April 15th

Will the Arab Spring bring a peace agreement with Israel?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
(Editorial) April 14, 2011 - 12:00am

ONE OF THE MOST remarkable aspects of this year’s Arab uprising has been the absence of the Israeli-Palestinian issue from the agenda of protesters. It turns out that the rising generation of Arabs is preoccupied not with Palestinian statehood but with political freedom and economic opportunity in their own countries. It follows that for the United States and other Western democracies, the most critical challenge in the region in the coming years will be guiding Arab states toward liberal democracy and preventing the rise of new authoritarian or extremist Islamic regimes.

»

GAZA STRIP: Kidnapped Italian activist found dead; Hamas condemns rival radical group
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Ahmed al-Dabba - (Blog) April 14, 2011 - 12:00am

Hours after an Islamist extremist group announced it had kidnapped an Italian peace activist in the Gaza Strip, the man's body was discovered in the restive seaside territory. It was the first kidnapping of a Westerner in four years and one of the few times such an abduction has ended fatally.

»

Crossing thresholds for peace process
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Politico
by David Makovsky - (Opinion) April 15, 2011 - 12:00am

As the Obama administration grapples with the many implications of the Arab spring in the Mideast, the Israeli-Palestinian issue has been relegated to the sidelines. But history has shown that it does not stay dormant for long — as demonstrated in the latest uptick of violence. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reflected this Tuesday in her a speech about Arab democratic reform. She suggested that Washington would soon be making a new push for peace.

»

Crossing thresholds for peace process
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Politico
by David Makovsky - (Opinion) April 15, 2011 - 12:00am

As the Obama administration grapples with the many implications of the Arab spring in the Mideast, the Israeli-Palestinian issue has been relegated to the sidelines. But history has shown that it does not stay dormant for long — as demonstrated in the latest uptick of violence. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reflected this Tuesday in her a speech about Arab democratic reform. She suggested that Washington would soon be making a new push for peace.

»

The Palestinians’ mistake in seeking statehood from the U.N.
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Aaron David Miller - (Opinion) April 14, 2011 - 12:00am

In almost two decades of working on Arab-Israeli negotiations as a State Department adviser and negotiator, I’ve come up with more than my fair share of dumb ideas. But the notion Palestinians are cooking up, for U.N. action on Palestinian statehood this fall, takes dumb to a new level.

»

Hamas Says It Found Body of Italian Activist
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Fares Akram - April 15, 2011 - 12:00am

An Italian activist found dead here early Friday was strangled with a plastic cord, apparently by abductors from a radical Islamic organization inspired by Al Qaeda that said it had kidnapped him a day earlier, according to a physician who performed an autopsy. Vittorio Arrigoni taking part in March in a protest against gainst an Israeli decision to tighten the border area in Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza strip.

»

Israeli Foreign Minister Faces Indictment on Corruption Charges
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Ethan Bronner - April 13, 2011 - 12:00am

Israel’s attorney general on Wednesday announced his intention to indict the foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, on corruption charges, but said he would allow Mr. Lieberman a hearing to contest an indictment before issuing a formal charge sheet. Charges against the Israeli foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, involve accusations that while in the private sector he used a company to funnel illicit gifts and contributions.

»

April 14th

FM Lieberman may be indicted on corruption charges. Palestinians gain crucial international support for independence at a Brussels donor meeting. Fatah officials say there are no political prisoners being held in the West Bank. PM Fayyad says Palestinians have received the international “birth certificate” for their state. Fatah wins student elections at Bethlehem University. Palestinians say a new US peace effort must come soon. Analysts say a possible plan by PM Netanyahu for a partial West Bank pullout is an effort to avoid a diplomatic “tsunami” in September. The Palestinian FM says he doesn’t expect talks to resume soon. Some of Judge Goldstone’s co-authors don’t agree with his reconsiderations. The EU grants Palestinian produce duty-free status. 1,000 American Christians are asking to become West Bank settlers. Palestinians say settlers cut down 150 trees. Larry Derfner says Israelis are blind to realities in Gaza. D. Bloomfield says both sides are wasting time on peace. Jewish Voice for Peace is reportedly isolated by its refusal to endorse a two-state solution. The State Department annual human rights report criticizes Israel, the PA and Hamas. The Israeli military will move towards “smart warfare.” George Hishmeh says Netanyahu has been caught flat-footed by the wave of international support for Palestinian independence. Daoud Kuttab says US diplomacy is suffering because it’s not doing enough on Palestine. Ghada Karmi says Israel’s narrative about Palestinian refugees is bogus.

Rattling the Cage: We got out of Gaza, didn’t we?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Larry Derfner - (Opinion) April 13, 2011 - 12:00am

Do people here know that we’ve prevented trucks from delivering cooking oil, flour or sugar to Gaza since last Thursday, when Hamas fired an anti-tank missile at a school bus, gravely injuring a 16- year-old boy? Do people here know or care what we do to Gaza’s civilians?

»

Washington Watch: Playing ball at the peace table
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by D. Bloomfield - (Opinion) April 13, 2011 - 12:00am

If the Palestinian-Israeli peace process were a basketball game, both sides would be called for stalling. There’s a lot of trash talk going on, but no serious action. But it isn’t a basketball game, it’s a blame game. Neither side seems seriously interested in returning to the peace table, just in going through the motions to impress the fans. It’s a lot like last week’s budget battle between Republicans and Democrats; the real issue wasn’t what good we can achieve for the country, but who is going to get blamed when it all goes south.

»


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