Palestine’s own spring
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Le Monde Diplomatique
by Alain Gresh - (Opinion) June 6, 2011 - 12:00am

The images of Palestinians massed at Israel’s borders on 15 May represented a dream for some, and a nightmare for others. On the 63rd anniversary of the declaration of the Jewish state and of the nakba (catastrophe) for the many thousands of Palestinians expelled from their homes, demonstrators from Syria (1), Lebanon, Jordan and Gaza converged on the promised land. They were only a few thousand but the world wondered what would happen if millions marched peacefully to the borders and walls next time.

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Encountering Peace: September mania
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Gershon Baskin - (Opinion) June 6, 2011 - 12:00am

Many people, including Israelis and Palestinians, are asking me what will happen after September. The most accurate answer I can think of is “October.” The idea that whatever happens in September will produce immediate changes on the ground is irresponsible because it raises expectations to dangerous levels. The most important thing that should not happen after September is a new round of violence. That should be avoided at all costs, and both sides must take responsibility so that it does not occur.

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Palestinian Statehood Drive Fraught With Obstacles
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line
by David Rosenberg - (Analysis) June 6, 2011 - 12:00am

The Palestinian drive to win United Nation recognition of statehood faces immense political and legal obstacles, scholars said at a conference on Monday. But they said that even if they succeed, the practical impact will be minimal. “The world already sees us as an occupier of Palestinian territory. What would be the big the change?” said Robbie Sabel, who teaches international law and the Hebrew University and advised the Israeli Foreign Ministry. “Since the world is going to accept a Palestinian state, I suggest to Israel that since we can’t beat them, we should join them.”

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In India and Israel, the burden of protest falls on the victims of injustice
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian
by Pankaj Mishra - (Opinion) June 6, 2011 - 12:00am

At a dark moment in postcolonial history, when many US-backed despots seemed indestructible, the great Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz, whose centenary falls this year, wrote: "We shall witness [the day] when the enormous mountains of tyranny blow away like cotton". That miraculous day promised by the poet finally came in Egypt and Tunisia this spring. We have since witnessed many of the world's acknowledged legislators scrambling to get on the right side of history.

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UN’s 193rd member: Palestine?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Ronen Medzini - (Opinion) June 5, 2011 - 12:00am

The United Nations has 192 member states at this time. For Israel, the most pessimistic scenario is to discover one morning that the Palestinians got the 193rd seat, via a unilateral move that circumvents negotiations. However the Ramallah leadership’s path to the sought-after seat at the General Assembly in Manhattan is not an easy one at all. First and foremost, the Palestinians are facing the American obstacle. US President Barack Obama declared last week on no less than three separate occasions his objection to the Palestinian intention to seek UN recognition of statehood.

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EU representative says ready to resume Rafah role if requested
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Masry Al-Youm
by Marian Houk - June 3, 2011 - 12:00am

The European Union stands ready - if asked - to resume its Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) at the Rafah crossing, or take up other similar new tasks there, according to Christian Berger, EU Representative to the Palestinian Authority. In an interview in his East Jerusalem headquarters last Friday, and again in a joint appearance with Palestinian Authority (PA) Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki in Ramallah on Monday, Berger said the EU welcomed the reopening of the only crossing point between Egypt and Gaza. “We’ve always said that all crossing points have to be open,” he added.

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What leverage to reach Palestinian statehood?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
by Daoud Kuttab - (Opinion) June 2, 2011 - 12:00am

Negotiators the world over are taught that in order to maximise one’s bargaining position, they should always have credible alternatives.

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The Israelis in Iran!
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat
by Tariq al-Homayed - (Editorial) June 1, 2011 - 12:00am

We know that pragmatism is a part of politics, and that politicians deal with the public along the lines of "do as I say, not as I do". Yet this is all we know today with regards to the politics of our region, where Israeli ships, commercial or otherwise, have been anchored in Iranian ports for years, and this is another matter altogether!

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Israel considers options on Palestinian statehood bid
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA)
by Linda Gradstein - June 1, 2011 - 12:00am

While U.S. officials are running a full-court diplomatic press against the Palestinian bid for U.N. recognition of statehood this September and officials at international Jewish organizations are trying to convince foreign leaders to oppose statehood, the Israeli government appears to be taking a different approach: acceptance. On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a Knesset committee that there is no way to stop the U.N. General Assembly from recognizing Palestinian statehood.

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Fayyad: State will be on 1967 borders
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
May 31, 2011 - 12:00am

Ramallah Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said Monday that the Palestinian state would be established on all territories occupied in 1967. "On 1967 territories, there are no disputed areas. There is no A, B, or C area, nor are there H1 or H2 zones. It is all Palestinian territory that has been occupied since 1967," Fayyad said. "The independent Palestinian state will be on all these territories including the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem, the eternal capital of Palestine."

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