March 10th

Yishai: Sorry for distress over East Jerusalem Plan
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Nir Hasson, Avi Issacharoff, Anshel Pfeffer, Barak Ravid - March 10, 2010 - 1:00am

Interior Minister Eli Yishai apologized on Wednesday for causing domestic and international distress as a result of Israel's recent decision to approve 1,600 more homes in East Jerusalem. Yishai was responding to the recent wave of condemnations, particularly on the part of the United States and visiting Vice President Joe Biden, surrounding the recent plan to build 1,600 more housing units in an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood in East Jerusalem.

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Bibi's snub to Biden may backfire
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian
by Simon Tisdall - March 10, 2010 - 1:00am

It's not the first time that Israel has stiffed Barack Obama over his attempts to kick-start Middle East peace negotiations. But the sudden, highly inflammatory announcement of plans to build an additional 1,600 homes in occupied East Jerusalem, in the midst of a visit to Israel of US vice-president Joe Biden, was certainly the most brutally contemptuous rebuff so far to American peacemaking.

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The People of Gaza and a Reporter: Victims of the NY Times' Subbornness
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Huffington Post
by Daoud Kuttab - (Opinion) March 8, 2010 - 1:00am

The people of Gaza appear to have been the recent victims of the arrogance (or what some believe to be the bias) of the NY Times. The stubbornness of Bill Keller, the executive editor of the NY Times, in refusing to relocate his Jerusalem reporter has caused a considerable drop in the paper's coverage of Gaza. The Times has refused to relocate their reporter covering Israel and Palestine after the appearance of a conflict of interest surfaced. The Electronic Intifada and the US media watchdog FAIR first reported the conflict of interest case in January 25th and 27th respectively.

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ATFP Senior Fellow joins Boston College panel on US-Israel Relations
Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - March 11, 2010 - 1:00am

An audience of more than a hundred students, faculty, and staff gathered in the Corcoran Commons Heights Room at Boston College on February 22, 2010 to hear a panel discussion on relations between Israel and the United States. Speaking were ATFP senior fellow Hussein Ibish; Shai Feldman, director of the Crown Center for Middle East Studies at Brandeis University; and Aaron David Miller, a former state department analyst and negotiator, now a public policy fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.


March 9th

The decision by the Israeli Ministry of Interior to approve 1,600 new homes in East Jerusalem drew sharp reactions, including a strongly-worded condemnation by Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., who is currently visiting Israel. ATFP believes that “advocates of violence, confrontation and escalation of conflict can only be gratified at this announcement.” Following is a special ATFP news roundup about this development.

US slams new J'lem homes approval
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
March 9, 2010 - 1:00am

US Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday condemned Israel's approval of 1,600 new housing units for young haredi families in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo, saying that the timing of the decision undermines the peace process the United States is attempting to revive. Biden, visiting in Israel, issued a harshly worded statement criticizing the Israeli move, saying its timing was especially troubling by coming on the eve of a new round of US-mediated peace talks.

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Biden: East Jerusalem plan undermines peace talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Nir Hasson, Avi Issacharoff, Natasha Mozgovaya - March 9, 2010 - 1:00am

Israel's decision to approve 1,600 new homes in an ultra-Orthodox East Jerusalem neighborhood is undermining Middle East peace talks, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said in Jerusalem on Tuesday. Earlier Tuesday, the Interior Ministry approved the building of 1,600 new housing units in Ramat Shlomo, with a ministry official saying the plan will expand the ultra-Orthodox East Jerusalem neighborhood to the east and to the south. "I condemn the decision by the government of Israel to advance planning for new housing units in East Jerusalem," Biden said.

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Tel Aviv OKs new settler homes as Biden talks peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
March 9, 2010 - 1:00am

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (AFP) - Israel on Tuesday approved the construction of 1,600 new settler homes in East Jerusalem, announcing the move as US Vice President Joe Biden met top Israeli officials to boost renewed peace efforts. The controversial move infuriated the Palestinians who consider settlements to be a major hurdle in long-hobbled attempts to reach a peace accord, and who want occupied East Jerusalem as the capital of their promised state. “This is a dangerous decision and will hinder the negotiations,” Palestinian Authority spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina told AFP.

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Israel approves new settler homes as Biden talks peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP)
March 9, 2010 - 1:00am

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel on Tuesday approved the construction of 1,600 new settler homes in occupied East Jerusalem, announcing the move as US Vice President Joe Biden met top Israeli officials to boost renewed peace efforts. The move infuriated the Palestinians, who consider settlements to be a major hurdle in long-hobbled attempts to reach a peace accord, and who want East Jerusalem as the capital of their promised state.

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White House condemns Israel for latest illegal settlement
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
by Jonathan Cook - March 9, 2010 - 1:00am

JERUSALEM // Israel announced yesterday that it was to build 1,600 new homes in an illegal Jewish settlement in East Jerusalem, hours after the visiting US vice president, Joe Biden, had described renewed peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians as “a moment of real opportunity”.

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