May 16th

The awakening
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
(Editorial) May 16, 2011 - 12:00am

Sunday’s deadly commemoration of the “Nakba” in Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinian territories came as added confirmation that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is entering a new and irreversible phase.

»

Israeli massacre at Lebanon border
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
by Mohammed Zaatari - May 16, 2011 - 12:00am

Ten Palestinian protesters were shot dead and 112 others wounded Sunday by Israeli forces along Lebanon’s borders with Israel as thousands of unarmed Palestinians rallied to the frontier to mark the Nakba, the 63rd anniversary of the expulsion from their homeland. Thousands of Palestinian men, women and children, some wrapped in kaffiyehs, flocked in buses from various Palestinian refugee camps across Lebanon to the borders, in a rally they called “the march to return to Palestine.” The buses carried the names of Palestinian villages whose residents were displaced in 1948.

»

Egyptian protesters mark Nakba outside Israeli Embassy
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Masry Al-Youm
by Ali Abdel Mohsen - May 15, 2011 - 12:00am

Hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters gathered at the Israeli Embassy early on Sunday to mark the occasion of the 63rd anniversary of the creation of the State of Israel, commonly known across the Arab world as the “Nakba”, or catastrophe. Among other demands, the protesters called for the “right of return” for Palestinians forced to flee after the creation of the state of Israel in 1948. The protesters displayed Palestinian flags of varying sizes, some of them hung from nearby lamp posts. They simultaneously called for the removal of the Israeli flag from the embassy.

»

George Mitchell resigns as U.S. Middle East envoy
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Yahoo News
by Laura Rozen - May 13, 2011 - 12:00am

George Mitchell, Obama's special envoy for Middle East peace, will step down after a frustrating two and a half years seeking to jump-start the stalemated Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Both President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warmly thanked Mitchell, 77, the former Senate majority leader from Maine and North Ireland peace negotiator, for his service, in statements sent out by the White House Friday. Mitchell, in a brief resignation letter to the president, said he'd agreed to serve two years, and had now served longer than that.

»

Changing realities in the Mideast
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Khaleej Times
by Naava Mashiah, Ghanem Nuseibeh - (Opinion) May 14, 2011 - 12:00am

The uprisings in the Middle East are plunging the region into uncharted territory. But, as international and other regional powers scramble to adjust to the changing realities, they are also an opportunity for Israel and Arab countries to forge mutually beneficial economic ties and to coalesce around common regional interests.

»

Palestinian refugees call for third intifada during deadly clashes at Israel-Lebanon border
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
by Nicholas Blanford - May 15, 2011 - 12:00am

At least six people were killed and scores wounded Sunday when Israeli troops opened fire on a massive crowd of Palestinian refugees who gathered on Lebanon’s southern border with Israel to demand a return to the homes they were forced to leave 63 years ago. Another four Palestinians were reportedly killed when they infiltrated the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syria during another demonstration to mark the anniversary of the "nakba," or "catastrophe," as many Palestinians call the day Israel was founded in 1948.

»

Palestinian president calls for 3 days of mourning for 15 dead in marches on Israeli borders
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
May 16, 2011 - 12:00am

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday declared three days of mourning for 15 people killed in mass marches toward multiple Israeli borders that marked a stunning new tactic in the struggle for Palestinian statehood. Sunday’s marches, on the date Palestinians mourn their uprooting as a result of Israel’s 1948 creation, illustrated Arab dissatisfaction with the deadlocked efforts to establish a Palestinian state. The unprecedented tactic also reflected an Arab world emboldened by the anti-government protests sweeping the Middle East this year.

»

Syrian Border Violence May Hold Message for Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Anthony Shadid - May 15, 2011 - 12:00am

For 37 years the border between Israel and Syria, still technically at war, has proven as quiet as any of the Arab-Israeli frontiers silenced by peace agreements. On Sunday, it was not, and the tumult on the Golan Heights could augur a new phase of the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad and the web of international relations he is navigating.

»

Israeli Troops Fire as Marchers Breach Borders
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Ethan Bronner - May 15, 2011 - 12:00am

Israel’s borders erupted in deadly clashes on Sunday as thousands of Palestinians — marching from Syria, Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank — confronted Israeli troops to mark the anniversary of Israel’s creation. More than a dozen people were reported killed and scores injured.

»

May 13th

Israel displays military assets to journalists. Hamas is showing signs of moderating its policies. Egyptian activists are urged to cancel a march to Gaza. Palestinians launch a $15 million equity fund. Palestinians and Israelis make progress on sports talks. PM Fayyad says a sudden salary crisis will be solved soon. The number of Palestinians has increased eightfold since 1948. American Christian fanatics warn Palestinians about an upcoming “apocalypse.” Palestinians demonstrate for the right of return. Likud sources say PM Netanyahu’s upcoming US speech will offer no concessions. Yossi Verter says there is no reason for this, but Netanyahu will find one. Hamas and Fatah agree to hold simultaneous municipal elections sometime in the future. Fayyad reiterates Palestinians are ready for statehood. Saeb Erekat says Israel has to choose between peace and apartheid. Palestinians speak about a potential third intifada. Israeli security officials say Egypt isn’t doing much to stop arms smuggling into Gaza. Israeli forces are on alert for Nakba Day. Some refugees from a Palestinian village destroyed by Israel in 1948 have managed to quietly return. A CUNY trustee is asked to resign over remarks suggesting Palestinians are “not human.” JJ Goldberg says Israel's security elite is turning against Netanyahu. The National condemns Israel’s wholesale cancellation of Palestinian residency rights in the occupied territories. Israel is accused of trying to push Palestinians out of the Jordan Valley. Hassan Haidar asks when Israelis will begin protesting their government. Palestinian officials in the Gulf say an independent state may try to join the GCC. The US Supreme Court is set to rule on the legal status of Jerusalem.

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