April 25th, 2013

At Cornell, Panelists Call for Solution to Conflict in Middle East
Media Mention of Ghaith al-Omari In The Cornell Daily Sun - April 24, 2013 - 12:00am

 

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April 24th

 

NEWS:
 
Israel says it has proof the Syrian government has used chemical weapons in that country's civil war. (New York Times)
 
After fairing poorly in other votes, Hamas withdrawals from Bethlehem student elections. (Ma'an)
 
Turkey and Israel agree on principles for flotilla attack victim compensation. (Xinhua)
 
Seven Palestinian children are injured by a grenade in Lebanon. (AP)
 
A Palestinian man is given life in prison for deaths resulting from stones he threw at cars in the occupied West Bank. (YNet)
 
Hamas welcomes news that PM Erdogan intends to visit Gaza despite American requests he postponed his trip. (Xinhua)
 
Wings for the F-35 next-generation fighter jet will be made in Israel. (AP)
 
A woman is reportedly beaten to death by a thief in Gaza. (Ma'an)
 
Israel will allow UNESCO inspectors to look at sites in occupied East Jerusalem after Palestinians agree not to pursue certain resolutions. (Ha'aretz)
 
The US may have played a role in the Palestinian UNESCO decision. (Jerusalem Post)
 
Israeli occupation forces destroy several buildings in occupied East Jerusalem. (Ma'an)
 
A right-wing MK says Israeli occupation forces and settlers should be allowed to defend their property with deadly force. (Ha'aretz)
 
The Israeli military rabbinate removes an online pamphlet that says non-Jews are not equal to Jews in Israel. (Ha'aretz)
 
Gaza beekeepers are facing tough times. (Al Monitor)
 
 
COMMENTARY:
 
Hassan Khader discusses how best to mourn the eight-year-old Boston Marathon attack victim Martin Richard. (Al Ayam)
 
Thomas Friedman says it's a bad thing for everyone, and partly everybody's fault, that Salam Fayyad has resigned. (New York Times)
 
The National says Israeli-Turkish rapprochement is good for both sides, and should be good for peace. (The National)
 
Ben Caspit says Israeli Turkish rapprochement is not a done deal (Al Monitor)
 
The Jerusalem Post says, if apologizing to Turkey was a strategic necessity, it was "worth it." (Jerusalem Post)
 
Amos Harel asked why the United States is so reluctant to acknowledge chemical weapons used by the Syrian government. (Ha'aretz)
 
Tal Harris says both peoples are suffering because the Israeli and Palestinian governments lack the determination to reach a peace agreement. (Jerusalem Post)
 
J.J. Goldberg says Sec. Hegel's visit to Israel punctured several myths about him. (The Forward)
 
Asmaa al-Ghoul says Hamas is censoring academic speech in Gaza. (Al Monitor)
 
Janne Louise Andersen interviews Palestinian rappers DAM, including about their new song denouncing "honor killings." (Al Monitor)l
 
David Rothkopf says the US may be facing a choice in the Middle East between open-ended chaos and renewed dictatorship. (Foreign Policy)
 
Avi Issacharoff says the Palestinian leadership has no "Plan B" if negotiations with Israel should fail. (Times of Israel)
 
The Washington Post looks at a new book on Gaza cuisine. (Washington Post)

April 23rd

NEWS:
 
The new US weapon sale to Israel does not include bunker buster bombs. (New York Times)
 
Israelis try to explain their policies to Sec. Hagel by giving him a helicopter tour. (Washington Post)
 
Israel's former head of military intelligence says Iran is approaching nuclear capability and an Israeli strike sometime this year may be inevitable. (Ha'aretz)
 
Persistent doubts fail to dent confidence in Israel's Iron Dome antimissile defense system. (BBC)
 
The EU is reportedly working on a plan to label all settlement products. (Jerusalem Post)
 
 
Turkey objects to American requests its Prime Minister delay a planned trip to Gaza. (Reuters)
 
Pres. Abbas meets Pres. Gul in Istanbul. (Xinhua)
 
The first Bethlehem Marathon illustrates the difficulties of Palestinian movement under occupation. (CSM)
 
A Bethlehem man is discovered dead in Jordan. (Ma'an)
 
Hamas objects to statements by the PLO and PA about the "Talibanization" of Gaza. (Ma'an)
 
The CSM profiles a Palestinian citizen of Israel who serves as a military prosecutor in the occupied territories. (CSM)
 
