September 27th

Fatah official: Non-violence key to Palestinian struggle
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
(Analysis) September 27, 2011 - 12:00am


BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- President Mahmoud Abbas' adviser said Tuesday that non-violent resistance was crucial to the Palestinian struggle against Israeli occupation and that violent confrontation was not an option. Sabri Saydam told Ma'an that the Palestinians must take "the path of non-violent popular resistance to highlight Palestinian suffering" and avoid giving Israel any pretexts to export their "internal crisis."


UN Showdown Ushers in Critical a Period for U.S. Middle East Peace Efforts
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bloomberg
by Indira A.R. Lakshmanan - (Analysis) September 27, 2011 - 12:00am


The Palestinians’ bid for statehood at the United Nations has shaken up Mideast peace efforts, fueling a sense of crisis among Israeli and Palestinian allies that the U.S. says can drive a return to direct peace talks. “We know that there’s a trust deficit that needs to be overcome,” Michael Hammer, acting assistant secretary of state for public affairs, said yesterday. The two sides “have an opportunity here that we hope they will seize.”


One Gaza family celebrates Palestinian statehood bid despite Hamas ban
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
by Kristen Chick - September 25, 2011 - 12:00am


When Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas went to the United Nations to ask for recognition of a Palestinian state Friday, Gaza residents weren’t allowed to celebrate in the streets like Palestinians in the West Bank.


Palestinians’ Security Council Application Goes to a Committee
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Neil MacFarquhar - September 26, 2011 - 12:00am


The Security Council decided to meet on Wednesday morning to refer the Palestinian membership application to the Council’s membership committee. All 15 Council members have a representative on the committee. Given the sensitivity and interest of the issue, it will be heavy with ambassadors this time around, diplomats said. Even as the review is proceeding, both the United States and the Palestinians have been lobbying over the eventual vote in the Council, which is still weeks if not months away.


September 26th

UN bid: Israel's political tsunami has arrived
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News
by Barak Ravid - (Opinion) September 25, 2011 - 12:00am


Reactions to Mahmoud Abbas and Benjamin Netanyahu’s addresses to the UN are clear illustrations of Palestine president’s ascent to political rock star status and Israeli prime minister’s increasing international isolation. Half an hour before Abbas went up to the podium at the UN General Assembly, Salva Kiir, president of the world’s youngest country, South Sudan, was giving his own speech. As he went on, a slow buzz began to spread throughout the hall.


Israel-America is our new South Africa
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
by Rami Khouri - (Opinion) September 24, 2011 - 12:00am


It remains to be seen what actually changes on the ground in the months ahead following the Palestinian initiative to ask the United Nations to recognize a Palestinian state in the 1967 Israeli-occupied territories as a U.N. member or observer state. The move could be a substantive gain for the Palestinian people, merely a symbolic victory, or a measurable setback if the United States and Israel translate their vindictive rhetoric into hard policies. While we wait for the impact of the U.N.


IDF-Palestinian coordination remains effective, despite heightened tensions
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Tomer Zarchin - September 26, 2011 - 12:00am


Security coordination between the Israel Defense Forces and Palestinian security forces has proven its effectiveness in the face of heightened tensions over the Palestinian Authority's application for membership at the United Nations last week. Large-scale demonstrations in PA-controlled towns were kept from spilling over into other areas of the territories that are controlled by Israel.


Congress Moves To Punish Palestinians, But Even Israel Objects
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
by Nathan Guttman - September 22, 2011 - 12:00am


Washington — A congressional drive to punish the Palestinian Authority for its statehood bid by cutting American aid is being greeted with enthusiasm by lawmakers of both parties. But the White House is giving the move a cold shoulder, and even Israel itself and its strongest supporters have serious reservations. The legislation being discussed in Congress would cut all or part of the nearly $600 million annual aid package if Palestinians move ahead with their plan to seek statehood at the United Nations.


Peace negotiations best for Mideast
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Detroit News
by Sharon Lipton - (Editorial) September 26, 2011 - 12:00am


The tailwind of the Arab Spring appears to be propelling the Palestinians toward their own political revolution. On Friday, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas presented a resolution requesting the admission of an independent state of Palestine to the United Nations. Many have explored the wisdom of a Palestinian Unilateral Declaration of Independence, a diplomatic end-run that allows them to circumvent the negotiating table. If this is indeed the tactic chosen, there is one thing that must be made clear: both sides will suffer for this decision.


Study: One-third of Jewish Israelis say Arab citizens aren’t Israeli
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA)
September 25, 2011 - 12:00am


JERUSALEM (JTA) -- One-third of Israel's Jewish population does not consider Arab citizens of the country to be Israelis, according to a newly released survey. The Israeli Democracy Index 2011 survey conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute also found that nearly 78 percent of Israeli Jews believe that a Jewish majority should be required for making critical decisions concerning not just peace and security, but also socio-economic issues and issues of governance. The survey showed that some 52 percent do not believe there is discrimination against Arabs in Israel.



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