October 9th

Israelis and Palestinians brace for a tense Friday with increased Israeli restrictions on Palestinian entry to Jerusalem, including Arab citizens of Israel, and calls for a Palestinian "day of rage." US and PA officials urge calm. Ha'aretz outlines the escalation of tensions in Jerusalem, and reports that the US is "furious" about Israeli incitement against Pres. Obama. Israeli Foreign Minister Lieberman dismisses any prospects for peace in the near term. A Palestinian unity deal may be signed in late October. The Jerusalem Post analyzes Prime Minister Fayyad's state-building plan. Hussein Ibish argues that calls for a third intifada, the dissolving of the PA, the resignation of Abbas or the removal of Fayyad are irrational and irresponsible.

National Security Advisor James Jones to Address ATFP Gala Oct. 15
Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - October 9, 2009 - 12:00am

National Security Advisor James Jones to Address ATFP Gala Oct. 15 Media contact: Hussein Ibish, (202) 438-7297


What is at stake in Palestine: a third intifada and the parade of horribles
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ibishblog
by Hussein Ibish - (Blog) October 8, 2009 - 12:00am

As the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, especially East Jerusalem, is balanced on a knife edge and could erupt at any moment into a new explosion of violence or even a third intifada, it is crucial to review what is at stake for all parties should such a catastrophic turn of events occur. Far too many actors and commentators are casually viewing the present extremely dangerous situation, and even welcoming the prospect of a third intifada or the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority, or are calling for less dramatic but also extraordinarily dangerous scenarios.

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Goldstone fall-out plagues Abbas
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News
by Heather Sharp - October 9, 2009 - 12:00am

Palestinians sometimes joke about the fact that, when written in Arabic, "Palestinian National Authority" looks the same as "Palestinian National Salad". And to many here, the PA's handling of Richard Goldstone's UN report on the conflict in Gaza has been mixed up and limp. What began as the publication of a damning report on Israel's military conduct - although it also condemned Hamas - has turned into an embarrassing debacle for Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president and Fatah leader.

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Peace an illusion, says Israel FM
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News
October 8, 2009 - 12:00am

Israel's foreign minister has said there is no chance of an early solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and told people to "learn to live with it." Avigdor Lieberman does not lead Israeli peace negotiations, but his statement casts a pall over latest US diplomatic efforts to revive negotiations. Envoy George Mitchell is in the region, spearheading Obama administration efforts to relaunch negotiations. Talks are stalled over the issue of Jewish settlements on occupied land.

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Arab from the North? You can't enter Jerusalem
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
October 9, 2009 - 12:00am

The heavy security around Jerusalem in the wake of the recent Arab riots appeared to get a little bit out of hand on Thursday when Al-Jazeera's bureau chief in Israel, Walid al-Omari, and two of his crew members were initially denied entrance to Jerusalem, because "Arabs from the North aren't allowed into the capital."

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Jerusalem set for al-Aqsa protest
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC World News
October 9, 2009 - 12:00am

Thousands of Israeli police have been deployed in Jerusalem as Palestinian groups call for protests over tensions at the al-Aqsa mosque. The Islamist group Hamas called for a "day of rage", local media said, while its rival Fatah urged peaceful protests over access to the key holy site. Sporadic clashes in recent weeks are apparently due to Palestinian fears of extremist Jews gaining entry. The tensions come as US envoy George Mitchell visits the region for talks.

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Fears of third intifada as tension grows in Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Telegraph
by Adrian Blomfield - October 8, 2009 - 12:00am

After two weeks of mounting tension and sporadic clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinian protesters, a showdown is expected when Friday prayers are called at the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem's old city. Thousands of Israeli soldiers and policemen are being deployed around the site after the Palestinian Authority called a one-day general strike and a leading Islamic cleric in Egypt urged the Arab world to rise up in "a day of anger".

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Palestinian FM urges UN to ease Jerusalem tension
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP)
October 9, 2009 - 12:00am

Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Malki called on UN chief Ban Ki-moon Thursday to intervene to prevent further escalation in Jerusalem. He said he asked for Ban's "immediate intervention to prevent Israel from escalating the situation in Jerusalem." Also Thursday, the High Court of Justice rejected a petition filed by the Temple Mount Human Rights group, headed by Yehuda Glick, who demanded that Jews receive access to the holy site on Friday and Saturday. IThe judge said police were responsible for making the decision and that the court could not become involved.

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The implications of Fayad's two-year path to Palestinian statehood
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Dan Diker, Pinhas Inbari - (Analysis) October 9, 2009 - 12:00am

In August, Palestinian Prime Minister Salaam Fayad announced a unilateral plan to establish a de facto Palestinian state in the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem following a two-year state-building process. Fayad's plan is the first serious Palestinian outline of a state-building effort since the PLO was founded in 1964 and replaces the traditional PLO position of armed struggle to "liberate Palestine."

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American Task Force on Palestine - 1634 Eye St. NW, Suite 725, Washington DC 20006 - Telephone: 202-262-0017