Does Birthright-Israel have a hidden agenda?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
September 11, 2009 - 12:00am

Many of the young people who pass through the Jewish Enrichment Center in Lower Manhattan view it with great affection. It is often the first time they have come in contact with a Judaism that is engaging and accessible. The rabbis responsible for the center's educational and religious programs are charismatic and approachable people who, participants say, have had a large impact on their lives.

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Netanyahu risks US anger by building settlements
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Josef Federman - September 10, 2009 - 12:00am

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has given the green light for hundreds of new homes in a Palestinian-claimed area of Jerusalem, officials confirmed Wednesday, part of a gamble to mollify his restive coalition without sparking a major confrontation with the U.S.

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A frustrating vicious cycle
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
by Daoud Kuttab - (Analysis) September 10, 2009 - 12:00am

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to approve new Jewish settlements just as a possible settlement freeze was being suggested shows yet again his country’s disregard of reason, a trend exhibited for over 40 years now.

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Netanyahu bureau mired in anarchy, turf wars and lies
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Barak Ravid - (Opinion) September 10, 2009 - 12:00am

If over the past few weeks Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seemed to be making some order in his office, his conduct and that of his advisers regarding his secret trip to Moscow reveal that anarchy, turf wars and mendacious responses to both the media and the public are but a few of the manifestations of the organizational culture prevailing in the office that runs the State of Israel.

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Pitfalls in US timetable for Middle East peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
by Sharmila Devi - September 10, 2009 - 12:00am

A rough timetable in the US push for Middle East peace is likely to emerge in the next few weeks after several months in which the administration has gone against some sceptical expectations and pressured Israel for a settlement freeze. Numerous pitfalls lie ahead, as always in Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking, but US resolve remains firm, said officials and analysts.

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The New Israel Lobby
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by James Traub - September 10, 2009 - 12:00am

In July, President Obama met for 45 minutes with leaders of American Jewish organizations. All presidents meet with Israel’s advocates. Obama, however, had taken his time, and powerhouse figures of the Jewish community were grumbling; Obama’s coolness seemed to be of a piece with his willingness to publicly pressure Israel to freeze the growth of its settlements and with what was deemed his excessive solicitude toward the plight of the Palestinians.

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Israel pushes ahead with East Jerusalem building
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
by Jonathan Adams - September 9, 2009 - 12:00am

Israel announced building plans in contested East Jerusalem today in a move likely to complicate US-Israel talks over a freeze on Israeli settlements in disputed territories. The reports came days after Israel announced other plans to build new settlements in the West Bank (see a map of the settlements here). The Obama administration has pressed Israel for a freeze on all settlement activity as a condition for a return to peace talks with the Palestinians. Israel has shrugged off that demand.

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Israel Tries to Placate Settlers by Allowing Some Construction Before Freeze
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Isabel Kershner - September 8, 2009 - 12:00am

Israel’s defense minister, Ehud Barak, authorized plans for 455 new housing units in Jewish settlements in the West Bank on Monday, in a move aimed at placating Israel’s pro-settlement camp before an expected construction freeze demanded by the Arab world and the United States. But the details released by Mr. Barak’s office on Monday seemed to satisfy nobody, enraging not only the Palestinians, but also Israelis on the right and the left. The White House denounced the planned approvals last week, when news first emerged of Israel’s intention to grant them.

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How Israel warms up for a settlement freeze
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
by Ilene Prusher - September 8, 2009 - 12:00am

Israel approved the building of more than 450 new homes in Jewish settlements on Monday, just weeks before possible Israeli-Palestinian talks on the sidelines of the annual United Nations gathering in New York.

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Obama Mid-East plans in jeopardy
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News
by Roger Hardy - September 8, 2009 - 12:00am

The Netanyahu government in Israel has approved the building of 455 new homes for settlers in the West Bank - in defiance of Mr Obama's call for a complete settlement freeze. One former US diplomat with extensive experience of the Middle East calls it "a huge slap in the face" for the Obama administration. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to have it both ways. He wants to appease the settler lobby by allowing new construction, and to appease the Americans by finalising an agreement on a temporary freeze. But he is in danger of satisfying no-one.

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