June 2nd

Jerusalem Day: Why the Holy City is at the crux of the peace process
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
by Christa Case Bryant, Ariel Zirulnick - (Analysis) June 1, 2011 - 12:00am

Today is Jerusalem Day in Israel, the anniversary of the day in the 1967 war when Israel took the Old City and East Jerusalem from Jordan. More than 40 years later, Jerusalem remains one of the largest hurdles to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel insists Jerusalem is its ‘undivided and eternal’ capital while Palestinians insist on securing a capital in East Jerusalem. Here are three reasons why Jerusalem is so important to both sides. One capital city wanted by two nations

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What leverage to reach Palestinian statehood?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
by Daoud Kuttab - (Opinion) June 2, 2011 - 12:00am

Negotiators the world over are taught that in order to maximise one’s bargaining position, they should always have credible alternatives.

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Consistent support
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons
by Ghassan Khatib - (Editorial) June 1, 2011 - 12:00am

The Arab Peace Initiative adopted at an Arab summit conference in 2002 and reiterated in another summit in 2007 was never controversial among Palestinians in the occupied territories.

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Dispute Grows as Egyptian Gas Is Still Not Flowing to Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Ethan Bronner - June 1, 2011 - 12:00am

More than a month after saboteurs blew up an Egyptian pipeline supplying natural gas to Israel, the line is repaired but gas is not flowing and foreign shareholders of the company suspect politics to be the reason. They are threatening legal action against Egypt. American and Thai shareholders in the pipeline have demanded urgent consultations to avoid resorting to binding arbitration based on trade treaties. One letter to Egyptian ministries from an American company with an Israeli chairman threatens a lawsuit of $8 billion.

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Open Border at Gaza Is Not So Open, Palestinians Find
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Fares Akram - June 1, 2011 - 12:00am

Days after Egypt, with great fanfare, opened its border permanently with Gaza, new restrictions have been imposed on Palestinians who want to cross, and the area’s Hamas rulers spoke on Wednesday with frustration and anger. Only three buses, carrying a total of 150 passengers, entered the Egyptian hall at the Rafah crossing on Wednesday, while five others remained stuck on the Palestinian side, Hamas officials said two hours before closing.

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June 1st

Should the Palestinians Recognize Israel as a Jewish State?
In Print by Hussein Ibish - Foreign Policy (Opinion) - May 25, 2011 - 12:00am

Most observers expected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to target his harshest criticisms of the Palestinians during his U.S. trip on the Hamas-Fatah agreement. Surprisingly, his most important talking point turned out to be his demand for Palestinian recognition of Israel as a "Jewish state." To be sure, Netanyahu took every opportunity to denounce the Palestinian unity deal, compare Hamas to al Qaeda, and point out that some of its leaders had praised Osama bin Laden.

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Netanyahu: Next year in a more built up Jerusalem
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
June 1, 2011 - 12:00am

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his uncompromising stance on a united Jerusalem Tuesday night, saying he plans to authorize more building in the capital, in a speech at Mercaz Harav Yeshiva in Jerusalem. The prime minister spoke on the eve of Jerusalem Day that commemorates Israel's liberation of east Jerusalem in the 1967 Six Day War. Mercaz Harav, an orthodox Yeshiva located in the Kiryat Moshe neighborhood of Jerusalem was the site of a terror attack in 2008 in which a Palestinian gunman killed eight students.

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Tensions emerge as the Gaza-Egypt border is opened. PM Fayyad says donor aid has not been delivered, and that the PA is running at a $1 billion deficit. An Israeli human rights group says Palestinians face violence from occupation forces in East Jerusalem. Hamas opens a memorial to flotilla activists, and prevents a youth conference in Gaza. Carlo Strenger says Israelis rely on myths. PM Netanyahu says Israel will expand its hold on Jerusalem. Palestinians are subjected to stone-throwing in East Jerusalem. Kenneth Bandler says Palestinians raising refugee rights "takes some gall." Avi Perry says Netanyahu was right to rebuff Obama. Nahum Barnea warns Netanyahu against arrogance. Jill Jacobs says Jews must recognize discrimination against Palestinians in Jerusalem. Bilal Hassen says Arabs and Israelis are approaching a new state of war. Christopher Hill says the peace process must be revived.

Policemen stoned in east Jerusalem
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Yair Altman - May 31, 2011 - 12:00am

Five police officers and a civilian sustained mild injuries Tuesday, after protesters rioted in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of A-Tur and stoned them. Molotov cocktails were also hurled at the officers, who responded by using crowd-control measures. Five rioters were arrested. The officers and civilian were taken to a Jerusalem hospital for treatment. Earlier Tuesday, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel published a report that noted an increase in Arab-security forces skirmishes in east Jerusalem over the past 18 months.

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Making the refugees priority No. 1
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Kenneth Bandler - (Opinion) May 31, 2011 - 12:00am

Abbas has perfected the art of complaining, yet has not presented a vision for solving the refugee dilemma, one that would address legitimate Palestinian needs and Israeli concerns. Two days before President Barack Obama delivered his Middle East policy address, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas revealed on The New York Times op-ed page that his core issue was not Israeli settlements. No, most vital for the Palestinian leader is fulfilling what he asserts is a Palestinian right to return to the homes and lands vacated during the first Arab-Israeli war.

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