June 3rd

Despite it all, Bibi still deserves a chance
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Yoel Marcus - (Opinion) June 3, 2011 - 12:00am

Nobody has caught me saying a good word about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Not during his first term and not during his second one. In a "conciliatory conversation" between his two terms, mediated by his friend Dr. Gabi Picker, Bibi accused me of contributing to his downfall as prime minister.

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Palestinian refugees in Syria determined to return home
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
June 2, 2011 - 12:00am

Thousands of Palestinians in Syria who have never seen their original homes before are preparing to travel on June 5 to the Golan Heights two thirds of which are under Israeli control. Sixty-three years have passed since they were displaced from their homes. However, Palestinian refugees in Syria are still determined to return home. "We want to cross the borders peacefully to return to our fathers and ancestors' home," said Hasan Hijazi, a Palestinian man who managed to cross the borders and get to Jaffa on May 15.

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France invites Israel, Palestinians to peace talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
June 2, 2011 - 12:00am

The French foreign minister says he's inviting Israeli and Palestinian leaders to Paris this month to relaunch peace talks. Alain Juppe says "there's a sense of urgency. The status quo is unsustainable." Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, who met with Juppe in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday, would not say whether the Palestinians would accept the invitation. Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said he would not comment before Juppe meets with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later Thursday in Jerusalem.

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Doctors threaten to resign over PA inaction
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
June 3, 2011 - 12:00am

The doctors' union has threatened to submit mass resignations in response to a decision by the Palestinian government in Ramallah to refer an ongoing strike in the medical sector to court. Jawad Awad, head of the union, said “the decision taken by the government to go to court ... is a stab in the heart of democracy and citizens’ rights, which grant all workers a right to strike." Awad called on President Mahmoud Abbas to intervene in order to end the crisis.

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Settlers, police clash at West Bank outpost
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP)
June 3, 2011 - 12:00am

Six Israeli police officers and five settlers were injured Thursday in clashes that erupted as police dismantled an illegal settlement outpost, a police spokesman said. Police moved in to the Ali Ayan outpost in the West Bank, north of Ramallah, early on Thursday, spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. "Police, border police, and the army moved in there in the early morning in order to take down four illegal buildings that were built recently," he said. "Immediately upon arriving in the area there was a strong response from settlers, who threw stones."

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Obama’s commitment to Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Rahm Emanuel - (Opinion) June 2, 2011 - 12:00am

Days into my tenure as mayor of Chicago, with my focus on keeping our city’s streets safe, our schools strong and our finances stabilized, I expected my attention to be in the Midwest, not in the Middle East. But as an American and the son of an Israeli immigrant, I have a deep, abiding commitment to the survival, security and success of the state of Israel.

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June 2nd

Ours is not to reason why
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Larry Derfner - (Opinion) June 1, 2011 - 12:00am

No, no, Egypt can’t open its border with Gaza – the terrorists will come in and threaten our security, our very existence! So last week Egypt opens its border with Gaza, and suddenly it’s no big deal, maybe we’re better off, now the Gazans won’t be able to complain so much that we’re starving them. Never mind.

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Egypt maintains some real restrictions on the Gaza border. Egyptian gas is still not being delivered to Israel. The CSM looks at the importance of Jerusalem to peace. Israeli army arrests several Palestinians in the West Bank. French foreign minister looking for ways to revive the peace process. Hamas already accuses Pres. Abbas of breaking the unity agreement. Palestinians estimate $5 billion is needed for Gaza reconstruction. PM Netanyahu repeats that Jerusalem will never be divided. Donniel Hartman says time is not on the side of peace. Larry Derfner says Israeli security anxieties are overblown. Mohammad Darawish says Israel must do more for its Arab citizens. The US says it will not participate in the upcoming Durban III Conference. Israel considers its options on a Palestinian UN bid. Tariq Alhomayed says Arabs have underestimated Israel’s business dealings with Iran and should not be duped by Tehran’s rhetoric. Randa Takieddine says the French FM should listen carefully to Palestinians, especially PM Fayyad and civil society groups. Daoud Kuttab says Palestinians are going to the UN because they lack other leverage. Ghassan Khatib says polls show consistent support for the Arab Peace Initiative.

Time not on our side
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Donniel Hartman - (Opinion) June 1, 2011 - 12:00am

The dust has settled on the Obama-Netanyahu summit, speeches, counter-speeches, and instant, predictable analyses. Leaving our politics aside, American and Israeli, we now have an opportunity to go beyond performance analyses and the allocation of blame or praise and reflect on where we stand and where we might go. From the perspective of the majority of Israeli voters, the end result was viewed as a major accomplishment for Prime Minister Netanyahu. An end result was the bringing back of a measure of complexity into the Israeli-Palestinian discussion.

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A word on your Arab citizens
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Mohammad Darawshe - (Opinion) June 1, 2011 - 12:00am

The prime minister’s mention of Israeli Arabs in Congress last month was a step in the right direction but mere mention, without addressing any of the challenges they face, certainly wasn’t enough. Dear Prime Minister, I would like to congratulate you on your decision to mention the Arab citizens of Israel in your speech to the US Congress last month. Clearly, one of the most significant indicators of the quality of a democracy is the status of its minorities. Like you, I too believe it is important to look at Israeli society and ask: Does the Arab minority in Israel enjoy equal rights?

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