May 24th

'Jordan is Palestine,' MK Eldad declares at embassy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Ben Hartman - May 24, 2011 - 12:00am A handful of Israelis marked Jordanian Independence Day on Tuesday by attempting to present the Jordanian embassy in Ramat Gan with a petition to make the country the official national homeland of the Palestinian people. The initiator of the petition, Arye Eldad (National Union) said that the petition "requests that King Abdullah declare Jordan as the national homeland of the Palestinian people. His father said Jordan is Palestine, Palestine is Jordan. Unfortunately Abdullah doesn't want to follow in his father's footsteps on this." » Read more

Livni: 2-state solution good for Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Attila Somfalvi - May 23, 2011 - 12:00am Give peace a chance: The two-state solution is good for Israel and is the only way to maintain a state that is both Jewish and democratic, Opposition Chairwoman Tzipi Livni told the AIPAC conference in Washington Monday. The notion of two states, Israel and Palestine, is not just a slogan or a move that would be beneficial for other parties, such as the US president, Livni said. "It is not an anti-Israeli policy – it is vital for Israel’s interests," she said. » Read more

PA: Netanyahu's policies fraudulent ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Elior Levy - May 24, 2011 - 12:00am Palestinian officials criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's AIPAC address Tuesday, saying that it reflects his "fraudulent policies, which are in contrast with all international laws and agreements." Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's advisor Nimr Hammad said that Netanyahu's speech – and the apparent speech he will give before Congress later Tuesday – was a "clear challenge" vis-à-vis Washington's policies and vision. » Read more

Netanyahu's Congress speech: Will it change his relationship with Obama or ruin it forever? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Aluf Benn - May 24, 2011 - 12:00am Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech Tuesday before the U.S. Congress will be the formative event of his term, if not his entire political career. A statement released by his bureau promises that the speech will "garner major international attention," alluding to a surprise. The speech, whose purpose is to curb international pressure on Israel, gives Netanyahu a rare opportunity to reboot his leadership. Just a few months ago, he appeared to be directionless. Now, people are hanging on his every word. » Read more

Netanyahu's Congress speech: Will it change his relationship with Obama or ruin it forever? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Aluf Benn - May 24, 2011 - 12:00am Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech Tuesday before the U.S. Congress will be the formative event of his term, if not his entire political career. A statement released by his bureau promises that the speech will "garner major international attention," alluding to a surprise. The speech, whose purpose is to curb international pressure on Israel, gives Netanyahu a rare opportunity to reboot his leadership. Just a few months ago, he appeared to be directionless. Now, people are hanging on his every word. » Read more

U.S. Jews must support Obama's Mideast vision ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Editorial) May 24, 2011 - 12:00am American Jews have been dragged over the past few days into the controversy between their government and Israel's government, and that is neither to their benefit nor to the benefit of the State of Israel. On Sunday, U.S. President Barack Obama addressed the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee convention and candidly laid out his ideas for a permanent agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. » Read more

Netanyahu is not ready for any deal with the Palestinians ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Nehemia Shtrasler - (Opinion) May 24, 2011 - 12:00am There's nothing funnier than reading political pundits trying to get to the bottom of the fine points of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speeches. When he said "settlement blocs," did he mean the evacuation of all the rest? When he spoke of a "military presence" in the Jordan Valley, did he mean the Israel Defense Forces, or an international force? » Read more

Hamas says not to recognize Israel as state ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua May 24, 2011 - 12:00am Hamas will not recognize Israel as a state, Hamas Deputy Political Director Mousa Abu-Marzouk said here on Tuesday, according to Interfax news agency. Slashing the Palestine Liberation Organization's recognition of Israel, Abu-Marzouk said the move was a "historic mistake." Abu-Marzouk said Hamas was not going to participate in the transitional Palestinian government of national unity, but will help other Palestinian movements to form such a government. He said the transitional government would be technocratic, but not based on a parliamentary majority. » Read more

Abbas defends unity deal against US criticism ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Dale Gavlak - May 23, 2011 - 12:00am Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas sought Monday to defend his new unity government with the militant Hamas movement, saying criticism by U.S. President Barack Obama represented a "wrong understanding" of the deal. Abbas' comments followed talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II in the Jordanian capital and were noted in a royal palace statement. They were his first remarks on major speeches the U.S. president delivered in recent days. » Read more

Palestinian UN bid enters unknown territory ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Karin Laub - May 23, 2011 - 12:00am President Barack Obama threw down a gauntlet this weekend: no vote at the United Nations, he asserted, would ever create a Palestinian state. The Palestinians hope to prove him wrong. But their planned bid for U.N. recognition this fall of a state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem — territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 Mideast war — enters largely unknown legal ground, and the Palestinians are still trying to work out how best to work the U.N. labyrinth. » Read more