May 25th

PA: UN still goal for September
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP)
May 25, 2011 - 12:00am

The Palestinian leadership reaffirmed its goal to take the issue of statehood to the United Nations after a speech by the Israeli premier which failed to offer any new incentive to talk peace. In a 45-minute address to the US Congress, Benjamin Netanyahu laid out his vision of peace in a speech which pundits said contained nothing to deter the Palestinians from plans to seek UN recognition for their state later this year or to revive the moribund peace process.

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Obama and Netanyahu: The scorecard
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Jackson Diehl - (Opinion) May 24, 2011 - 12:00am

Barack Obama and Binyamin Netanyahu have now spent six days lecturing each other about the “realities” of the Middle East, either face-to-face or with Congress, the State Department or the AIPAC lobbying group as an audience. They have managed to focus the attention of Washington and much of the world on their differences over Palestinian statehood, and their evident animosity toward each other. So it’s worth asking: Did either of them accomplish anything positive?

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Lessons From Tahrir Sq.
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Thomas L. Friedman - (Opinion) May 24, 2011 - 12:00am

Being back in Cairo reminds me that there are two parties in this region that have been untouched by the Arab Spring: the Israelis and the Palestinians. Too bad, because when it comes to ossified, unimaginative, oxygen-deprived governments, the Israelis and Palestinians are right up there with pre-revolutionary Egypt and Tunisia. I mean, is there anything less relevant than the prime minister of Israel going to the U.S. Congress for applause and the leader of the Palestinians going to the U.N. — instead of to each other?

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In speech to Congress, Israel's Netanyahu offers few concessions
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Paul Richter - May 25, 2011 - 12:00am

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a joint session of Congress he was prepared to make "painful compromises" for peace but he offered few of the concessions that President Obama has sought as a way to revive moribund Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Ending a tumultuous five-day visit to Washington, Netanyahu said Tuesday he was willing to give up "parts of the ancestral Jewish homeland" in negotiations to create a separate Palestinian state. But he set requirements that varied only slightly from his previous views, and he did not address many specific Palestinian demands.

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Goldberg: Why Palestinians Have Time on Their Side
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bloomberg
by Jeffrey Goldberg - (Opinion) May 24, 2011 - 12:00am

If I were a Palestinian (and, should there be any confusion on this point, I am not), and if I were the sort of Palestinian who believed that Israel should be wiped off the map, then I would be quite pleased with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s performance before Congress this morning. I would applaud Netanyahu for including no bold initiatives that would have suggested to the world that Israel is alive to the threat posed by its seemingly eternal occupation of the West Bank.

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Lessons From Tahrir Sq.
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Thomas L. Friedman - (Opinion) May 24, 2011 - 12:00am

Being back in Cairo reminds me that there are two parties in this region that have been untouched by the Arab Spring: the Israelis and the Palestinians. Too bad, because when it comes to ossified, unimaginative, oxygen-deprived governments, the Israelis and Palestinians are right up there with pre-revolutionary Egypt and Tunisia. I mean, is there anything less relevant than the prime minister of Israel going to the U.S. Congress for applause and the leader of the Palestinians going to the U.N. — instead of to each other?

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Netanyahu Gives No Ground in Congress Speech
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Ethan Bronner, Helene Cooper - May 24, 2011 - 12:00am

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, broadly laying out the Israeli response to President Obama’s peace proposals, called on the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, on Tuesday to accept what Mr. Netanyahu framed as a tenet: that Palestinians will not get a right of return to Israel. In so doing, he made clear that he was giving no ground on the major stumbling blocks to a peace agreement.

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May 24th

Obama's Speech Was Misunderstood
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Wall Street Journal
by Zvika Krieger, Robert Wexler - (Opinion) May 23, 2011 - 12:00am

The reaction to President Barack Obama's speech on Thursday has largely focused on one line: "The borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states." News outlets from across the political spectrum ran headlines highlighting Mr. Obama's demand that Israel return to the "1967 borders," referring to Israel's boundaries before it took control of the West Bank and Gaza Strip after the 1967 Six Day War.

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What was Netanyahu so enraged about?
In Print by Hussein Ibish - NOW Lebanon (Opinion) - May 24, 2011 - 12:00am

President Barack Obama’s Middle East speech last Thursday did not break any particularly new ground on Israeli-Palestinian peace or Washington’s basic positions on negotiations. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and many of his supporters reacted furiously. Why? The reasons are deeply illuminating.

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PM Fayyad suffers a heart attack but is expected to recover. Richard Cohen says it’s time for PM Netanyahu to stop stalling and make peace. Robert Wexler and Zvika Krieger say Pres. Obama's speech was misunderstood. Palestinians say some names for a new government have been agreed. Analysts say the Palestinian unity agreement is a consequence of the failure of negotiations. Russia expresses strong support for the deal, and Pres. Abbas defends it against US criticism. Netanyahu repeats Israel will not return to the 1967 borders. Israel arrests Jewish activists in the West Bank. Palestinians will be going into unknown territory by approaching the UN for recognition. Hamas repeats it will not recognize Israel. Ha’aretz urges Jewish Americans to support Obama. Nehemia Shtrasler says Netanyahu is not ready for any deal with the Palestinians. Aluf Benn looks at the impact that Netanyahu’s speech to Congress may have on his relationship with Obama, and The National says he may offer concessions. Palestinians condemn Netanyahu’s policies as “fraudulent.” Kadima leader Livni says that a two-state solution is good for Israel. An Israeli MK declares “Jordan is Palestine.” Amr Moussa complains Israel is “not serious” about peace. Gershon Baskin describes brutal Israeli responses to Palestinian nonviolent protests. Palestinians are divided over Obama’s policies. AIPAC advocates a hard line with Congress on the PA. The Arab News says UN recognition can only strengthen Palestine’s hand. Ghassan Khatib says the 1967 borders as a baseline are crucial for peace. Yossi Alpher says an Arab initiative at the UN in September, if handled properly, may be the last hope for progress. Hussein Ibish asks what really angered Netanyahu about Obama’s policy speech.

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