October 15th

Abbas urges the Quartet to realize Palestinian statehood ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua October 14, 2010 - 12:00am Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday urged the international Quartet for Middle East peace to find alternative solutions to end the Israeli occupation and give the Palestinians a homeland. Abbas made the comments at a joint press conference in Ramallah with visiting Finnish President Tarja Halonen. "We want a state on the lands occupied in 1967 and to live in peace with our neighbors, including Israel," Abbas said. » Read more

Dismay, disillusionment prevail in Palestinian camp ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Crispian Balmer - October 15, 2010 - 12:00am The stalemate in direct peace talks with Israel risks undermining the moderate Palestinian leadership and should force world powers to reassess their Middle East strategy, senior Palestinian officials say. The U.S.-brokered negotiations kicked off in Washington last month, but stalled less than 4 weeks later after Israel refused to extend a freeze on settlement building in the occupied West Bank, prompting the Palestinians to refuse to carry on talking. » Read more

Abbas: No alternative to 2-state solution ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency October 15, 2010 - 12:00am President Mahmoud Abbas said Wednesday that the Ramallah-based government had yet to rule out the 2-state solution to the Palestinian struggle for self-determination. "We fully support the 2-state solution, a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders living side by side with Israel in peace, security and stability," Abbas said after meeting with Finland's President Tarja Halonen. "We insist that this is the best solution for the future of both Palestinians and Israelis; there is no other option," Abbas said countering growing calls that the PLO give up talks with Israel. » Read more

Hamas leaders banned from entering Egypt ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency October 15, 2010 - 12:00am Egyptian authorities will prevent a number of Hamas leaders from traveling through the country en route to Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj. Hamas officials told Ma'an that among the leaders prohibited from accessing Egypt are lawmaker Salah Al-Bardawil and spokesmen Sami Abu Zuhri and Fawzi Barhoum. Abu Zuhri confirmed the ban, saying he was informed by Hamas' leadership that "an Egyptian official made contact and notified us of Egypt's refusal to allow a number of Hamas leaders to travel for Hajj." » Read more

240 settlement units planned for East Jerusalem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency October 15, 2010 - 12:00am Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has authorized construction for 240 housing units in the illegal Jerusalem settlements of Pisgat Ze'ev and Ramot, Israeli media reported Thursday. The units were included in a tender which listed 3,500 housing units across Israel, the Israeli news site Ynet reported. The fact that 240 of the units are to be built in East Jerusalem was made "as inconspicuous as possible." » Read more

Smothered by Settlements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Mustafa Barghouthi - (Opinion) October 14, 2010 - 12:00am Negotiations between two unequal parties cannot succeed. Success in Palestinian-Israeli negotiations requires a reasonable balance of power, clear terms of reference and abstention of both sides from imposing unilateral facts on the ground. None of that existed in the talks that were re-initiated in September. » Read more

Israel's right needs perpetual war ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Zeev Sternhell - (Opinion) October 15, 2010 - 12:00am The facts must be acknowledged: The heads of the rightist parties have a strategic outlook and the ability to take the long view, and they also know how to choose the right tools to carry out their mission. » Read more

Poll: 36% of Jews want to revoke Arabs' voting rights ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews (Analysis) October 15, 2010 - 12:00am Thirty-six percent of Israeli Jews are in favor of revoking the voting rights of non-Jews, Yedioth Ahronoth reported, citing findings by the Dahaf polling agency, headed by Dr. Mina Tzemach. The poll was held in the aftermath of an amendment to the Citizenship Act, approved by the government Sunday, which requires new citizens to pledge their allegiance to a "Jewish and democratic state". » Read more

Poll: 36% of Jews want to revoke Arabs' voting rights ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews October 15, 2010 - 12:00am Thirty-six percent of Israeli Jews are in favor of revoking the voting rights of non-Jews, Yedioth Ahronoth reported, citing findings by the Dahaf polling agency, headed by Dr. Mina Tzemach. The poll was held in the aftermath of an amendment to the Citizenship Act, approved by the government Sunday, which requires new citizens to pledge their allegiance to a "Jewish and democratic state". » Read more

October 14th

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to Give Keynote Address at ATFP Gala Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - October 14, 2010 - 12:00am Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to Give Keynote Address at ATFP Gala Washington DC, Oct 14 -- The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) is proud and honored to announce that Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will be the keynote speaker at its Fifth Annual Gala which will be held in Washington DC on Wednesday, October 20. The Gala will be at the Ritz Carlton at 1150 22nd Street, NW, Washington, D.C., and is themed: “Building Palestine: the Indispensable State for Peace.” Read more