Secretary Clinton Reaffirms US support for two-state solution
Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - April 15, 2010 - 12:00am

In remarks delivered at the Daniel S. Abraham Center for Middle East Peace, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton strongly restated US support for “two tracks in the Middle East - negotiations between the parties aimed at reaching a two-state solution and also institution building that lays the necessary foundations for a future state.” She emphasized that "the only people who benefit from continued conflict are those who traffic in hate and violence, who exploit and inflame old enmities to advance their own goals at the expense of real progress for the region.


ATFP Senior Fellow Lectures at George Washington University
Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - April 15, 2010 - 12:00am

ATFP Senior Fellow Hussein Ibish lectured on internal Palestinian politics and the dynamics of Palestinian-Israeli peace at George Washington University on April 13, 2010. Ibish traced the development of the present Palestinian national consensus on pursuing a negotiated two state peace agreement with Israel from the origins of the revivified Palestinian national movement in the late 60s. He told the students that the Palestinian national movement was largely dormant after the obliteration of all Palestinian institutions following the 1948 war and the establishment of the state of Israel.


A US representative to the UN strongly reaffirms US commitment to a two state solution and Pres. Obama declares this "a vital national security interest." Hamas denies closing Gaza tunnels and Egypt opens the Rafah crossing. Hamas executes two Palestinians. Israel is considering more settlement construction in occupied East Jerusalem. WJC President Lauder questions US commitment to Israel's security. Ha'aretz reports that Obama is skeptical about Netanyahu's willingness and ability on peace. Settlers uproot 300 olive trees. David Axelrod says a two state solution is in Israel's interests. Israel prepares soldiers for more settler violence. Palestinians increasingly adopt nonviolent protests. Carlo Strenger says any new US peace plan must deal with theological problems. George Hishmeh says Netanyahu's intransigence undermines Obama. Michael Jansen says Israel's new expulsion orders in the West Bank are another violation of international law. Daoud Kuttab describes how Palestinians are affected by Israeli military rule.

Israel's intransigence undermines Obama
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News
by George S. Hishmeh - (Opinion) April 15, 2010 - 12:00am

Benjamin Netanyahu has done it again. The Israeli prime minister dug his head deep into the sand on the eve of the international conference on nuclear security held in Washington, for fear that Turkey, Egypt and others would raise the issue of Israel's unmonitored nuclear arsenal.

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Israel defies international law, again
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
by Michael Jansen - (Opinion) April 15, 2010 - 12:00am

Israeli amendments to standing military orders that took effect last Tuesday were fresh punitive measures in a long line of destructive and illegal acts designed to deny Palestinians their basic human rights. The orders, signed by Major General Gadi Shamni, former commander of Israel's armed forces in the West Bank, broaden the interpretation of "infiltrator" to mean anyone who does not have a valid Israeli residence permit, and expand the powers of Israeli forces to deal with anyone they decide is a "security threat".

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Obama's theological Israel mission
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian
by Carlo Strenger - April 15, 2010 - 12:00am

The press and the blogosphere keep stating that the Obama administration is considering launching its own peace initiative. The details mentioned are neither new nor surprising: Israel should live alongside a Palestinian state; the Arab parts of Jerusalem will be the Palestinian capital, and there will be a land swap to compensate the Palestinians for the major settlement blocs.

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Pillar of Israeli government
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
by Daoud Kuttab - (Opinion) April 15, 2010 - 12:00am

There is a reason for the fact that in modern times laws are written by representatives of the people to whom these laws are applied. Governments and parliaments come and go, but laws often outlive them.

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Palestinians test out Gandhi-style protest
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News
by Heather Sharp - April 15, 2010 - 12:00am

It is strangely quiet. About 40 mainly Palestinian protesters face off with a line of armed Israeli soldiers over coils of razor wire. They calmly explain they want access to land Israel has confiscated to build its West Bank barrier. Chanting begins, followed by impassioned speeches in Hebrew, English and Arabic. "You soldiers standing here, blocking Palestinians from walking on their own land, you need to think about what you're doing," lectures one young woman. "What will you tell your children?" asks an older man.

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More e. J'lem construction on agenda
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Abe Selig - April 15, 2010 - 12:00am

Building projects over the Green Line, including a school and a synagogue in the Gilo neighborhood, and an extension to a synagogue in Pisgat Ze’ev, will be on the agenda when the Jerusalem Municipality’s Local Planning and Building Committee meets on Thursday. Despite reports that the Jerusalem Regional Planning and Building Commission is observing a de facto freeze with regard to east Jerusalem construction, the committee is set to meet on Thursday morning for back-to-back sessions dealing with building requests and permits for those and other potential projects.

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IDF preps soldiers for settler violence
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Yaakov Katz, Tovah Lazaroff - April 15, 2010 - 12:00am

The IDF Central Command has prepared a special crash course for soldiers in the Judea and Samaria Division amid concern about a possible escalation in settler violence should the government extend the moratorium on new settlement construction in the West Bank beyond the end of September, senior officers have told The Jerusalem Post. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu convened top cabinet ministers earlier this week to discuss the US’s demands to extend the freeze, which were presented during his visit to the White House in March.

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