July 16th

The View From Club Med
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Economist
July 16, 2008 - 3:12pm

AMID exceptionally tight security, and beneath the magnificent glass roof of the Grand Palais, the leaders of 43 European and Mediterranean countries met in Paris on Sunday July 13th to launch a new club: the Union for the Mediterranean. For President Nicolas Sarkozy, who will co-chair the new grouping, along with Egypt's Hosni Mubarak, the summit provided a chance to reassert French diplomacy and to grab a part in the quest for Middle East peace. With careful orchestration, both Syria's Bashar Assad and Israel's Ehud Olmert sat at the same table.

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ATFP Joins With Groups Urging Travel Rights for Palestinian Students
Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - July 15, 2008 - 12:00am

Washington, DC, July 16 - The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) has joined with six other American organizations to urge Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to use her good offices to convince Israel to allow hundreds of Palestinian students in Gaza to travel to their universities around the world. The organizations sent a letter to Secretary Rice dated July 15 asking the Administration to help secure travel permission for hundreds of Palestinian students in Gaza who have been accepted in foreign universities but who are not being allowed to leave the territory by Israel.


July 15th

The Economist discusses the recent inaugural meeting of the Mediterranean Union (1). The much anticipated prisoner swap between Israel and Hezbollah is carried out, to mixed reactions (2) (9). The IDF continues their crackdown on Hamas-affiliated organizations in the West Bank (3) (5). Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair cancels his planned visit to Gaza (8) and expresses his doubts about the prospects for a peace agreement this year (7).

ATFP Offers its Vision for a future Palestinian State
Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - January 25, 2006 - 1:00am

Washington, D.C., January 26 -- The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) released its vision of what a future Palestinian state should look like, in a briefing at the Carnegie Endowment For International Peace in Washington, D.C. today. The briefing is part of a multi-pronged media campaign that includes publishing the "Vision for Palestine" document in Arabic and English in Mideast newspapers, a full-page New York Times advertisement and related op-eds. Attending today's briefing was on overflow crowd of diplomats, U.S.


ATFP Reiterates Path of Peaceful Negotiation to Achieve Statehood
Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - January 25, 2006 - 1:00am

Washington, D.C., January 26 -- ATFP expressed satisfaction today with the Palestinian people's successful conducting of their elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC.) An estimated 78% of registered Palestinian voters exercised their democratic right to vote yesterday in an orderly and peaceful manner.


ATFP and AAI Head Coalition of Arab American and Humanitarian Groups in Summit on Palestinian Aid
Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - February 20, 2006 - 1:00am

Washington, D.C., February 21 -- The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) and the Arab American Institute (AAI) co-chaired a daylong summit of Arab American leaders and organizations in Washington, D.C. on Friday, February 17th to discuss the humanitarian and political consequences of suspending U.S. aid to the Palestinians and what can be done to inform the U.S. government about this issue.


ATFP President Receives AACCESS Award
Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - March 12, 2006 - 1:00am

ATFP President Dr. Ziad Asali was awarded the 'Arab American of The Year Award' on March 11, 2006, by the Arab American Community Center for Economic And Social Services (AACCESS) in Ohio. The award recognized Dr. Asali 'In recognition of your devoted time and effort to the Arab American community and your pride in your Arab American heritage.'


ATFP Announces Palestinian Humanitarian Fund
Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - April 30, 2006 - 12:00am

The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) has set aside a special emergency fund to collect donations for providing immediate humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. Conditions in the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly in Gaza, have reached a crisis point.


Joint ATFP-Woodrow Wilson Center Briefing Explores Next Steps in Arab-Israeli Peace Making
Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - May 9, 2006 - 12:00am

Washington, D.C., May 10 -- The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars held a half-day conference today entitled "Politics and Diplomacy: Next Steps in Arab-Israeli Peacemaking." The conference featured two panels of Palestinian, Arab and Israeli former senior government officials in addition to a member of the Israeli media. The conference concluded with a keynote speech by H.R. H. Prince Turki al-Faisal, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States.


Visiting Palestinian Leaders Urge US and Israeli PM Olmert to Restart Negotitations with Palestinians
Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - May 10, 2006 - 12:00am

Washington, D.C., May 11 -- The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) held a briefing today in Washington, D.C. featuring three senior Palestinian leaders currently visiting the United States: Yasser Abed Rabbo, member of the Palestine Liberation Organization executive committee and former minister of communication; Nabil Amr, former minister of communication and parliamentary affairs; and Ziad Abu Amr, elected member of the Palestinian Legislative Council and former minister of culture.



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