Environmentalists enlist Palestinian schoolchildren in an effort to clean up Jerusalem's "Holy Valley." (CSM)
 
Jewish settlers are expected to evacuate a disputed building in occupied Hebron. (Ha'aretz)
 
 
COMMENTARY:
 
ATFP releases an issue paper entitled Salam Fayyad: Emerging as he Exits. (Huffington Post)
 
Gershom Gorenberg says the occupation made Fayyad's resignation inevitable. (The American Prospect)
 
Khaled Elgindy says the absence of a credible peace process doomed Fayyad's project. (The Daily Beast/Open Zion)
 
Amos Harel says Israel needs to coordinate with the United States regarding Iran. (Ha'aretz)
 
Sefi Rachlevsky says PM Netanyahu's honoring of an extremist rabbi shows how racist Israel has become. (Ha'aretz)
 
Alan Baker strongly criticizes Spain's decision to open a consulate in Gaza. (Jerusalem Post)
 
Nathan Jeffay says Israel's new chief negotiator, Tzipi Livni, does not have the backing of her cabinet colleagues. (The Forward)
 
Akiva Eldar looks at the politics in Israel regarding the Armenian genocide. (Al Monitor)
 
Elon Gilad explains why he ran in the Bethlehem Marathon, in spite of opposition from the Israeli government and the PA. (Ha'aretz)

April 22nd

NEWS:
 
Many obstacles remain in trying to form a Palestinian unity government, as reports suggest Pres. Abbas may be in no hurry to find a replacement for PM Fayyad. (Xinhua/Ha'aretz)
 
Sec. Kerry asks PM Erdogan to postpone a planned visit to Gaza, as he pushes Israeli-Turkish rapprochement. (New York Times/AP)
 
Reports suggest Erdogan may go ahead with his trip anyway. (Jerusalem Post)
 
Kerry meets with Abbas in Turkey, but Palestinians say no progress was made. (Xinhua/Ma'an)
 
Fatah officials say Egypt remains the sole sponsor of Palestinian reconciliation talks, following reports Abbas wants Turkey to get involved. (Xinhua/Ha'aretz)
 
Sec. Hagel is visiting Israel and says the US remains committed to maintaining Israel's regional military edge. (New York Times/AP)
 
A new report shows more Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem are seeking Israeli citizenship. (Ha'aretz)
 
Egypt says it has disrupted an Israeli spy ring in the Sinai Peninsula. (Xinhua)
 
Palestinians hold the first Bethlehem marathon, and start with a tribute to the Boston marathon attack victims. (AP)
 
Relatives of Israel's flotilla raid say they reject Israeli compensation. (New York Times)
 
A Bedouin community in the occupied West Bank faces eviction and relocation. (The Media Line)
 
Israeli human rights groups accuse municipal authorities in occupied East Jerusalem of illegally discriminating against Palestinians. (Jerusalem Post)
 
UC's Chancellor says a vote by UC Berkeley's student government urging divestment from two companies doing business in the occupied West Bank is unlikely to change University policy. (Daily Californian)
 
 
COMMENTARY:
 
The Chicago Tribune says Fayyad's resignation is a bad thing for everybody. (Chicago Tribune) 
 
The LA Times interviews Amoun Sleem about the difficulties facing the Gypsy community in occupied East Jerusalem. (Los Angeles Times)
 
Ali Zahalka says Israel's current economic policies don't allow its Palestinian citizens to live in dignity. (YNet)
 
Oudeh Basharat asks why Arabs, especially Palestinians, have been so bad about documenting victims of violence on their own side. (Ha'aretz)
 
Adel Safty says American misperceptions about the conflict need to be clarified if a two-state solution is going to take hold. (Gulf News)
 
Mahmoud Omar looks at challenges facing Palestinian refugees in Egypt. (Al Monitor)
 
Jonathan Schanzer says Abbas is becoming increasingly dictatorial. (Foreign Policy)

April 19th

NEWS:
 
Foreign Policy describes Sec. Kerry's efforts to prevent PM Fayed's resignation. (Foreign Policy)
 
Aid agencies in Gaza protest new Hamas travel restrictions. (New York Times)
 
Pres. Abbas says he will try to begin to form a new government soon. (Xinhua)
 
Israel's defense establishment reportedly wants closer ties to the PA. (YNet)
 
Israel tears down the fence of a major West Bank settlement, in accordance with a high court ruling. (Xinhua)
 
