October 21st, 2011

Inside the tiny Washington group that is 'mainstreaming Palestine'
Media Mention of ATFP In Foreign Policy - October 21, 2011 - 12:00am

Tonight, when Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad comes to Washington to speak at the annual gala of the American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP), he will be endorsing an organization that is punching well above its weight in the U.S. policy debate over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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NEWS: There is extensive coverage of the ATFP Sixth Annual Gala. Hard feelings persist after the Israel-Hamas prisoner swap. Many Palestinian prisoners are released but are not free. Pres. Abbas will visit Egypt. Abbas is interviewed by Ma'an TV. Palestinians are considering "other options" if their UN bid fails. Israel may be considering a partial settlement freeze to restart talks. Hamas gains from the prisoner swap are likely to fade. Changes in Security Council membership are unlikely to bolster Palestinian options. COMMENTARY: Avi Issacharoff says the prisoner swap throws Hamas a political lifeline. Ray Hanania says it makes no sense to get mad at the wrong people. Deborah Orr asks why Israeli lives are valued more than Palestinian ones. Nathan Guttman looks at pro-Israel outreach to African-Americans. JJ Goldberg says the prisoner swap deal was wise. Tariq Alhomayed says there is a stench of hypocrisy about Hamas' stance on the prisoner swap. Bilal Hassan says the Palestinians need to coordinate more with Arab leaders. Ahmed Othman asks if Abbas is planning to return to negotiations. George Hishmeh says US military aid to Israel may be impeding the peace process. The Daily Star says the Quartet must make Israel comply with international law.

Palestinian Chances at UN Will Worsen After Council Elections
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bloomberg
by Flavia Krause-Jackson - October 21, 2011 - 12:00am

Palestinians seeking membership in the United Nations won’t be able to count on the newly elected Security Council members to better their chances. When the 193-country General Assembly today picks five countries to replace a third of the 15-member body on Jan. 1, support for the Palestinians will drop by one as Guatamala, running unopposed, succeeds Brazil in the Latin American seat.

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Hamas Gains From Prisoner Swap Likely to Fade
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line
by David Rosenberg - October 18, 2011 - 12:00am

On the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, Prime Minister Ismail Haniya and other Hamas officials greeted some 280 freed prisoners on Tuesday, giving each a long embrace amid a cacophony of horns honking and masked gunmen struggling to keep order as friends and families crowded into the ceremony.

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Netanyahu agrees to partially freeze West Bank construction in bid to resume talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Barak Ravid - October 21, 2011 - 12:00am

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he's willing to freeze government construction in West Bank settlements as well as all construction on government land there. In return, he needs an agreement by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to resume direct peace talks. According to a senior Israeli official, Abbas has not yet responded, but he has been threatening to resign if there is no diplomatic progress in the next three months.

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Palestinians plan "other options" if UN bid fails
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Alertnet
October 20, 2011 - 12:00am

Palestinians want the Security Council to decide on their bid for full U.N. membership soon so they can pursue "other options," the Palestinian U.N. envoy said, repeating charges that Washington is procrastinating to avoid a vote. Riyad Mansour, in comments to a Palestinian newspaper, did not say what the Palestinians would do once their bid for U.N. membership reached its conclusion. It is widely expected that the bid will fail because of U.S. opposition.

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Abbas: We ended chaos but independence eludes us
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
October 20, 2011 - 12:00am

President Mahmoud Abbas measured out his achievements but lamented the "failure" to grasp the ultimate prize of a Palestinian state, in a TV interview that aired on Wednesday. "I managed to end the security chaos but I still can't achieve independence," Mahmoud Abbas told Ma'an TV in Jordan on Monday. Abbas reflected on his five-year presidency, describing the last half-decade as "tough." "I had to start from zero and work hard on security and safety in the Palestinian territories," the president said.

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Abbas to visit Egypt, discuss reconciliation
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
October 20, 2011 - 12:00am

President Mahmoud Abbas will visit Egypt on Saturday, officials said, after a meeting of his Fatah party said movement on a stalled reconciliation agreement with Hamas was "necessary". Egyptian ambassador to the Palestinian Authority Yasser Othman told official news agency WAFA that the president would travel to Egypt to discuss implementation of the deal reached on May 4 and brokered by Egypt but which has yet to be carried out.

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For Palestinians released in Gilad Shalit prisoner swap, freedom is relative
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
by Rebecca Collard - October 19, 2011 - 12:00am

Of the roughly 100 former Palestinian prisoners released in the West Bank and East Jerusalem yesterday, half will remain under Israeli security restrictions that include limits to their movements and regular check-ins with Israeli authorities. The restrictions were part of the deal reached by Israel and Hamas that freed Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for the release of 1,027 Palestinians from Israeli prisons. Mr. Shalit and 477 of the prisoners were released Tuesday.

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Hard Feelings Test Hope in Israel-Hamas Deal
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Ethan Bronner - October 20, 2011 - 12:00am

Just off the bus in Gaza after six years in an Israeli prison, one of hundreds traded to Hamas for an Israeli soldier, Wafa al-Bass declared her next goal: abduct more Israeli soldiers. Others who returned said they could not feel satisfaction until the thousands of remaining Palestinian prisoners were freed. Sgt. First Class Gilad Shalit, a captive of Hamas since 2006, saluted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at an Israeli air base Tuesday after his exchange for Palestinian prisoners. More Photos »

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