Sec. Clinton is expected today to announce direct negotiations to begin in Washington on Sept. 2, and the Quartet to issue a statement saying they can be completed within one year. The UN criticizes Israeli restrictions on Gaza. Israel restricts Palestinian access to Jerusalem during Ramadan. The PLO defends Pres. Abbas' statements recognizing Jewish rights in Israel. The ex-Israeli soldier who posed with Palestinian prisoners says she would gladly kill and slaughter Arabs. Homeless Gazans seize a Hamas building. Anshel Pfeffer says a whole generation of Israelis have grown up seeing the Palestinians as nonhuman. Arab states are not to meeting their pledges to the PA. Mohamad Alasmar says "price tag" settler violence is tolerated by the Israeli authorities. A survey suggests 56% of Jewish Israelis believe "the world is against us." Ron Prosser says Israel will deal with Hamas only when it is not violent. Jesse Rosenfeld says different groups of Palestinians should show more solidarity with each other. Ben White looks at Israel's demand Palestinians recognize it as a "Jewish state." Time looks at the easing of restrictions on Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.

Is Lebanon Finally Integrating Palestinians?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Time
by Andrew Lee Butters - August 20, 2010 - 12:00am

The profound significance of this week's decision by the Lebanese government to allow Palestinian refugees to work legally in a number of previously off-limits professions lies in their fate until now. Of all the Palestinians who fled or were chased from their homes in what is now Israel upon the creation of the Jewish state in 1948, those who ended up in Lebanon had more reason than most to rue their fate.

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1948 and Israel's deceptive bargaining position
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Salon.com
by Ben White - August 19, 2010 - 12:00am

The refrain from Israeli politicians and the country’s allies and apologists is familiar: There can be no peace deal until the Palestinians "recognize" Israel as "a Jewish state." While this can sound reasonable to the casual listener in the West, this demand actually points to critical flaws in the "peace process" and the way in which the international community approaches the Palestine/Israel question.

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Homeless Gazans seize Hamas government building
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Nidal Al-Mughrabi - August 20, 2010 - 12:00am

Forty families whose houses were destroyed in conflict with Israel took over a building belonging to Gaza's Hamas rulers this week in a sign of dissatisfaction with the Islamist movement's failure to provide shelter. Angered by living in tents for two winters and now baking in the midst of an intense heat wave, the squatters took over the unfinished apartment house and have already resisted one police effort to evict them.

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Joint ATFP-JCPA Statement: Israelis and Palestinians Must Show Courage, Flexibility, Persistence for Peace Talks to Succeed
Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - August 20, 2010 - 12:00am

Joint ATFP-JCPA Statement: Israelis and Palestinians Must Show Courage, Flexibility, Persistence for Peace Talks to Succeed


Those forced from their land need a common voice
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
by Jesse Rosenfeld - August 20, 2010 - 12:00am

It has been just over a year since Israeli settlers backed by the courts began evicting and taking over the homes of Palestinian families in the Sheik Jarrah neighbourhood of occupied East Jerusalem. In response, neighbourhood residents have been joined by Israeli and international activists in weekly demonstrations, inspired by the protests against Israel’s Wall in the West Bank towns of Bi’lin and Ni’lin.

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Before we talk to Hamas
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian
by Ron Prosor - August 20, 2010 - 12:00am

Groucho Marx famously quipped: "Those are my principles, and if you don't like them … well, I have others." The International Quartet (the US, the UN, Russia and the EU) has long applied three principles Hamas must adopt to take part in negotiations. It must renounce violence, recognise Israel and abide by previous agreements between Israel and the Palestinians. At no point has Hamas satisfied these conditions – or indicated any intention to do so.

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Mideast Quartet sees treaty deal within a year
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
August 20, 2010 - 12:00am

A Middle East treaty creating a Palestinian state at peace with Israel can be completed in one year of negotiations, say major powers who were due on Friday to invite both parties to start talks in two weeks. The Quartet -- the United States, European Union, Russia and United Nations -- were due to issue a statement later on Friday confirming that President Barack Obama would invite the Palestinian and Israel leaders to Washington on Sept 2.

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Survey: 'The whole world is against us'
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Yoni Cohen - August 19, 2010 - 12:00am

Fifty-six percent of Jewish Israelis believe that "the whole world is against us," according to a recent Peace Index survey published on Thursday. The Peace Index project is conducted under the auspices of the Evens Program for Conflict Resolution at Tel Aviv University and the Israel Democracy Institute. Many Israeli Jews believe that the world will continue to be critical of Israel with 77% saying that it does not make difference what Israel does and how far it will go on the Palestinian issue.

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Ex-soldier in Facebook scandal would 'gladly kill Arabs'
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
August 20, 2010 - 12:00am

The ex-soldier criticized for uploading photos of herself on Facebook posing with Palestinian detainees wrote that she would "gladly kill Arabs – even butcher them" the Israeli press said Thursday. Eden Abergil attracted attention when photographs depicting her smiling in front of blindfolded, handcuffed Palestinians, in an album titled "IDF - Best years of my life" were publicized on a blog, and later in international media.

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