a deep and multi-layered friendship, but even the closest allies can sometimes disagree. Such a disagreement began last week during Vice President Joseph Biden’s visit to Israel, when a mid-level official in the Interior Ministry announced an interim planning phase in the expansion of Ramat Shlomo, a northern Jerusalem neighborhood. While this discord was unfortunate, it was not a historic low point in United States-Israel relations; nor did I ever say that it was, contrary to some reports.

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Israel Objects to U.S. Construction Demands
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Ethan Bronner - March 16, 2010 - 12:00am

The discord between the United States and Israel over Jewish building in East Jerusalem deepened Tuesday with Israeli officials saying they would reject demands by Washington and expressing anger over the public upbraiding of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by the Obama administration. Multimedia Palestinians wearing masks took part Tuesday in disturbances in East Jerusalem, which they view as the capital of a future state. Enlarge This Image Rina Castelnuovo for The New York Times

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Opportunity in a Fight With Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Mark Landler - March 18, 2010 - 12:00am

For President Obama, getting into a serious fight with Israel carries obvious domestic and foreign political risks. But it may offer the administration a payoff it sees as worthwhile: shoring up Mr. Obama’s credibility as a Middle East peacemaker by showing doubtful Israelis and Palestinians that he has the fortitude to push the two sides toward an agreement. Yuri Gripas/Reuters Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said ties between the United States and Israel were still strong.

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U.S. Mulls Own Plan for Mideast Talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Isabel Kershner, David E. Sanger - March 17, 2010 - 12:00am

The angry exchanges between the United States and the Israeli government have rekindled a White House debate over whether — and when — President Obama should propose an American plan to form the basis of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, senior administration officials said Wednesday. The move would be a risky one for Mr. Obama at a time that the coalition government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is fragile and the Palestinians are deeply divided. Until now Mr. Obama has deflected calls to put his own plan, with territorial maps, on the table.

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March 17th

Parsing Mitchell's statement
Media Mention of Hussein Ibish In Politico - March 17, 2010 - 12:00am

Middle East Peace Envoy George Mitchell issued a statement from Israel today which on its face seemed a quiet victory wave on achieving agreement for Israeli-Palestinian proximity talks over the weekend. But a former Israeli official reading the statement interprets it differently, to suggest they haven't agreed on what they are going to be talking about indirectly. While an American Palestinian expert says the indirect proximity talks provide a bridging mechanism to potentially get the parties back to direct negotiations.

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US-Israel crisis — this time it's serious
Media Mention of Ziad Asali In Arab News - March 17, 2010 - 12:00am

Tension between the United States and Israel went up a notch on Monday when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said construction in occupied East Jerusalem would continue as usual. "Construction will continue in Jerusalem as has been the case over the past 42 years," Netanyahu told members of his Likud party.

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The ongoing controversy between the US and Israel continues to dominate coverage: the New York Times sees an opportunity for the United States; Israel continues to refuse to reign in settlements; Tom Friedman says the US should support the PA state building agenda; Maureen Dowd says Iran is benefiting from the controversy; Sec. Clinton tones down administration rhetoric; the Quartet is meeting to discuss the matter; a Ha'aretz commentary asks whether Pres. Obama will seek to unseat PM Netanyahu and an editorial says he should agree to American demands; Netanyahu's brother-in-law calls Obama an "anti-Semite." More than 100 Palestinians are injured in West Bank violence, and the Christian Science Monitor says Iran sees an opportunity in the chaos. Israel lifts the closure of the West Bank. PLO secretary-general Yasser Abed Rabbo announces a major Palestinian conference on Jerusalem. General David Petraeus expresses concern that Israel's policies may be endangering US troops. The OIC accuses Israel of promoting a religious war. 13 human rights organizations petition on behalf of Palestinian mobility. Tensions emerge between US Jewish and Presbyterian leaders.

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