July 12th

Palestinian Open University project back on track ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star by Annie Slemrod - July 12, 2011 - 12:00am By 1980, hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees were living in Lebanon. And despite the difficult conditions in the country’s camps, some 15,000 Palestinians were studying at Lebanese universities. At the time, Palestinian university students were considered to be foreigners and had to pay correspondingly higher tuition than Lebanese nationals. There was no Palestinian university that offered courses to students outside of Israel or Palestine. » Read more

No quick reconciliation for Turkey-Israel ties, but Turkey rethinking rift ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Leslie Susser - July 11, 2011 - 12:00am The Turkey-Israel relationship is not out of the woods just yet. After some positive signs in recent weeks that the once close allies were moving to repair the rift that ripped wide open last year after nine Turks were killed by Israeli forces in a confrontation on a Gaza-bound flotilla of ships, Turkey’s prime minister renewed his hard line on Israel. » Read more

Sean Cleary: ‘Seize the Moment!’ ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Arabiya by Sean Cleary - (Opinion) July 12, 2011 - 12:00am All of us need to change gears, and direction, in our approach to the challenges of the world between the eastern Mediterranean and Central Asia. The turmoil in the Arab world must focus our minds, causing us to look beyond past habits and present uncertainty, to define and create a future that offers hope for generations to come. Efforts by the United States over the past ten years to counter what two different administrations have seen as threats to US interests in the Gulf and Afghanistan, have not brought benefits to many who dwell there. » Read more

In Hebron's casbah, rocking the vote ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Avi Issacharoff - July 12, 2011 - 12:00am Starting Tuesday morning, Hebron's main street, Ein Sara, was intermittently closed. The traffic jams piled up to an unbearable level. Hundreds of people congregated at the entrance of the Al-Hussein School, waiting for the turn to go in. It was an election day. Across from the school, booths were set up in support of candidates and party lists. Trucks plastered with ads for the leading lists traveled back and forth and above the street, dozens of banners with photos of the top candidates were hung. » Read more

A question of will, not semantics ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Ghassan Khatib - (Blog) July 11, 2011 - 12:00am The content of the article "Buying into Palestinian statehood" by a group of prominent Israelis represents a new, mature and responsible level of debate between Israelis and Palestinians--even when compared to official exchanges between the two sides. » Read more

Israel and Palestinian sources to Haaretz: U.S. peace efforts have failed ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - July 12, 2011 - 12:00am The intensive U.S. efforts to create an agreed outline for renewed negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians have failed, Israeli and Palestinian sources have told Haaretz. The sources said the Palestinian leadership is more determined than ever to pursue the recognition of an independent Palestinian state at the United Nations in September. » Read more

Frequently asked questions ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Yossi Alpher - (Blog) July 11, 2011 - 12:00am Some three weeks ago I published, together with Colette Avital, Shlomo Gazit and Mark Heller, the following components of a proposed "win-win" United Nations resolution regarding Palestinian statehood: » Read more

Palestinians start to feel pain from new strategy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Alertnet by Tom Perry and Ali Sawafta - July 11, 2011 - 12:00am The Palestinians' drive to forge a new Middle East strategy, opposed by Israel and the United States, is starting to exact a financial price that will test their resolve. Palestinian Authority employees, who received only half wages in July, are getting a taste of what could be in store if their leaders defy Washington and follow through on plans to take their statehood quest to the United Nations in September. » Read more

World powers should impose Mideast peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News by Linda Heard - (Opinion) July 11, 2011 - 12:00am The world’s appetite for the inhumane status quo to continue indefinitely is receding. And as long as Israel continues its land grab the window of opportunity for two states diminishes. The only remaining option — apart from the genocide of historic Palestine’s rightful owners — would be the one-state solution which most Palestinians reject and Israelis fear would signal the Jewish state’s demographic demise. » Read more

Hamas: Abbas obstructing reconciliation deal over PM ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency July 12, 2011 - 12:00am Hamas official Mohammed Nasr said Tuesday that President Mahmoud Abbas was responsible for obstructing the completion of a Palestinian national unity government. "Abbas clings to Salam Fayyad as prime minister during the interim government but we refuse this nomination and we affirmed to Fatah that we have a veto against Fayyad," Nasr told the London based Al-Hayat newspaper. » Read more