June 22nd

The danger of Netanyahu's new settlement policy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Editorial) June 22, 2011 - 12:00am A few days after he revealed his opinion that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict does not stem from a territorial dispute, and is therefore insoluble, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to implement a horrific idea necessitated by his worldview. He decided to accelerate the race to occupy additional territories in the disputed areas by thinning out the means of supervision of the settlement project authorities. » Read more

Fayyad: I will not obstruct unity deal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency June 22, 2011 - 12:00am RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- Prime Minister in Ramallah Salam Fayyad assured Tuesday evening that he "can't and won't be an obstacle to Palestinian reconciliation." Following speculation he would publicly refuse the post of prime minister in the new transitional unity government being negotiated by Hamas and Fatah, his words fell short of the declaration, saying "I shall support to the best of my abilities any candidate Palestinian parties agree upon." » Read more

Israel to Allow Building Cargo to Enter Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Ethan Bronner - June 21, 2011 - 12:00am JERUSALEM — The Israeli military said Tuesday that it had agreed to allow a United Nations agency to bring building materials for 1,200 new housing units and 18 new schools into Gaza, one of the largest construction projects in the Palestinian coastal strip in years. An Israeli military spokesman said the project came in addition to 130 others, including 14 schools, approved for construction by various agencies in Gaza. » Read more

June 21st

The European position is key ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Ghassan Khatib - (Blog) June 20, 2011 - 12:00am The period from now until September is going to be crowded with ideas and proposals aimed at achieving two objectives. First, these will seek to head off the Palestinian plan to take the conflict to the United Nations for discussion and ask for recognition of the Palestinian state and membership at the world body. Second, these proposals will try to ensure a resumption of the bilateral negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis. » Read more

Special from Israel: A country torn over projected impact of Arab Spring ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Masry Al-Youm by Roger Hercz - (Opinion) June 21, 2011 - 12:00am Facing US lawmakers on Capitol Hill in late May, Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu did not even attempt to wrap an elegant coating around his undiplomatic mocking of the uprisings sweeping the Arab World. Comparing the current situation in many Arab states to Israel, he left nothing to the imagination. “My friends, you don‘t need to do nation building in Israel. We have already built,” Netanyahu said, as the lawmakers joined him in laughter. “You don’t need to export democracy to Israel. We’ve already got it.” » Read more

Israel and Turkey holding secret direct talks to mend diplomatic rift ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - June 21, 2011 - 12:00am Israeli and Turkish officials have been holding secret direct talks to try to solve the diplomatic crisis between the two countries, a senior official in Jerusalem said. The negotiations are receiving the Americans' support. A source in the Turkish Foreign Ministry and a U.S. official confirmed that talks are being held, though in Israel the prime minister and foreign minister's aides declined to comment. » Read more

Why more pathetic attempts to revive a dead process? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Yossi Alpher - (Blog) June 20, 2011 - 12:00am For nearly three years now, since the demise of negotiations between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and President Mahmoud Abbas, there have been no serious Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. The reasons center on the apparent recognition by both Abbas and Olmert's successor, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, that the gaps separating them on issues of substance are too wide to justify the political risks entailed in rejoining a serious negotiations effort. » Read more

In Gaza, border opening brings little relief ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Ibrahim Barzak - June 21, 2011 - 12:00am The reopening of the Gaza Strip's main border crossing with Egypt brought widespread relief to Palestinians suffering from a four-year blockade. But one month later, some 20,000 people are on a wait list and despair is growing in this crowded territory. Residents still must apply for travel permits, and the first available dates to cross are in late August. Frustrated travelers gather at the crossing each day, clutching medical reports, foreign residency permits and university registration documents in hopes of persuading the authorities to let them through. » Read more

Netanyahu: Israel needs to separate from the Palestinians ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - June 21, 2011 - 12:00am Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu surprised many of the participants in the weekly cabinet meeting Sunday when he embarked on a monologue praising the idea of parting from the Palestinians and in relinquishing portions of the West Bank. Netanyahu said the number of Palestinians and Jews between the Jordan River and the sea "is irrelevant" and that it's more important to "preserve a solid Jewish majority inside the State of Israel." » Read more

The UN bid: A historic opportunity ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News by Jeff Halper - (Opinion) June 20, 2011 - 12:00am No one knows the precise plans of the Palestinian Authority (PA) vis-a-vis September: Will President Mahmoud Abbas declare a Palestinian state within recognized borders and ask that it be admitted as a full member of the UN - or not? Perhaps Abbas himself does not know. Now political leaders often make decisions alone or in consultation with a small group of advisers. As in so many matters political, however, the Palestinian leadership finds itself in a unique situation. » Read more