November 30th

NEWS: The UN General Assembly votes overwhelmingly to grant Palestine "nonmember observer state" status. 138 countries voted yes, 9 no, and 41 abstained. Palestinians react with euphoria. The US strongly opposes the resolution.Israel and the Palestinians now both consider their next moves. Palestinians could try to seek access to global courts. PM Netanyahu is visiting Germany in the wake of its unexpected abstention, and condemns Pres. Abbas UN speech as "hostile and poisonous." Abbas says he will soon visit Gaza. Many Palestinians see the UN success as the possible prelude to national reconciliation. Israel is marketing its antimissile defense system. A Hamas militant is killed as war remnant ordinance explodes in Gaza. Israel says it will "retaliate" against the Palestinians by building 3,000 new settlement units, including in the highly sensitive E-1 corridor between East Jerusalem and the West Bank. COMMENTARY: Hussein Ibish says the PLO UN upgrade was entirely re-contextualized by the Gaza conflict. Barak Ravid looks at how Israel lost almost all European votes. Avi Issacharoff says Israel did Abbas a huge favor by hyping his UN initiative as "state terror." Abbas' UN speech is published in full. Hamas leader Meshaal says the Gaza war and the UN upgrade are complementary. Hassan Haidar says the UN victory is a win for Palestinian realism. The Daily Star says the UN vote was necessary and overdue. Ahmad Majdoubeh says Britain's abstention is a big disappointment. Imad Mrammel says Hezbollah learned important lessons by looking at the recent Israel-Hamas conflict. Raphael Ahren says the lopsided UN vote shows even some of Israel's allies blame it for the peace process impasse. Meir Javedanfar explains why he and some other Israelis supported the PLO UN initiative.

Explanation of Vote by Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Following UN General Assembly Vote on Palestinian Observer State Status Resolution
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from United Nations
by Susan E. Rice - November 29, 2012 - 1:00am


Thank you, Mr. President.


Israel to build 3,000 settler homes after UN vote
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News
November 30, 2012 - 1:00am


Israel has authorised the construction of 3,000 more housing units in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank, according to Israeli officials. It is also speeding up the processing of 1,000 planning permissions.


Why I back Abbas’s UN initiative
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Times of Israel
by Meir Javendanfar - (Opinion) November 28, 2012 - 1:00am


I back Mahmoud Abbas’s initiative 


Like it or not, the state of Palestine is semi-officially on the map
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Times of Israel
by Raphael Ahren - (Opinion) November 30, 2012 - 1:00am


On Thursday night, the world made much more than just a symbolic gesture.


Hezbollah Learns Lessons From Gaza Conflict
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from As-Safir
by Imad Mrammel - (Opinion) November 27, 2012 - 1:00am


During the eight-day offensive against Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon was prepared for any possible assault by Israel.


Supporting Palestinians’ UN bid
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
by Ahmad Majdoubeh - (Opinion) November 29, 2012 - 1:00am


Opposition to or reservation about the Palestinian UN bid to gain non-member observer state status is ill-advised, hypocritical and wrong, especially on part of the US, Germany and Britain.


At last
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
(Editorial) November 30, 2012 - 1:00am


The Palestinian bid for state recognition at the United Nations


Palestinian Realism Triumphs Today
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Hayat
by Hassan Haidar - (Opinion) November 29, 2012 - 1:00am


65 years after the decision to divide their country, the Palestinians return to the United Nations today to obtain the long-delayed recognition of their sought-after state with its borders delineated as per Resolution 181, i.e. as they had been before the 5th of June 1967, and East Jerusalem as its capital, after Israel has been persistently eating away at it and Judaizing it during 45 years of occupation and still today.  


Hamas says Gaza conflict, U.N. recognition go together
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Samia Nakhoul - (Interview) November 30, 2012 - 1:00am


DOHA, Qatar Nov 30 (Reuters) - Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal said the de facto recognition of a sovereign Palestinian state won by his rival Mahmoud Abbas should be seen alongside Gaza's latest conflict with Israel as a single, bold strategy that could empower all Palestinians.



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