'No place in Israel for Palestine,' says Naftali Bennett in maiden Knesset speech
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Jonathan Lis - February 13, 2013 - 1:00am

In his first address to the Knesset, Habayit Hayehudi leader Naftali Bennett on Tuesday rejected any possibility of an agreement that would lead to the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. "There's no place in our small and stunning piece of God's country for another state," he said. "It won't happen. But friends, before any debate about territory, it must be said: The Land of Israel belongs to the people of Israel. Now let's argue." Bennett also referred to his commitment to making the defense burden more equitable.

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Is There Any Hope Left For Israeli-Palestinian Conflict?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Monitor
by Akiva Eldar - (Opinion) February 12, 2013 - 1:00am

 

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State of the Union 2013: Obama's Israel expectations game
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Politico
by Josh Gerstein - February 12, 2013 - 1:00am

President Barack Obama’s domestic audience isn’t much interested in foreign policy Tuesday night - and if they are, it’s more about Iran and now North Korea than the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But his global audience is eager for him to dive back in to an issue that Europeans and many moderate Arab leaders see as a rallying cry for extremism and anti-American sentiment. Their biggest worry: they see any hope for peace slipping away.

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Historical Experiences and Perception
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Huffington Post
by Alon Ben-Meir - (Opinion) February 11, 2013 - 1:00am

Brief synopsis: The most puzzling aspect of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict may be that after 65 years of violence, enmity and suffering, it remains unresolved when coexistence is inevitable and a two-state solution remains the only viable option. Although there are many contentious issues that must be specifically addressed, directly impacting every conflicting issue is the broader psychological dimension of the conflict, which makes it increasingly intractable.

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Lapid and Bennett – a love story
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Ben Caspit - (Opinion) February 8, 2013 - 1:00am

The only thing that I can do better than being foreign minister, says Yair Lapid, is to be chairman of the opposition. Lapid does not fear the opposition. In fact, the opposite might be true. If he were to join the government, it would be hard to meet expectations. He has made promises, and now he would need to follow through with them. In Binyamin Netanyahu’s government, so far not one person has actually kept his or her promise (including Netanyahu himself).

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By ignoring international law, Israel is only hurting itself
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Ruth Gavison - (Opinion) February 8, 2013 - 1:00am

Israeli government officials are absolutely correct to point out that the UN Human Rights Council is a biased, anti-Israeli body. Nevertheless, one shouldn’t ignore the recent report on West Bank settlements which was written on its behalf, since it reflects the maturation of a prolonged process, typical of international law.

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Why BDS Isn't Compatible With Two States
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast
by Mira Sucharov - (Opinion) February 8, 2013 - 1:00am

The latest salvo in the BDS movement’s attempt to find broad appeal is its claim that, contra its critics, the movement does not necessarily oppose a two-state solution.

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Palestinian Officials Urge Obama to Push for Peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
by Daniel Estrin - February 7, 2013 - 1:00am

Palestinian officials said Thursday they hope President Barack Obama's upcoming visit to the region signals readiness to re-engage in Mideast peace efforts, but that negotiations can only resume if Washington is ready to get tough with Israel.

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The Role of Psychological Resistance
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Huffington Post
by Alon Ben-Meir - (Opinion) February 7, 2013 - 1:00am

Brief Synopsis: The most puzzling aspect of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is that after 65 years of mutual violence, enmity and suffering, it remains unresolved even when coexistence is inevitable and a two-state solution remains the only viable option. Although there are many contentious issues that must be specifically addressed, it is the psychological dimension of the conflict which directly impacts every conflicting issue and makes it increasingly intractable.

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Mashaal says his reported 'two-state' comments are false
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
February 5, 2013 - 1:00am

Hamas chief Khalid Mashaal told Jordanian state TV on Saturday that media reports suggesting he accepts the two-state solution are false. Last week, the Saudi newspaper Al-Sharq reported that Mashaal asked Jordan's King Abdullah to inform US President Barack Obama that Hamas will accept two states for Israel and Palestine. But Mashaal tried to dampen the comments in a TV interview, saying the movement would not "all of a sudden accept a Palestinian state with interim borders."

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