September 26th

Plan for Mideast talks gets mixed reception ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Joel Greenberg - September 25, 2011 - 12:00am JERUSALEM— With a Palestinian application for UN membership under consideration by the Security Council, a proposal by international mediators to renew peace negotiations has received guarded Israeli approval and a cool reception from the Palestinians. The Israeli government and Palestinian leadership are expected to respond to Friday’s proposal by the Quartet of Middle East mediators — the United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia — in the coming days, but early signals suggest different approaches to the initiative. » Read more

Europe must save the two-state solution ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Carlo Strenger - (Blog) September 24, 2011 - 12:00am The speeches have been given, and each leader pandered to his audiences. Netanyahu scolded the UN for singling out Israel unfairly for decades, quoting the Lubavicher Rebbe calling the UN house of lies. This was obviously not meant to gain him friends in the UN, but to show how connected he was to Jewish tradition. He put the blame on failed negotiations completely on the Palestinians, emphasizing the destructive impact of radical Islam. » Read more

Palestinians Roll Out Hero’s Welcome for Abbas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Ethan Bronner - September 25, 2011 - 12:00am RAMALLAH, West Bank — Two days after seeking full membership for a State of Palestine in the United Nations, President Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader, returned to a hero’s welcome here on Sunday, telling supporters that they were part of a “Palestinian Spring” and that he would resume peace talks with Israel only if it stopped building settlements. » Read more

Netanyahu's speech of lies ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Akiva Eldar - (Opinion) September 26, 2011 - 12:00am Bertolt Brecht wrote, in his poem "The Necessity of Propaganda," "Even the hungry must admit that the Minister of Nutrition gives a good speech." (Translation from the German, Jon Swan. ) It must be admitted that Benjamin Netanyahu gave a good speech at the UN General Assembly. His English was polished, his hand gestures precise and his body language perfect. His propaganda was sweet as honey dripping from his lips. It improves from speech to speech. But the prime minister promised that this time he would feed us the truth, not another campaign speech. A test of this promise seems apposite. » Read more

Netanyahu, Abbas Emerge Unscathed at UN ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bloomberg by Calev Ben-David - September 26, 2011 - 12:00am Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas emerged from their showdown at the United Nations buttressed domestically though no closer to peace talks. » Read more

Obama veto of Palestinian statehood: What can he do after that? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor (Editorial) September 22, 2011 - 12:00am During his nearly three years in office, President Obama has tried a new type of American leadership in the Middle East, one that is more moral than muscular, less unilaterally assertive and more humbly collaborative. While he’s been mostly successful and consistent, all that may now be viewed in the region as meaningless if the United States effectively vetoes a request by the Palestinians for the United Nations Security Council to recognize their homeland as a state. » Read more

September 23rd

Go-it-Alone Strategy Leaves Palestinians Divided Media Mention of Ziad Asali In The Huffington Post - September 23, 2011 - 12:00am For months Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has traversed the globe, lobbying members of the United Nations to vote in support of a unilaterally declared Palestinian state. This is the week when he will take this long-threatened action, and when the member states will decide to support or oppose the Palestinian bid. » Read more

Could a U.N. Upgrade Help the Palestinians Prosecute Israeli Officials? In Print by Hussein Ibish - Slate (Opinion) - September 23, 2011 - 12:00am Would a Palestinian state recognized by the United Nations have the right to bring legal action against Israel and Israeli officials at the International Criminal Court or the U.N.'s own International Court of Justice? » Read more

Obama at the UN on Israel-Palestine: Good Politics, Poor Diplomacy In Print by Hussein Ibish - (Opinion) - September 23, 2011 - 12:00am If you'd wanted to gauge how strained relations between the Obama administration and the Palestinian leadership have become, all you'd need do is watch the shaking heads of the Palestinian representatives at the United Nations General Assembly during the U.S. President's speech there on Wednesday. Obama reiterated the American commitment to a two-state solution and the creation of an independent Palestine, both established U.S. policy. Rhetorically, however, his speech recognized most of the core elements of the Israeli narrative but virtually none of the Palestinian one. » Read more

U.S. Makes Security Preparations for After Palestinian Bid at UN Media Mention of Hussein Ibish In Bloomberg - September 23, 2011 - 12:00am The U.S. has laid the groundwork for maintaining security in the aftermath of the Palestinian bid for statehood at the UN, including the possibility of violence. The effort includes discussions with Gulf countries, planning with Israeli and Palestinian security forces, and aid to ensure the Palestinian Authority can pay its personnel. The U.S. has made clear its intent to block a Palestinian request for United Nations recognition. To avoid needing to exercise its veto power, the U.S. has been working with Israel to persuade members of the Security Council to abstain from voting. » Read more