March 16th

The U.S. quarrel with Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post (Editorial) March 16, 2010 - 12:00am PRESIDENT OBAMA'S Middle East diplomacy failed in his first year in part because he chose to engage in an unnecessary and unwinnable public confrontation with Israel over Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem. Over the past six months Mr. Obama's envoys gingerly retreated from that fight and worked to build better relations with the government of Binyamin Netanyahu. Last week the administration finally managed to strike a deal for the launching of indirect Israeli-Palestinian talks. So it has been startling -- and a little puzzling -- to see Mr. » Read more

U.S. pushing Netanyahu to accept demands for peace talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Glenn Kessler - March 16, 2010 - 12:00am In an effort to get peace talks back on track, the Obama administration is pressing Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to reverse last week's approval of 1,600 housing units in a disputed area of Jerusalem, make a substantial gesture toward the Palestinians, and publicly declare that all of the "core issues" in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including the status of Jerusalem, be included in upcoming talks, U.S. officials said. » Read more

The Biden Effect ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Roger Cohen - (Opinion) March 15, 2010 - 12:00am NEW YORK — I’m tempted to see Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel as a parable: Nice guy wanders into mess and truth is revealed. We’ve had, for example, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clarifying the fact that, “Israel and the U.S. have mutual interests, but we will act according to the vital interests of the state of Israel.” Of course, the United States, too, has “vital interests.” They include reaching a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine for which the physical space erodes daily as Israeli settlements in the West Bank expand. » Read more

Rebuilt Synagogue Is Caught in Disputes Over Jerusalem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Isabel Kershner - March 15, 2010 - 12:00am JERUSALEM — In what appeared to be a case of unfortunate timing, Israel officially inaugurated a rebuilt synagogue in Jerusalem’s Old City on Monday, entangling what was intended to be a festive cultural event with the diplomatic row over new Israeli construction in the contested territory. » Read more

Israel Feelings Rising Anger From the U.S. ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Ethan Bronner, Mark Landler - March 15, 2010 - 12:00am WASHINGTON — An ill-timed municipal housing announcement in Jerusalem has mutated into one of the most serious conflicts between the United States and Israel in two decades, leaving a politically embarrassed Israeli government scrambling to respond to a tough list of demands by the Obama administration. » Read more

March 15th

Bad time for Israel settlements fight ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Politico by Aaron David Miller - (Opinion) March 12, 2010 - 1:00am This week in Israel, Vice President Joe Biden found out something that he’s probably known for quite some time: No good deed goes unpunished. Shortly after Biden arrived in Jerusalem on Tuesday, to reassure the Israelis and coordinate efforts on Iran and other issues, Israel’s Ministry of the Interior announced the construction of 1,600 new housing units in East Jerusalem. » Read more

The Petraeus briefing: Biden’s embarrassment is not the whole story ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy by Marc Perry - (Analysis) March 13, 2010 - 1:00am On Jan. 16, two days after a killer earthquake hit Haiti, a team of senior military officers from the U.S. Central Command (responsible for overseeing American security interests in the Middle East), arrived at the Pentagon to brief Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The team had been dispatched by CENTCOM commander Gen. David Petraeus to underline his growing worries at the lack of progress in resolving the issue. The 33-slide, 45-minute PowerPoint briefing stunned Mullen. » Read more

Jail ordeal of hundreds of Palestinian children arrested for throwing stones ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Rory McCarthy - March 14, 2010 - 1:00am With more than 300 Palestinian children being held in Israeli prisons, human rights groups and Palestinian officials are increasingly concerned about the actions of the Israeli military. The Israeli group B'Tselem said that security forces had "severely violated" the rights of a number of children, aged between 12 and 15, who had been taken into custody in recent months. » Read more

Even Labor ministers oppose halting east Jerusalem building ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Gil Hoffman - (Analysis) March 14, 2010 - 1:00am Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu received backing from his ministers and the parties in his coalition Sunday as he faced a deepening crisis in Israel’s relations with the American administration. While officials in Washington were quoted as saying that Netanyahu would have to choose between his ties with US President Barack Obama’s government and his coalition partners, ministers and MKs took steps to ensure that he would not have to make such a difficult choice. » Read more

For PA, Ramat Shlomo brouhaha is a godsend ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Khaled Abu Toameh - (Analysis) March 15, 2010 - 12:00am The crisis that erupted last week between the US and Israel over plans to build 1,600 new homes in Jerusalem’s Ramat Shlomo neighborhood has been welcomed by the Palestinian Authority as a “positive development.” PA officials and media outlets have since been highlighting – with a tone full of satisfaction – every single report or statement about the crisis between Jerusalem and Washington. » Read more