Border Control/Nothing Natural About it ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Akiva Eldar - June 2, 2009 - 12:00am The myth of "natural population growth" doesn't impress Col. (res.) Shaul Arieli, nor do the stories about little children from good Jewish homes who are left without a kindergarten. Arieli, who in the late 1990s served as deputy military secretary to former prime minister and incumbent Defense Minister Ehud Barak, did the calculations and found that one third of Israelis living in the territories (not including East Jerusalem) settled there during the Oslo years and another third after the peace process was suspended. » Read more

Obama: U.S. will be 'honest' with Israel on settlements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Natasha Mozgovaya, Barak Ravid - June 2, 2009 - 12:00am The United States will be more blunt in raising objections to Israel's settlement policies in the Palestinian territories than previous administrations, President Barack Obama told a U.S. radio network in an interview on Monday. "Part of being a good friend is being honest," Obama told National Public Radio. "And I think there have been times where we are not as honest as we should be about the fact that the current direction, the current trajectory, in the region is profoundly negative, not only for Israeli interests but also U.S. interests. » Read more

Democrats pressure Barack Obama on Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Politico by Ben Smith - June 1, 2009 - 12:00am As President Barack Obama prepares to depart for his first trip to the Arab world, the administration’s escalating pressure on Israel to freeze all growth of its settlements on Palestinian land has begun to stir concern among Israel’s numerous allies in both parties on Capitol Hill. » Read more

Obama Hopeful on Mid-East Peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News June 2, 2009 - 12:00am US President Barack Obama has told the BBC he believes his country can help to get serious Middle East peace negotiations back on track. Mr Obama's first interview with a UK broadcaster comes on the eve of a trip to the Middle East and Europe. On Iran, he said he hoped to see progress by the end of the year, through "tough, direct diplomacy". But he said, rather than imposing its values on other countries, the US should act as a role model. » Read more

Israeli Minister's Visit Aims To Calm Settlements Dispute ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Glenn Kessler - June 2, 2009 - 12:00am Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak began a round of meetings with top U.S. officials yesterday in a bid to head off an increasingly sharp dispute between the United States and Israel over the expansion of Jewish settlements in Palestinian territory. » Read more

6 Die as Palestinian Authority Forces Clash With Hamas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Ethan Bronner - June 1, 2009 - 12:00am Palestinian Authority forces clashed with Hamas militants in the West Bank early on Sunday, leaving six dead in the bloodiest such encounter in two years. The violence erupted days after the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, assured President Obama in Washington that his troops were imposing order on the area. In Gaza, Hamas reacted by arresting Fatah activists and hinting of further revenge. » Read more

No More Room for Excuses in Peace Process ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National (Editorial) June 1, 2009 - 12:00am It would be easy to dismiss Fatah’s crackdown on Hamas members in the West Bank as yet more factional infighting. Since the collapse of the Palestinian government and the ousting of Fatah from the Gaza Strip, the two sides have been in constant conflict. It seems that every time Hamas needs to score political points it cracks down on Fatah, and every time Fatah needs to show it is tough on terror it arrests Hamas members. » Read more

Obama Talks of Being ‘Honest’ With Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Helene Cooper - June 1, 2009 - 12:00am Obama Talks of Being ‘Honest’ With Israel By HELENE COOPER WASHINGTON — President Obama indicated on Monday that he would be more willing to criticize Israel than previous administrations have been, and he reiterated his call for a freeze of Israeli settlements. » Read more

Blair Sees Possibility of Israeli-Palestinian Breakthrough ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by David Sapsted - June 1, 2009 - 12:00am There could be a breakthrough in diplomatic moves to establish peace between Israel and the Palestinians within a few weeks, Tony Blair, the UN’s special Middle East envoy, predicted yesterday. The former British prime minister told a committee of British MPs that the month of June would be “critical” to efforts to find a way forward. » Read more

ATFP Original Translation: The Nakba Narrative ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Hayat by Hassan Khader - (Opinion) May 24, 2009 - 12:00am A quick review of the annual commemoration of the Nakba leads to the realization that there is a standard operating procedure repeated each year. » Read more