The US is moving forward with a $10 billion arms sale package to Israel, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. (New York Times)
 
Two rockets fired from the Gaza Strip reportedly land in southern Israel without causing any damage or injuries. (Reuters)
 
 
An Israeli delegation will visit Turkey next week in another sign of thawing relations. (Reuters)
 
Israeli forces demolish a store owned by Bedouin orphans. (Ma'an)
 
Egyptian officials pledge their country will never be a threat to Israel. (Jerusalem Post)
 
The death of a Jordanian policeman leads to threats against Israelis. (The Media Line)
 
UC Berkeley's student government passes a motion urging the university to divest from three companies doing business in the occupied West Bank. (JTA)
 
 
COMMENTARY:
 
Nathan Thrall says the Palestinian leadership can't choose between cooperation and confrontation with Israel, and is thus paying the full price for both. (Foreign Affairs)
 
David Rosenberg calls Fayyad "the latest victim of the Arab Spring." (Ha'aretz)
 
The Economist says if Fayyad's departure leads to reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah, it may prove a good thing. (The Economist)
 
The BBC interviews PM Netanyahu, who says Israel reserves its right to defend itself. (BBC)
 
Samuel Lebens says he was inspired by the way Israelis and Palestinians commemorated their dead together on Memorial Day. (Ha'aretz)
 
George Hishmeh says Kerry's well-intentioned Middle East peace efforts require commitment and resolve. (Gulf News)
 
Akiva Eldar looks at strategies used by the Israeli settlement movement. (Al Monitor)
 
Asmaa al-Ghoul profiles Gaza's Christian community. (Al  Monitor)

Salam Fayyad: Emerging as he Exits
Issue Paper by ATFP - April 19, 2013 - 12:00am

ATFP Issue Paper Salam Fayyad: Emerging as he Exits April 19, 2013

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April 18th

NEWS:
 
Salam Fayyad makes his final radio address to the Palestinian people as Prime Minister (full text). (PNN)
 
Sec. Kerry says he believes that there are only approximately 2 years left to achieve a two-state solution. (Los Angeles Times/AP)
 
Kerry says sequestration will force cuts in aid to Israel and expresses frustration over Palestinian leadership questions. (Foreign Policy)
 
Fayyad's resignation is expected to complicate US Middle East peace efforts. (Xinhua)
 
Experts say they are not surprised by Fayyad's resignation. (Ahram Online)
 
Pres. Abbas will visit Turkey over the weekend. (AFP)
 
Hamas leader in Gaza Haniyyeh visits Qatar today. (Xinhua)
 
Palestinians mark "prisoners day" with protests. (Xinhua)
 
Dozens are reportedly injured in clashes with Israeli occupation forces near Nablus. (Ma'an)
 
An Israeli court sentences a 14-year-old Palestinian-American boy to two weeks in prison for throwing stones. (AP)
 
Palestinians are hoping to build on their growing high-tech sector. (AP)
 
Former Israeli PM Olmert will head a new high-tech venture in Israel. (AP)
 
 
A prominent Israeli archaeologist is trying to build bridges between Arabs and Jews. (CSM)
 
Muslim clergy plan to tour Poland, and study the history of its Jewish community and its fate. (Ha'aretz)
 
Israel is refusing to allow runners from Gaza to travel to the West Bank for a marathon. (BBC)
 
Palestinians are competing against each other for the title of "President of Palestine" in a new "reality" TV game show. (Washington Post)
 
 
COMMENTARY:
 
Dov Weisglass says Fayyad's resignation is bad for Israel. (YNet)
 
Hazem Balousha doubts Fayyad's resignation will boost chances for Palestinian national unity. (Al Monitor)
 
Aaron David Miller says Fayyad's resignation clarifies four important things about Israeli-Palestinian realities. (Los Angeles Times)
 
Nathan Brown says Fayyad never had a chance to meet the expectations of his international supporters. (Foreign Policy)
 
Douglas Bloomfield says Abbas will soon find out whether accepting Fayyad's resignation was wise. (Jerusalem Post)
 
Shlomi Eldar looks at Qatar's influence over Hamas. (Al Monitor)
 
Ari Shavit says, even in a climate of post-Zionism, the region is starting to make Zionism and Israel look good by comparison. (Ha'aretz)
 
Gershon Baskin says Israelis and Palestinians need to understand each other's experiences and narratives. (Jerusalem Post)
 
