August 11th

'US secured FM's support for Turkey deal, PM backed out' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post August 11, 2011 - 12:00am An agreement was almost reached between Israel and Turkey over resolving differences and outstanding claims over last year's flotilla incident on board the Mavi Marmara, in which nine Turkish nationals were killed, but the deal fell apart two weeks ago, much to the chagrin of Washington, Army Radio reported on Thursday. » Read more

Barak warns Israeli ministers: Sanctions could lead to the Palestinian Authority's collapse ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - August 11, 2011 - 12:00am Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his senior ministers on Wednesday to discuss how Israel plans to cope with Palestinian efforts to secure UN recognition of a Palestinian state in September. Several of the ministers urged preemptive sanctions against the Palestinian Authority in an effort to pressure PA President Mahmoud Abbas to back down, but Defense Minister Ehud Barak objected, warning that it could lead to the collapse of the PA. » Read more

Israeli settler leader braces social protesters ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua August 10, 2011 - 12:00am In a show of solidarity with the social protests that are currently sweeping Israel, settler leader Danny Dayan visited activists in Tel Aviv Tuesday, saying that the West Bank settlers share the protesters' grievances. Dayan, who heads the Municipal Council of Jewish Settlements in the West Bank (Yesha Council), visited the tent complex at Tel Aviv's upscale Rothschild Boulevard, where he met the head of Israel's National Students Union, Itzik Shmuli, one of the protest movement's outspoken leaders. » Read more

The road to New York goes through Lebanon and Qatar ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency by Bassam Abu Eid - August 11, 2011 - 12:00am As the Palestinian UN bid for recognition approaches in September, two Arab countries will hold key positions in both the Security Council and General Assembly, adding momentum to Palestinian diplomatic efforts to gain statehood. Lebanon is set to head the Security Council and Qatar will be rotating president of the General Assembly. » Read more

Palestinian official slams U.S. stance on Jewish settlement ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua August 11, 2011 - 12:00am A Palestinian official criticized the United States Wednesday for not taking a firm stance against the Jewish settlement activities in the occupied territories. The Obama administration's statement that it is concerned by the Israeli activities "is insufficient for anything on the ground, " said Yasser Abed Rabbo, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee. » Read more

Israel approves 1,600 Jerusalem settler homes ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency by Agence France Press (AFP) - August 11, 2011 - 12:00am Israel's interior minister Eli Yishai has given final approval for the construction of 1,600 new settler homes in east Jerusalem, his spokesman told AFP on Thursday. The move is likely to anger both the Palestinians and the international community, as it struggles to find a way to relaunch peace talks in a bid to head off a Palestinian plan to seek United Nations membership. Roei Lachmanovich also said the interior minister was set to give final approval for another 2,700 settler homes in east Jerusalem neighborhoods in "a couple of days." » Read more

WEST BANK: Not everyone's laughing at Palestinian TV comedy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Maher Abukhater - August 10, 2011 - 12:00am At a time when revolts in Arab nations are gradually taking their toll on the leaders of those countries, Palestinian officials seem worried that too much criticism of their performance may eventually lead them to a fate similar to their Arab brothers. At least that's what one comedian-actor-writer believes. » Read more

August 10th

The fabric of Palestinian identity ATFP World Press Roundup Article from NOW Lebanon by Hussein Ibish - (Opinion) August 9, 2011 - 12:00am What can a book about traditional folkloric costumes tell us about contemporary politics? Quite a lot as it happens. Hanan Karaman Munayyer’s beautiful new volume, “Traditional Palestinian Costume: Origins and Evolution” (Interlink, 2011) combines superb photography of the renowned Munayyer collection of traditional Palestinian dress with an analysis of their origins, evolution and variations. Since the 1980s, Munayyer and her husband Farah have been assembling these costumes and other artifacts of Palestinian traditional life in their Palestinian Heritage Foundation. » Read more

Challenging the Insupportable Arguments against Palestinian Statehood ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National Interest by Henry Siegman - (Opinion) August 10, 2011 - 12:00am In their near-hysterical efforts to prevent Palestinians from asking the United Nations to recognize the Palestinian right to self-determination and statehood in the West Bank and Gaza, Israel and the United States have put forward a number of insupportable arguments that cannot be allowed to go unchallenged. » Read more

Reinforcing support ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times (Editorial) August 10, 2011 - 12:00am His Majesty King Abdullah held talks with visiting Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, reiterating Jordan’s support for the Palestinians’ quest for statehood and freedom. Jordan has legitimate concerns about an eventual “deal” on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict which, as our foreign minister underscored, can best be reached through negotiations. In the absence of talks, however, which Israel shows no interest in, continuing to hang on to its intransigent stand, the options are limited and the Palestinians’ statehood bid will have to be pursued at the UN. » Read more