November 1st

Israel – Jewish state or state of the Jewish people? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Susan Hattis Rolef - (Opinion) November 1, 2011 - 12:00am The winter session of the Knesset opened Monday. One of the items on the agenda is a bill initiated by MK Avi Dichter (Kadima) and cosigned by another 39 MKs, entitled “Basic Law: Israel – The National State of the Jewish People.” » Read more

Encountering Peace: Unintended consequences ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Gershon Baskin - (Opinion) November 1, 2011 - 12:00am Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and the entire PLO leadership decided to take the Palestinian issue back to the United Nations. This was not an easy or a hasty decision. It was taken with a great deal of deliberation and after carefully weighing all of the possible consequences. » Read more

Israel demolishes Palestinian homes in Jerusalem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency November 1, 2011 - 12:00am Israeli forces on Monday demolished five homes belonging to Palestinians in East Jerusalem, locals said. The demolitions, in Khan al-Ahmar near the illegal Israeli settlement Maale Adumin, displaced 71 people, including 60 children, according to the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions. ICAHD, a prominent Israeli non-governmental organization, said Monday that Israel was forcing Palestinians out of East Jerusalem as part of a deliberate policy that might constitute a war crime. » Read more

Palestinians aim to join 16 other UN agencies ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Elior Levy - November 1, 2011 - 12:00am The Palestinian Authority's admittance to UNESCO as a full member is an achievement Israel should be pleased with – or at least that's what Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erekat thinks. "This is a victory for peace and a victory for the human race," he stressed while threatening: "Israel might find itself as the only authority from the Jordan River and to the sea". Palestinian officials have claimed that this is just the beginning. » Read more

After Shalit, some IDF officers see dead soldier as better than abducted ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amos Harel - (Analysis) November 1, 2011 - 12:00am Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz reiterated on Monday that the so-called Hannibal Protocol, designed to prevent soldiers from being abducted, does not allow for a soldier to be killed in order to prevent his abduction. Gantz was addressing the IDF's operations forum, which includes combat unit commanders at the rank of lieutenant colonel and above. Much of the meeting was devoted to discussing the lessons of the Gilad Shalit episode. » Read more

Palestinian UNESCO membership: What it means for 4 key players ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Ariel Zirulnick - November 1, 2011 - 12:00am Practically speaking, UNESCO membership for Palestine doesn’t bring it any closer to actual statehood. But with the Palestinians’ bid for full UN membership stalled because of an almost-certain US veto on the United Nations Security Council, the Palestinian Authority has opted to move forward by pushing for membership at individual UN agencies, such as UNESCO, the Associated Press reports. » Read more

Netanyahu's ongoing acquisition of lands by force ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Akiva Eldar - (Opinion) November 1, 2011 - 12:00am And now for the million-shekel question on the game show, "1 vs. 100:" Which of the three leaders said, "Most of the UN member-states originate from conflicts, but I don't believe in acquiring lands by force"? Was it Shimon Peres, Yitzhak Rabin or Benjamin Netanyahu? » Read more

U.S. cuts off UNESCO funding after Palestinian vote ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters November 1, 2011 - 12:00am The United States said on Monday it had stopped funding UNESCO, the U.N. cultural agency, following its vote to grant the Palestinians full membership. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters the United States had no choice but to halt funding because of longstanding U.S. law, saying Washington would not make a planned $60 million transfer that was due in November.

Palestinians to push heritage agenda at UNESCO ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Tom Perry - November 1, 2011 - 12:00am Hamdan Taha, a Palestinian Authority minister who deals with antiquities and culture, said UNESCO membership was the Palestinians' natural right. He described as "regrettable" the objections of some governments including the United States. UNESCO's board decided last week to let member states vote on a Palestinian application for full membership, seen as part of a Palestinian drive opposed by Israel and the United States for recognition as a state in the U.N. system. » Read more

Palestinian Membership in Unesco Comes at a Price as U.S. Cuts Off Funding ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bloomberg by Flavia Krause-Jackson - November 1, 2011 - 12:00am Acceptance into the UN cultural agency Unesco, best known for its designation of “world heritage” sites, hasn’t brought the Palestinians any closer to full membership in the United Nations itself. If anything, the victory has come at a price. A day after Palestine gained full membership in the UN group with 107 votes in favor and 14 against, the U.S. has retaliated by cutting off funding that supplies almost a quarter of the agency’s budget. Moreover, swing votes the Palestinians need to bolster their support on the Security Council for full UN membership have evaporated. » Read more