May 26th

Israel’s Emergency Regulations Get Lease on Life ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line by Arieh O'Sullivan - May 25, 2011 - 12:00am At a time when the Arab regimes are suspending state-of-emergency laws in the face of popular protests, Israeli lawmakers have quietly voted to extend them another year into their seventh decade. A joint meeting of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense committee and the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee this week accepted a government request to extend the state of emergency for 12 months. This wasn’t because there was a looming threat on the Jewish state, but because after more than 60 years parliament hasn’t found the time to regularize the rule in ordinary legislation » Read more

Ratting the Cage: Obama's albatross ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Larry Derfner - (Opinion) May 25, 2011 - 12:00am With that Salute to Judea and Samaria he just staged in Washington, our wise and fearless leader just screwed American policy in the Middle East, turned Israel into an albatross around the neck of the president of the United States, made Western Europe ashamed to be associated with us, waved a red flag at the Palestinians and the entire Muslim world, and I don’t know what else. Way to go, Bibi. » Read more

Haim Saban: US-Israel relations are 'all good' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post May 26, 2011 - 12:00am Israeli-born billionaire Haim Saban expressed optimism about Israel-American relations in an interview following Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's speech to the US Congress on Tuesday. "I believe we're all good," Saban, Chairman of Univision Spanish Television and one of the Democratic Party's biggest donors, said. However, he added, "the US and Israel need to address points of difference between them in private, not in the UN or in front of cameras. The prime minister of Israel should not be speaking as he has in the Oval Office." » Read more

Officials fear 'Palestine' declaration will bring boycott ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Yaakov Katz - May 26, 2011 - 12:00am Concern growing in defense establishment that following unilateral statehood announcement, countries will ban Israeli military products. Concern is growing in Israel over the possibility that following a unilateral declaration of statehood by the Palestinians later this year, countries around the world will boycott Israeli military products. The concern, voiced by leading officials in the defense establishment, comes ahead of the Paris Air Show next month, where Israeli hardware will be on display in pursuit of new sales. » Read more

Palestinian UN bid: Israel's battle for Europe ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Ronen Medzini - May 26, 2011 - 12:00am The Foreign Ministry is focusing efforts on trying to block the Palestinian plan to win UN recognition for an independent state in September. Israel's chance of winning a majority among the 192 UN members state is miniscule, as the 116 states comprising the Non-Aligned movement tend to vote together and are likely to vote in favor of a Palestinian state. It is estimated that the large majority of non-Western nations among the remaining 76 states will also vote in favor of the Palestinian bid, which leaves Israel with a little over 40 states whose vote is still open. » Read more

Netanyahu relegated himself to the footnotes of history ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Gideon Levy - (Opinion) May 26, 2011 - 12:00am The "speech of his life" must now quickly become the speech of Prime MInister Benjamin Netanyahu's political demise. The hour is pressing, there is no time and nothing is going to come of Netanyahu any more. » Read more

Netanyahu's peace stance is running Israel into a wall ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Ari Shavit - (Opinion) May 26, 2011 - 12:00am When Benjamin Netanyahu became prime minister, he had to formulate a peace strategy. He had to decide whether he aspired to reach an interim agreement or a final-status one with the Palestinians. He opted to go for a final-status agreement. » Read more

Mideast Quartet envoy Tony Blair: Obama anxious about Israel's fate ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press May 26, 2011 - 12:00am Middle East envoy Tony Blair says United States President Barack Obama launched his peace initiative because he's concerned about what might happen to Israel if Palestinians unilaterally declare statehood. Blair told an audience of business leaders gathered in central London on Thursday that Obama is "frankly worried about the position that Israel is in." » Read more

Israeli settlers, rightists, slam Netanyahu over U.S. Congressional speech ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua May 25, 2011 - 12:00am Israeli settlers living in the West Bank expressed their disappointment on Wednesday regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's U.S. Congressional address, where he suggested Israel would be willing to swap land with Palestinians in exchange for peace. "His discourse was ambivalent," Danny Dayan, Head of the Council of Jewish Communities in the West Bank told Xinhua. » Read more

Netanyahu's congressional speech appeases Washington, disappoints Ramallah ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua by Adam Gonn - May 26, 2011 - 12:00am When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday spoke before the United States Congress, it was his third major policy speech in less than two weeks. Netanyahu was to have presented a plan to reinvigorate the direct peace negotiations with the Palestinians. The result, however, according to some analysts, was something very different. » Read more