January 23rd

Hamas Says That Its Political Leader Does Not Plan to Seek Re-election
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Fares Akram - January 21, 2012 - 1:00am

GAZA — The Palestinian militant group Hamas announced Saturday that its political leader, Khaled Meshal, would not seek re-election, opening the door to a possible leadership contest and adding to the uncertainty enveloping Hamas at a time of regional turmoil.

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January 20th

News: A top US general is visiting Israel to discuss Iran. Israeli forces arrest another Hamas-affiliated Palestinian MP in the West Bank, and the organization calls for an end to negotiations and security cooperation in response. The PLO says it's under “huge pressure” to extend negotiating deadlines. Hamas promises to investigate stabbing attack against a human rights activist in Gaza after he wrote an article critical of their policies. Fatah appears ill-prepared for any upcoming election. Thailand formally recognizes Palestine. Palestinian students say they were arrested by Israeli authorities for urging a boycott of a speech by Pres. Peres. 10 members of “an Islamic jihad cell” are arrested in the West Bank. Recent attacks on Shiites in Gaza by Hamas may be a symptom of its political shifts. Palestinian officials say they may renew their UN campaign or turn to intensified nonviolent protests because diplomacy with Israel appears fruitless. COMMENTARY: Khaled Diab looks at the increasing number of cyber attacks between Israel and Arabs. Jordan Michael Smith says the American conversation on Israel is changing, though that has yet to reach the political highest levels. Bruce Riedel says a nuclear Iran is not an existential threat to Israel. J.J. Goldberg says Israeli hardliners are looking at old documents to justify claims to occupied territory. Trita Parsi looks at the complex US-Israel-Iran triangle. Naava Mashiah says Arab Jews should insist on maintaining their identity. The Economist says Palestinians and Israelis have begun talking again, but can't agree about what. Ali Younes looks at GOP candidate Rick Santorum's views on Israel and the Palestinians. Joe Klein says attempts to cast critics of Israeli policies as "anti-Semites" are a symptom of paranoia.

The media consensus on Israel is collapsing
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News
by Jordan Michael Smith - (Opinion) January 19, 2012 - 1:00am

With Hamas and Fatah meeting in Cairo, reconciliation between the rival Palestinian political parties is likely only a matter of time. Official US policy holds that Hamas is only a terrorist entity, and any agreement between the two factions jeopardizes continued US aid. There is reason to believe, however, that more flexible, productive positions will be expressed in the US media. Slowly but unmistakably, space is opening up among the commentariat for new, critical ideas about Israel and its relationship to the United States.

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Rick Santorum’s Views on the Middle East
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Arabiya
by Ali Younes - (Opinion) January 19, 2012 - 1:00am

In a town hall meeting during a recent campaign stop in Greenville, South Carolina, Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum said to me, in response to my questions, that he supports attacking Iran with missiles, rockets and other weapons in order to stop it from developing nuclear weapons. On the issue of the Palestinian–Israeli conflict he added that the issue is an internal Israeli matter and that Israel can do whatever it wants and no one should interfere in its internal affairs.

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Toddling to talks about talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Economist
(Analysis) January 21, 2012 - 1:00am

NO ONE disagreed with the cautious assessment of King Abdullah of Jordan that “little baby steps” had been taken when Israelis and Palestinians met several times in Amman, the king’s capital, in early January to see if there were grounds to resume full-scale peace talks that might one day lead to the peaceful coexistence of two states. Even this tentative diplomatic toe-dipping was fraught. Big grown-up strides still seem a long way off.

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Likudnik Paranoia
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Time Magazine
by Joe Klein - (Opinion) January 20, 2012 - 1:00am

Uh-oh, there’s another wave of attacks–both here and in Israel–on those of us who support Israel, but not in the mindless, aggressive way that neoconservatives do and not at the expense of America’s national interests. Over there, Bibi Netanyahu has proclaimed the New York Times and Haaretz the “biggest” enemies of Israel.

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Are Arab Jews extinct?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily News Egypt
by Naava Mashiah - (Opinion) January 20, 2012 - 1:00am

GENEVA: The growing rift between Israel and the Arab world makes it hard to imagine that Jews and Arabs once coexisted across the Middle East. At one point these identities could be found not only in the same neighborhood, but even in the same person.

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Are Arab Jews extinct?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily News Egypt
by Naava Mashiah - (Opinion) January 20, 2012 - 1:00am

GENEVA: The growing rift between Israel and the Arab world makes it hard to imagine that Jews and Arabs once coexisted across the Middle East. At one point these identities could be found not only in the same neighborhood, but even in the same person.

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Palestinians to Renew Efforts for Bid to U.N.
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Times
by Ben Birnbaum - January 19, 2012 - 1:00am

RAMALLAH, West Bank — Palestinian officials say that they will resume their effort to gain U.N. membership, and that they could launch a nonviolent third intifada because they see no chance of reaching a peace deal with the current Israeli government. The Palestinians had put their U.N. bid on hold to participate in informal Jordanian-sponsored talks with Israel that began at the beginning of the year in Amman.

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Obama vs. Netanyahu vs. Ahmadinejad
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from CNN
by Trita Parsi - (Opinion) January 19, 2012 - 1:00am

U.S.-Israeli relations are in a crisis over Iran. It has been in the making for quite some time – arguably since the early 1990s – and edging closer to climax by the minute. The personal chemistry between the leaders is abysmal – Barack Obama and Nicolas Sarkozy recently discussed how they can’t stand Benjamin Netanyahu – and disagreements abound on the Arab uprisings, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and on how to deal with Iran.

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American Task Force on Palestine - 1634 Eye St. NW, Suite 725, Washington DC 20006 - Telephone: 202-262-0017