March 16th

The U.S. quarrel with Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
(Editorial) March 16, 2010 - 12:00am

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S Middle East diplomacy failed in his first year in part because he chose to engage in an unnecessary and unwinnable public confrontation with Israel over Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem. Over the past six months Mr. Obama's envoys gingerly retreated from that fight and worked to build better relations with the government of Binyamin Netanyahu. Last week the administration finally managed to strike a deal for the launching of indirect Israeli-Palestinian talks. So it has been startling -- and a little puzzling -- to see Mr.

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U.S. pushing Netanyahu to accept demands for peace talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Glenn Kessler - March 16, 2010 - 12:00am

In an effort to get peace talks back on track, the Obama administration is pressing Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to reverse last week's approval of 1,600 housing units in a disputed area of Jerusalem, make a substantial gesture toward the Palestinians, and publicly declare that all of the "core issues" in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including the status of Jerusalem, be included in upcoming talks, U.S. officials said.

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The Biden Effect
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Roger Cohen - (Opinion) March 15, 2010 - 12:00am

NEW YORK — I’m tempted to see Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel as a parable: Nice guy wanders into mess and truth is revealed. We’ve had, for example, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clarifying the fact that, “Israel and the U.S. have mutual interests, but we will act according to the vital interests of the state of Israel.” Of course, the United States, too, has “vital interests.” They include reaching a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine for which the physical space erodes daily as Israeli settlements in the West Bank expand.

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Rebuilt Synagogue Is Caught in Disputes Over Jerusalem
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Isabel Kershner - March 15, 2010 - 12:00am

JERUSALEM — In what appeared to be a case of unfortunate timing, Israel officially inaugurated a rebuilt synagogue in Jerusalem’s Old City on Monday, entangling what was intended to be a festive cultural event with the diplomatic row over new Israeli construction in the contested territory.

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Israel Feelings Rising Anger From the U.S.
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Ethan Bronner, Mark Landler - March 15, 2010 - 12:00am

WASHINGTON — An ill-timed municipal housing announcement in Jerusalem has mutated into one of the most serious conflicts between the United States and Israel in two decades, leaving a politically embarrassed Israeli government scrambling to respond to a tough list of demands by the Obama administration.

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March 15th

Hillary Rodham Clinton's harsh words stun Israel
Media Mention of Ziad Asali In The Los Angeles Times - March 14, 2010 - 1:00am

Beginning as a spat over a single housing project, a dispute this week between the Obama administration and Israel has ballooned into the biggest U.S.-Israeli clash in 20 years, adding to months of strain between Washington and one of its closest allies. Israel's decision to move ahead with 1,600 new housing units in East Jerusalem, announced during a visit by Vice President Joe Biden, drew criticism from Washington in language rarely directed at even Iran or North Korea. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Israel's announcement "was an insult to the United States."

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Fallout continues from Israel's announcement of 1600 new settler units in occupied East Jerusalem during the VP Biden's visit: PM Netanyahu apologizes but indicates no change in policy; Tom Friedman says Biden should have left Israel as soon as the announcement was made; Sec. Clinton and other administration officials continue to express outrage and have reportedly asked Israel to cancel the plan; speculation is rife about its impact on US-Israel relations; YNet says Israel now has to implement a de facto freeze in Jerusalem; Aaron David Miller says the administration is unlikely to want an extended confrontation; the Jerusalem Post says the controversy is a godsend to the PA and is being used by the administration to force clarity on the Israeli government. Israel extends its closure in the occupied West Bank for three more days and declares villages that have been the scene of nonviolent protests "closed military areas." Ha'aretz describes the abuse of a Palestinian shepherd by Israeli soldiers, and the Guardian reports on mistreatment of hundreds of Palestinian children in Israeli detention. A report in Foreign Policy says the US military believes that Israel's policies are endangering US troops.

Bad time for Israel settlements fight
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Politico
by Aaron David Miller - (Opinion) March 12, 2010 - 1:00am

This week in Israel, Vice President Joe Biden found out something that he’s probably known for quite some time: No good deed goes unpunished. Shortly after Biden arrived in Jerusalem on Tuesday, to reassure the Israelis and coordinate efforts on Iran and other issues, Israel’s Ministry of the Interior announced the construction of 1,600 new housing units in East Jerusalem.

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The Petraeus briefing: Biden’s embarrassment is not the whole story
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy
by Marc Perry - (Analysis) March 13, 2010 - 1:00am

On Jan. 16, two days after a killer earthquake hit Haiti, a team of senior military officers from the U.S. Central Command (responsible for overseeing American security interests in the Middle East), arrived at the Pentagon to brief Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The team had been dispatched by CENTCOM commander Gen. David Petraeus to underline his growing worries at the lack of progress in resolving the issue. The 33-slide, 45-minute PowerPoint briefing stunned Mullen.

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Jail ordeal of hundreds of Palestinian children arrested for throwing stones
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian
by Rory McCarthy - March 14, 2010 - 1:00am

With more than 300 Palestinian children being held in Israeli prisons, human rights groups and Palestinian officials are increasingly concerned about the actions of the Israeli military. The Israeli group B'Tselem said that security forces had "severely violated" the rights of a number of children, aged between 12 and 15, who had been taken into custody in recent months.

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