A Year of Waste
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Roger Cohen - (Opinion) July 14, 2011 - 12:00am

WASHINGTON — Almost a year ago, President Obama declared to the United Nations General Assembly: “When we come back here next year, we can have an agreement that will lead to a new member of the United Nations — an independent sovereign state of Palestine, living in peace with Israel.”

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Palestine’s Split Over Statehood
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast
by Dan Ephron - (Opinion) July 14, 2011 - 12:00am

Palestinians have been talking for months about petitioning the United Nations in September for a vote that would push them closer to statehood. Now, as the deadline for a decision nears, the top policy-makers in Ramallah are divided over precisely what course to take, according to Palestinian and western officials familiar with internal discussions on the matter.

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Palestinians call on US to support UN bid
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
by Agence France Press (AFP) - July 14, 2011 - 12:00am

The Palestinians have called on the United States to reverse course and support their United Nations membership bid, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said on Wednesday. Erekat, speaking at a news conference in Ramallah, said the Palestinians had been in touch with Washington after a meeting of the Middle East peacemaking Quartet this week that failed to produce a final joint statement.

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Palestinians more determined to approach UN for vote
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
by Fares Akram and Emad Drimly - July 13, 2011 - 12:00am

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated Wednesday that the Palestinians will seek recognition of their state at the United Nations if international efforts failed to resume peace talks with Israel. Abbas said when meeting United Arab Emirates' (UAE) ambassador in the West Bank city of Ramallah that Israel refuses to commit itself to the references of the peace process or stop building Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

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Palestinian leaders weigh U.N. options
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from United Press International (UPI)
by Rema Rahman - July 13, 2011 - 12:00am

A PLO leader said Palestinians will consider bypassing the U.N. Security Council and going directly to the General Assembly when it requests admission to the United Nations in September. The option, if accepted, would allow the Palestinians to become a non-member state in the United Nations. For full recognition, leaders are also considering acceptance by the Security Council first, which could postpone the process.

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How not to have a Palestinian state
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Members of the Friends of Israel Initiative - (Opinion) July 13, 2011 - 12:00am

The unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state, and its international recognition, would be a huge mistake. A peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians is essential, but can be achieved only through honest negotiations – not by one party imposing a unilateral decision.

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FM: Palestinians could withdraw UN bid
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
July 13, 2011 - 12:00am

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The Palestinian leadership plans to seek recognition of statehood from the United Nations in September but would be willing to postpone the bid if peace talks restart with a clear timetable, the foreign minister in Ramallah said Monday. Riyad Al-Maliki says the Palestinians are moving forward on the plan, but that step "can be avoided if negotiations start before September based on clear foundations and a timetable."

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Palestinian envoy to UN: European states will recognize Palestine before September
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Barak Ravid - July 13, 2011 - 12:00am

The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, is in the forefront of the Palestinian diplomatic move ? now gaining momentum ? before the General Assembly meet in September. In the coming weeks, Mansour will submit to the UN secretary general an official request for Palestine to be accepted as a full member of the world body. Mansour hopes that September will see more than 130 countries voting in the General Assembly in favor of recognizing a Palestinian state, even if it does not receive full membership status.

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Palestinians have to pin hopes on patience
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News
by Linda S. Heard - (Opinion) July 12, 2011 - 12:00am

If I were a Palestinian living on the West Bank or Gaza I would wake up every morning wondering why the international community champions the self-determination of Arabs in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Syria while actively abetting Israel in its oppression of my own people when they have international law on their side.

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Palestinians hold US responsible for Israel policy
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Ali Sawafta - July 12, 2011 - 12:00am

RAMALLAH, West Bank, July 12 (Reuters) - The Palestinian leadership, in unusually harsh criticism of Washington, on Tuesday held the United States responsible for "racist" Israeli policies it said had sabotaged the peace process. The leadership said recent developments had confirmed the need for the Palestinians to go to the U.N. General Assembly in September to seek international recognition for a state of Palestine on lands occupied by Israel since 1967.

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