June 30th

Report: Jordan to oppose PA statehood bid ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Roee Nahmias - June 29, 2011 - 12:00am A senior Jordanian official says the Hashemite kingdom will vote against a Palestinian statehood bid scheduled to be put before the UN General Assembly in September. "Jordan's top national interests will be in danger if the Palestinian Authority declares statehood unilaterally – especially in everything related to the issue of refugees, water, Jerusalem, and the borders," the UAE-based al-Bayan quoted a Jordanian state official as saying. » Read more

Leading Palestinian and Jewish American Groups Announce Joint Internship Program Press Release - Contact Information: Ghaith al-Omari - June 30, 2011 - 12:00am The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) and Americans for Peace Now (APN) are today starting their joint summer internship program. ATFP is hosting an Israeli student, and APN is hosting a Palestinian student. This is the third time that ATFP and APN, a pro-Palestinian organization and a pro-Israeli organization, are cooperating on a joint internship program, making it a tradition intended to underscore that Americans who care about Middle East peace - be they Arab or Jewish - have more in common than what sets them apart. Read more

This time, Israel can pass the test of the Gaza flotilla ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Bradley Burston - (Opinion) June 27, 2011 - 12:00am Friends of Israel, countries and individuals that sincerely wish Israelis well, should send a message this week: Mr. Netanyahu, Mr. Barak, for your sake, for Israel's sake, let the flotilla sail to Gaza. Do the right thing this time. Let it go. Many other challenges are vying for your attention. You have yet to forge a coherent policy regarding the September Palestinian UN initiative. Five years to the week that Hamas captured Gilad Shalit in Israel and brought him to Gaza, the terms of a possible exchange deal deserve close attention. » Read more

Israel tries to strike deal with Europe, US ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Attila Somfalvi - June 30, 2011 - 12:00am Government sources on Wednesday confirmed that Israeli and American officials are continuing their efforts to jump-start negotiations with the Palestinians, while Jerusalem is hoping to secure France and Britain's objection at a United Nations vote on the declaration of a Palestinian state. Germany and Italy have already announced that they will object to a unilateral declaration of statehood, while France and Britain are eager to push Israel and the Palestinians back to the negotiations table. » Read more

'IDF has no way of stopping mass non-violent protest in West Bank' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Anshel Pfeffer - June 29, 2011 - 12:00am As September draws nearer, the Israel Defense Forces has been conducting drills in order to contend with the possibility of a mass civilian uprising in the West Bank in the wake of the Palestinian bid to seek unilateral recognition in the United Nations. "A non-violent protest of 4,000 people or more, even if they only march to a checkpoint or a settlement, and especially if the Palestinian police does not deter them, will be unstoppable," one IDF officer claims. "Such a great number of determined people cannot be stopped by tear gas and rubber bullets." » Read more

Palestinians slam U.S. resolution threatening aid suspension ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua June 30, 2011 - 12:00am Palestinian officials on Thursday slammed a U.S. Senate resolution threatening to cut American aid if the Palestinian leadership continued to seek recognition of state from the United Nations. "This is a shameful decision," said Nabil Shaath, a Palestinian peace negotiator, such decision should not have come from a country that plays "an important role" in mediating between the Palestinians and Israel for peace. Resolution 185, passed Wednesday, called on the U.S. President Barack Obama to veto the UN vote on the Palestinian request for recognition of their state in September. » Read more

Zionists, relax, Israel is not on the brink of destruction ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Carlo Strenger - (Opinion) June 30, 2011 - 12:00am One of the best-known Yiddish expressions is ‘Gevalt, Yiddelech, Gevalt!', a phrase best translated as ‘catastrophe, Jews, catastrophe!’. I would suggest that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition officially be named the Gevalt! Government. Listening to the utterances of our ministers, you would come to the conclusion that the State of Israel is about to be erased and the Jewish people are in danger of immediate extinction. » Read more

Gaza flotilla organizers: 2nd ship sabotaged ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Karin Laub - June 29, 2011 - 12:00am Organizers of a Gaza-bound flotilla say Israel has sabotaged a second ship. An activist told Israel's Army Radio that the engine of an Irish ship was damaged. Earlier this week, activists said Israel damaged the propeller of a Swedish ship in the Greek port of Piraeus. Israel has not commented on the allegations. About 10 ships are due to set sail this week from Greece. It's unclear if the damaged boats will delay things. Israel imposed a naval blockade after Hamas militants overran the Palestinian territory in 2007. It says it will not allow the flotilla to reach Gaza. » Read more

Flotilla to sail 'very soon' despite snags ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency by Mya Guarnieri - June 30, 2011 - 12:00am Organizers of a US boat participating in the Gaza-bound flotilla said Thursday afternoon that they hoped to sail "very very soon," with some expecting an immanent departure. Speaking to reporters and passengers alongside the ship, organizer Anne Wright said "we will sail to challenge the naval blockade of Gaza ,we have ten ships, we have passengers aged 22-87 ... we have carpenters, retirees, acupuncturists; these are the people that the state of Israel fears." » Read more

Israel has become a society of force and violence ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Gideon Levy - (Opinion) June 30, 2011 - 12:00am Are we listening to ourselves? Are we still aware of the awful noise coming from here? Have we noticed how the discourse is becoming more and more violent and how the language of force has just about become Israel's only official language? A group of international activists is slated to sail a flotilla to the shores of the Gaza Strip. Many of them are social activists and fighters for peace and justice, veterans of the struggle against apartheid, colonialism, imperialism, pointless wars and injustice. Just stating that is difficult here, since they have already been described as thugs. » Read more