July 29th, 2011

Worries Grow Over Palestinian U.N. Bid
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from National Public Radio (NPR)
by Michele Kelemen - July 28, 2011 - 12:00am

Negotiating Palestinian statehood was an early priority for President Obama's administration. But these days, U.S. diplomats are spending much of their time trying to stop the Palestinians from going to the United Nations to try to win diplomatic recognition. Palestinians say they have no other choice, since negotiations are deadlocked. Some former Israeli officials came to Washington this week to urge the U.S. to help. Retired Maj. Gen. Shlomo Gazit says he understands that Washington has other priorities these days. And he says most Israelis are just fine with that.

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PLO central council backs Abbas' determination to approach UN
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
July 28, 2011 - 12:00am

RAMALLAH, July 28 (Xinhua) -- The Central Committee of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) announced on Thursday that it backs Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' attitude to approach the United Nations in September to gain a full membership of the state of Palestine. The central council, which marked the end of a two-day meeting chaired by Abbas in Ramallah is the semi-parliament of the Palestinians in exile and consists of 120 members.

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Israel sees diluted apology to Turkey on ship raid
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Dan Williams - July 29, 2011 - 12:00am

JERUSALEM, July 29 (Reuters) - Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak floated a watered-down apology to Turkey on Friday for the killing of nine of its citizens aboard a pro-Palestinian activist ship that tried to run the Gaza Strip blockade. Barak's public proposal appeared aimed at testing the depth of Israel's 13-month impasse with Ankara, and winning over more hawkish members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition who say the onus should be on Turkey to make amends.

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Peace group: Settlers attack international observers
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
July 29, 2011 - 12:00am

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli settlers from the illegal outpost of Havat Maon, south of Hebron, attacked two international observers on Wednesday, hitting one on the head with an iron bar, the Christian Peacemaker Teams said. "At approximately 9:15 AM on July 27, 2011, masked settlers from the Havat Maon outpost armed with stones and an iron bar harassed three Palestinian shepherds and attacked two international observers. The settlers threw stones at the internationals, and hit one of them in the head with an iron bar," a CPT statement said.

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US voices commitment to Israel in defense talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
July 29, 2011 - 12:00am

WASHINGTON (AFP) -- The United States on Thursday reiterated its support for a strong military in Israel as Defense Minister Ehud Barak held talks with top leaders in Washington. Barak met separately with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and newly installed Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. Both meetings were closed to the press, with officials offering general statements. Panetta stressed his "strong commitment" to defense relations with Israel and to "ensuring that Israel maintains its qualitative military edge," Pentagon spokesman George Little said.

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July 28th

NEWS: A growing economic crisis is coloring all Palestinian policies. Pres. Abbas says he’s not deterred by US threats over a UN statehood bid, and calls for Palestinian rallies in support. Palestinian security forces raid the home of former Fatah leader Muhammad Dahlan. Palestinian electoral officials say municipal voting will only be held in the West Bank in October because Hamas refuses to cooperate in Gaza. Palestinians say Israel is destroying ancient cisterns in the occupied territories. Israeli-Palestinian commerce is continuing but may be threatened. A US government report recommends ending loan guarantees to Israel. Palestinian citizens of Israel debate National Service. The terrorist outrage in Norway focuses attention on outreach to Israel by extreme right-wing elements in the West. An appropriations bill pending in Congress might shut down the PLO mission in Washington. Gaza filmmakers denounce Hamas censorship. COMMENTARY: D. Bloomfield asks if Abbas’ policies are setting up a third intifada. Tariq Alhomayed says Hezbollah leader Nasrallah has effectively recognized Israel. George Hishmeh says Israel is facing international isolation. Daoud Kuttab says the Palestinian march towards the UN may be unstoppable, although what form it will take remains undecided. Michael Jansen looks at the history of the American Colony Hotel in occupied East Jerusalem. MK Ahmad Tibi says the new Israeli boycott law is antidemocratic. Allison Hoffman says the US budget impasse is reminiscent of the Israeli-Palestinian diplomatic deadlock. Natasha Mozgovaya says Israel and the Palestinians are still the focus of great attention in Washington. Olga Gershenson looks at a new film questioning Israel’s legal structures in the occupied territories. Hussein Ibish traces the evolution of Syrian policy towards Palestine and the Palestinians.

Israeli-Palestinian commerce works against the clock
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
by Dave Bender - July 28, 2011 - 12:00am

JERUSALEM, July 27 (Xinhua) -- On a media tour on Tuesday featuring commercial, health and hi-tech cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians, representatives sought to project a " business-as-usual" mien, while, half a world away both sides sparred at the United Nations Security Council over a possible Palestinian National Authority (PNA) bid for statehood at the UN General Assembly in September.

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U.S. report recommends ending loan guarantees to Israel at end of 2011
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Barak Ravid - July 28, 2011 - 12:00am

An internal report of the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of State recommends terminating the U.S. loan guarantee program to Israel at the end of 2011. The report, which deals with the performance of the U.S. embassy in Israel, says American diplomats have difficulty mustering support for the Obama administration's policies and implies the embassy failed completely in its PR efforts during the Obama administration.

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Israel’s Arabs Debate National Service
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line
by David Miller - July 26, 2011 - 12:00am

Hanin Zoabi, a member of Israel’s parliament, was in the Galilee village of Musmus last week to address a group of teenagers about the importance of national service. But she wasn’t there to encourage them to take a year or two after high school to serve in schools and hospitals. One of 14 Arab lawmakers in the Knesset, Zoabi is a determined fighter for the national rights of Palestinians who live inside the country’s 1967 borders against those in the West Bank. She was invited by the youth leadership of her Balad Party to urge young people not to volunteer.

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Norway attacks spotlight far-right outreach to Jews, Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA)
by Uriel Heilman - July 28, 2011 - 12:00am

For decades after World War II, far-right political movements in Europe stirred up for Jews images of skinheads and Nazi storm troopers marching across the continent. But in recent years, as European xenophobia has focused on the exploding growth of Muslims on the continent, right-wing anti-Semitism has been replaced in some corners by outreach to Jews and Israel. It’s part of an effort in far-right movements to gain broader, mainstream support for an anti-Muslim alliance opposed to the notion of a multicultural Europe.

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