December 14th

EU to recognise Palestinian state 'when appropriate' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News December 13, 2010 - 1:00am The ministers' statement followed a call from Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas for the EU to recognise Palestine based on the 1967 borders. The EU ministers emphasised the need for a negotiated settlement between Israel and the Palestinians. Brazil and Argentina recently joined the growing number of countries to recognise Palestine. More than 100 states around the world recognise Palestine, their mission at the United Nations says. Collapsed talks The Palestinian chief negotiator, Saeb Erekat, said Mr Abbas spoke to EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton earlier on Monday. » Read more

Congress: PA funding could hinge on state declaration ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Hilary Leila Krieger - December 14, 2010 - 1:00am Members of Congress are warning that American funding of the Palestinian Authority could be threatened by efforts to advance a unilateral declaration of statehood. “Pursuing a non-negotiated path to statehood is a fool’s errand. Palestinians want a state, not a declaration. Their only way to achieve that is through direct negotiations with Israel,” California Democrat Howard Berman, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told The Jerusalem Post on Monday. » Read more

Barak: Without peace deal, Israel will deteriorate ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Hilary Leila Krieger - December 14, 2010 - 1:00am Defense Minister Ehud Barak Tuesday morning said that without a peace deal with the Palestinians, Israel's situation will deteriorate and the delegitimization campaigns in the third world will increase, Israel Radio reported. Barak called this a danger no less than Hizbullah, in an interview with Tom Brokaw, according to the report. “We will have serious discussions in the coming month on security, borders, Jerusalem, refugees,” the defense minister told reporters in Washington Monday. “The mechanisms will be resolved in the coming weeks.” » Read more

Abbas, Mitchell meet amid US efforts to renew peace talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post December 14, 2010 - 1:00am Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and US Mideast envoy George Mitchell were meeting in Ramallah on Tuesday afternoon, amid US efforts to renew stalled peace talks. Mitchell met with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Monday night, and is set to travel to Doha and then back to Washington after the Abbas meeting. Mitchell arrived back in the region on Monday to discuss the core issues separately with each side in the hope that gaps could be narrowed and direct negotiations restarted. » Read more

A Palestinian state born in South America ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Carlo Strenger - (Opinion) December 10, 2010 - 1:00am It was only a matter of time, the writing has been on the wall. The Palestinians have warned repeatedly that if negotiations did not move forward, they would resort to one of two strategies: to dismantle the Palestinian Authority and hand Israel responsibility for administering the West Bank; or, to ask the United Nations to recognize a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders. » Read more

Israel refuses entry to Palestinian firefighters being honored for Carmel fire assistance ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Jack Khoury - December 14, 2010 - 1:00am Israeli officials on Tuesday canceled a ceremony planned to honor the Palestinian firemen who assisted in battling the Carmel fire last week, after a number of crew members were refused permits to cross the border. Palestinian Fire Services Commander Ahmed Rizik said that he and his staff were surprised to learn when they arrived at the checkpoint that only seven out of the 10 fireman would be granted entry into Israel, although all of them had been allowed in at the time of the disaster.. » Read more

Hamas reaches out, tries to shore up popularity ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Statesman by Ibrahim Barzak - December 13, 2010 - 1:00am GAZA CITY, GAZA STRIP — Gaza's ruling Hamas movement has politicians sweeping streets to show community spirit, activists distributing chocolates and cards signed "from Hamas with love" and police officers visiting homes and schools to soften the often harsh image of the security forces. » Read more

After setback, US resumes Mideast peace push ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Statesman by Josef Federman - December 13, 2010 - 1:00am JERUSALEM — The U.S. Mideast envoy returned to the region on Monday, seeking to revive troubled peace efforts after a major setback in which Washington abandoned efforts to coax Israel to freeze Jewish settlement in areas Palestinians want for a future state. The envoy, George Mitchell, was expected to push the Israelis and Palestinians for progress on key issues at the heart of their conflict. But in a reflection of the difficulties ahead, Mitchell was being forced to meet separately with the sides during the two-day visit, and expectations for a breakthrough were low. » Read more

Hamas celebrates 23rd anniversary with mass rally ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Statesman by Ibrahim Barzak - December 14, 2010 - 1:00am Tens of thousands of Hamas supporters flocked to Gaza City Tuesday for a mass rally to boost support for the militant Palestinian group on its 23rd anniversary. Streets, cars and buildings were adorned with Hamas' trademark green, and huge crowds of flag-waving supporters clogged the streets to reach the rally where Hamas leaders lauded the group's history of fighting Israel. "Hamas has not failed, Hamas has not collapsed," Prime Minster Ismail Haniyeh told the crowd. "Hamas did not fail to bring together government and resistance." » Read more

EU keeps up pressure for Israeli settlement freeze ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Alertnet by Justyna Pawlak - December 14, 2010 - 1:00am The European Union pressed the Israeli government on Monday to freeze settlement building, offered the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip more aid and urged Israel to open Gaza's border crossings more fully to increase trade. EU foreign ministers "noted with regret" Israel's failure to extend a moratorium on construction of Jewish settlements, and took a stand at odds with the decision by the United States to drop efforts to persuade Israel to freeze settlement building. » Read more