The Palestinians’ treacherous path to the UN
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Alon Ben-meir - (Opinion) July 29, 2011 - 12:00am

The Palestinians’ plans to seek UN recognition are a bad omen for both themselves and Israel. Instead, US President Barack Obama should seek a UN resolution that reflects his own conviction of a two-state solution.

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The Palestinian Statehood Strategy
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Arabiya
by Ali Younes - (Opinion) July 29, 2011 - 12:00am

From the Palestinian perspective, the absence of any meaningful effort to restart the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations that will eventually lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders is the driving force behind the current efforts to submit an application to the UN to recognize Palestine as a state.

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The costs and benefits of Palestinian UN options
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ibishblog
by Hussein Ibish - (Blog) July 29, 2011 - 12:00am

I’m going to look at what looms ahead potentially at the United Nations in September, because that seems to be the most immediate diplomatic and political context, from a Palestinian perspective anyway, and has huge repercussions. First of all, I’d like to put this whole conversation in its context, at least the way that as I understand it, and also the way the Palestinian leadership and a lot of Palestinians who are talking about some kind of U.N. initiative in September, understand it.

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APN Principles on the Palestinians, International Recognition & the UN
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Americans For Peace Now
by Lara Friedman - (Opinion) July 28, 2011 - 12:00am

A great deal of attention is focused today on September 2011, when it is expected that the UN will take up some kind of initiative related to the Palestinians. Both the form and the content of such an initiative remain unknown and in all likelihood are in fact still undecided - realities that have not stopped pundits and organizations from rushing to judgment and staking out hard-line positions opposing the effort.

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All systems are on go for Palestine’s march to the UN
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
by Daoud Kuttab - (Opinion) July 28, 2011 - 12:00am

If anyone outside Palestine had doubts that the Palestinian Authority was hesitant about going to the UN to request the recognition of Palestine as a full member, a trip to Ramallah would quickly put an end to this scepticism. Ramallah’s hotels are full of members of the Palestine Central Council (the second highest representative body in Palestinian politics after the Palestine National Council). PNC Speaker Salim Zannoun has held meetings in Amman, Hebron, Nablus and Ramallah in preparation for a crucial central council meeting in Ramallah this week.

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The evolution of Syrian policy towards Palestine and the Palestinians
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ibishblog
by Hussein Ibish - (Blog) July 28, 2011 - 12:00am

The policies of the Hafez and Bashar Al-Assad regimes in Syria have systematically undermined independent Palestinian national leadership and asserted control over the Palestinian cause and movement. These policies did not arise in a vacuum, but rather are a continuation and intensification of traditional Syrian approaches to the question of Palestine. These Syrian efforts to “own a piece of Palestine" -- if not the whole thing, at least as an issue -- are not unique among the Arab states.

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Bill would shut down PLO office for statehood action
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA)
July 28, 2011 - 12:00am

An appropriations bill would shut down the PLO office in Washington if Palestinians pursue statehood recognition absent talks with Israel and fail to take steps to stop incitement. The bill, referred Wednesday by the foreign operations subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee to the full committee, for the first time restricts the broad presidential waiver that applied to the 1988 law that originally banned setting up a Palestine Liberation Organization office on U.S. soil.

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PLO central council backs Abbas' determination to approach UN
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
July 28, 2011 - 12:00am

RAMALLAH, July 28 (Xinhua) -- The Central Committee of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) announced on Thursday that it backs Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' attitude to approach the United Nations in September to gain a full membership of the state of Palestine. The central council, which marked the end of a two-day meeting chaired by Abbas in Ramallah is the semi-parliament of the Palestinians in exile and consists of 120 members.

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Worries Grow Over Palestinian U.N. Bid
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from National Public Radio (NPR)
by Michele Kelemen - July 28, 2011 - 12:00am

Negotiating Palestinian statehood was an early priority for President Obama's administration. But these days, U.S. diplomats are spending much of their time trying to stop the Palestinians from going to the United Nations to try to win diplomatic recognition. Palestinians say they have no other choice, since negotiations are deadlocked. Some former Israeli officials came to Washington this week to urge the U.S. to help. Retired Maj. Gen. Shlomo Gazit says he understands that Washington has other priorities these days. And he says most Israelis are just fine with that.

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Last roll of the dice for Palestinians at the UN
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from swissinfo.ch
by Frédéric Burnand - (Opinion) July 28, 2011 - 12:00am

The Swiss government has yet to publicly state its position on formal recognition of a Palestinian state. “We are going to the Security Council to obtain full membership of the United Nations and the recognition of Palestine according to the 1967 borders,” affirmed Abbas during a meeting of the central council of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) in Ramallah on Wednesday. But such a move goes against the wishes of supporters of a Palestinian state such as the United States, which argues that peace negotiations are the correct format for such debates.

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