December 3rd

Israel withholds tax revenues from Palestinian Authority
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Edmund Sanders - December 2, 2012 - 1:00am

JERUSALEM -- Israel said Sunday it would withhold more than $100 million in tax revenue this month from the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority, the latest reaction to last week's U.N. vote recognizing the Palestinian territories as a "nonmember observer state."

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Israel: E1 Zone No-Build Policy 'No Longer Relevant'
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Monitor
by Laura Rozen - December 2, 2012 - 1:00am

As Israel announced that it was withholding tax payments to the Palestinian Authority on Sunday, an Israeli official told Al-Monitor that Israel considers its 2009 understanding with the Americans that it would not build in the sensitive E1 zone of East Jerusalem “no longer relevant.”

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Netanyahu: Gov't okayed E1 planning, not building
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Herb Keinon - December 2, 2012 - 1:00am

The government gave a green light to zoning and planning in the area known as E1 between Jerusalem and Ma’aleh Adumim, but not to actual construction there, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu clarified to his Likud ministers Sunday as condemnations of the move continued to pour into Israel from around the world.

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Dividing the West Bank, and Deepening a Rift
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Jodi Rudoren - December 1, 2012 - 1:00am

JERUSALEM — High up in an empty, mountainous expanse east of this city there is a stone patio with a pair of green metal benches and a plaque marking the cornerstone of a future Jewish community. Dedicated in 2009, the plaque promises the new city will be built “adjacent to the united Jerusalem, which will be quickly re-established.”

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November 30th

NEWS: The UN General Assembly votes overwhelmingly to grant Palestine "nonmember observer state" status. 138 countries voted yes, 9 no, and 41 abstained. Palestinians react with euphoria. The US strongly opposes the resolution.Israel and the Palestinians now both consider their next moves. Palestinians could try to seek access to global courts. PM Netanyahu is visiting Germany in the wake of its unexpected abstention, and condemns Pres. Abbas UN speech as "hostile and poisonous." Abbas says he will soon visit Gaza. Many Palestinians see the UN success as the possible prelude to national reconciliation. Israel is marketing its antimissile defense system. A Hamas militant is killed as war remnant ordinance explodes in Gaza. Israel says it will "retaliate" against the Palestinians by building 3,000 new settlement units, including in the highly sensitive E-1 corridor between East Jerusalem and the West Bank. COMMENTARY: Hussein Ibish says the PLO UN upgrade was entirely re-contextualized by the Gaza conflict. Barak Ravid looks at how Israel lost almost all European votes. Avi Issacharoff says Israel did Abbas a huge favor by hyping his UN initiative as "state terror." Abbas' UN speech is published in full. Hamas leader Meshaal says the Gaza war and the UN upgrade are complementary. Hassan Haidar says the UN victory is a win for Palestinian realism. The Daily Star says the UN vote was necessary and overdue. Ahmad Majdoubeh says Britain's abstention is a big disappointment. Imad Mrammel says Hezbollah learned important lessons by looking at the recent Israel-Hamas conflict. Raphael Ahren says the lopsided UN vote shows even some of Israel's allies blame it for the peace process impasse. Meir Javedanfar explains why he and some other Israelis supported the PLO UN initiative.

Explanation of Vote by Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Following UN General Assembly Vote on Palestinian Observer State Status Resolution
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from United Nations
by Susan E. Rice - November 29, 2012 - 1:00am

Thank you, Mr. President.

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Israel to build 3,000 settler homes after UN vote
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News
November 30, 2012 - 1:00am

Israel has authorised the construction of 3,000 more housing units in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank, according to Israeli officials. It is also speeding up the processing of 1,000 planning permissions.

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Why I back Abbas’s UN initiative
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Times of Israel
by Meir Javendanfar - (Opinion) November 28, 2012 - 1:00am

I back Mahmoud Abbas’s initiative 

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Like it or not, the state of Palestine is semi-officially on the map
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Times of Israel
by Raphael Ahren - (Opinion) November 30, 2012 - 1:00am

On Thursday night, the world made much more than just a symbolic gesture.

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Hezbollah Learns Lessons From Gaza Conflict
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from As-Safir
by Imad Mrammel - (Opinion) November 27, 2012 - 1:00am

During the eight-day offensive against Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon was prepared for any possible assault by Israel.

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