December 6th

How West Bank Construction Hampers Progress for a Two-State Solution ATFP World Press Roundup Article from PBS (Transcript) December 3, 2012 - 1:00am RAY SUAREZ: For more on what the construction of this settlement could mean for the stalled peace process, I'm joined by David Makovsky of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and Ghaith Al-Omari, executive director of the American Task Force on Palestine. And, David, is this, strictly speaking, in response to the vote on observer status in the U.N., or is this some something that the Israelis have wanted to do anyway? DAVID MAKOVSKY:, Washington Institute For Near East Policy: Well, it's a little of both. » Read more

We're going to pay ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Shimon Shiffer - (Opinion) December 6, 2012 - 1:00am In the past, prime ministers would react with scorn and contempt to the UN and European resolutions against Israel. "Um-Shmum," David Ben-Gurion said angrily (um is the Hebrew acronymic pronunciation for 'UN', and the 'shm'-prefix signifies contempt or irony). "Those anti-Semites," Yitzhak Rabin said of the Europeans. » Read more

Seize the opportunity ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Ami Ayalon - (Opinion) December 6, 2012 - 1:00am If there is one conclusion that can be drawn from the UN General Assembly vote on accepting Palestine as a non-member observer state, it is that the direct negotiations paradigm failed and has been replaced by a new concept: Constructive unilateralism. » Read more

Ben-Gurion already agreed to a Palestinian state ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Shaul Arieli - (Opinion) December 6, 2012 - 1:00am In the first years of the Oslo Accords the Israeli government didn't question the Palestinian people's right to self-determination in the land of Israel. Israel also expressed this in its mutual recognition with the PLO. » Read more

Hamas wants a Gaza defense ministry ATFP World Press Roundup Article from United Press International (UPI) December 6, 2012 - 1:00am GAZA, Dec. 6 (UPI) -- A Hamas official said the group plans to establish a defense ministry in the Gaza Strip to enhance resistance efforts against Israel. Attending a ceremony in Gaza Wednesday to honor police officers injured during Israel's Operation Pillar of Defense, Hamas official Fathi Hamad said the Palestinian army must be prepared and ready to counter Israeli actions, Ahram Online quoted him saying. » Read more

The real reason Lieberman ousted Deputy FM Danny Ayalon ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Yossi Verter - (Opinion) December 6, 2012 - 1:00am One day after the surprising ouster of Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon from Yisrael Beiteinu's next Knesset slate, a few details that appear to explain the move leaked out. Highly-placed sources in Yisrael Beiteinu said that party chairman and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman suspects Ayalon of an unforgivable sin - serial leaks to diplomatic reporters. » Read more

The right is a danger to Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Ari Shavit - (Opinion) December 6, 2012 - 1:00am Let's set aside values. Are we indeed prepared to reinforce our status as an occupying state that controls another people for a prolonged period? Let's set aside justice and morals. Are we indeed prepared to turn Zionism into an apartheid movement that denies millions of residents their basic rights? Let's set aside identity. Are we indeed prepared to exchange a Jewish democratic state for a state of ultra-nationalist zealotry that tramples on its minorities? » Read more

PA to use new UN status to create 'international front' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency (Analysis) December 4, 2012 - 1:00am BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) – The Palestinian Authority will seek to take advantage of the qualitative support by some European countries against Israel’s policies in the Palestinian territory through creating an international front to urge countries to take more strict positions against Israel, says the Palestinian minister of foreign affairs. » Read more

What exactly is Palestine? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Hugh Naylor - December 6, 2012 - 1:00am RAMALLAH // Mahmoud Abbas declared that Palestine had a state on his triumphant return from the United Nations, but many Palestinians are asking: what do we have and what do we call it? The Palestinian Authority (PA) president on Sunday lauded Palestine's "historic achievement" of being recognised as a non-member state at the UN. "Now we have a state," he told thousands gathered at his presidential compound in Ramallah. » Read more

Israel takes a harder line ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Los Angeles Times (Editorial) December 4, 2012 - 1:00am When Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced that he would seek recognition from the United Nations for a Palestinian state, Israel complained that Abbas should have pursued that objective in face-to-face peace negotiations and warned of grave consequences, threatening to expand » Read more