Moshe Ma'oz says Israel has a rare opportunity to build an alliance with pragmatic Sunni Arab states, but will probably squander it. (Ha'aretz)
 
Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed says Israelis are carefully considering whether to launch a military strike against Iranian nuclear targets. (Arab News)

April 17th

NEWS:
 
In his weekly radio address, outgoing PM Fayyad urges Palestinians to hold elections. (AP)
 
A new Palestinian opinion poll shows Pres. Abbas and his Fatah party much more popular than Hamas, or any of its leaders, but student elections show strong support for Hamas. (PNN/Al Monitor)
 
Israel fines Palestinians for displaying Palestinian flags on their cars in Jerusalem on Israel's "Independence Day." (Ma'an)
 
The PA says Israel is detaining at least 236 children as young as 12 among its 5000 Palestinian prisoners. (Ma'an)
 
Israel is reportedly trying to negotiate the end of a hunger strike by a Palestinian prisoner that has gone on and off for 250 days. (Reuters)
 
Jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti complains the PA isn't doing enough to secure his release. (Jerusalem Post)
 
The Palestinian economy in occupied East Jerusalem is struggling. (The Media Line)
 
Palestinian refugees are fleeing Syria for the Gaza Strip. (Xinhua)
 
Two rockets are fired into southern Israel from the Sinai Peninsula and Islamist extremists claim responsibility. (AP/Reuters)
 
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee adopts a resolution to support Israel in a confrontation with Iran. (Ha'aretz)
 
A promotional video prepared by Israel's Foreign Ministry ignores the existence of Palestinians and the Oslo Accords. (Ha'aretz)
 
Turkey's deputy PM says relations with Israel are returning to normal. (Jerusalem Post)
 
Jewish-American activists say fewer teenagers are visiting Israel every year. (JTA)
 
Israel's Housing Minister Uri Ariel vows to move forward with the highly controversial E1 settlement expansion project. (Ma'an)
 
 
COMMENTARY:
 
John Ware asks what the future holds for Israel on its 65th anniversary. (BBC)
 
Jihad el-Khazen says Fayyad is better than all of Fatah's leadership put together and that Fatah and Hamas are "playing with fire." (Al Hayat)
 
The Jordan Times says Fayyad's resignation cannot be good for peace. (Jordan Times)
 
David Makovsky says Fayyad was scapegoated or shortchanged by all parties. (WINEP)
 
Elliott Abrams says Fayyad faced stiff Palestinian opposition and insufficient international support. (The Weekly Standard)
 
Akiva Eldar asks if Fayyad's resignation will be a wake-up call for Israel. (Al Monitor)
 
Zvi Bar'el says Israel needs peace with Palestinians in the occupied territories, and sincere reconciliation with those that are citizens of Israel. (Ha'aretz)
 
Yitzhak Laor says Israeli racism against its Arab citizens cannot be concealed. (Ha'aretz)
 
Yossi Yona says the victory of a Palestinian citizen of Israel in a TV singing contest doesn't mean racism in Israel is eliminated, but it does show a real desire to move beyond it. (YNet)
 
Azriel Bermant says Margaret Thatcher's "friendship" with Israel was based on pragmatism, not love. (Ha'aretz)
 
Hossam Zaki offers his advice for peacemakers. (Al Monitor)
 
Bernard Avishai says peace is essential, but the peace processes become the "ultimate bore." (Daily Beast/Open Zion)

April 16th

NEWS:
 
US officials downplay the significance of PM Fayyad's resignation, but are reportedly asking that he stay on as caretaker for a few more weeks to facilitate American peace efforts. (AFP/Reuters)
 
The UN expresses its appreciation to Fayyad and reiterates its commitment to a two-state solution. (UN/WAFA)
 
Some analysts say the next Palestinian PM "must be able to handle factional squabbles." (The National)
 
The CSM looks at the broader context of Fayyad's resignation. (CSM)
 
Pres. Abbas makes the first visit of a Palestinian leader to Kuwait in 20 years. (Reuters)
 
Abbas' office expresses concerns about a potential visit by PM Erdogan to Gaza. (Xinhua)
 
Egypt joins the PA in registering formal objections to Canada about FM Baird's visit to occupied East Jerusalem. (Xinhua)
 
Israel celebrates the 65th anniversary of its founding. (AP)
 
Israel's military chief of staff says his country is capable of attacking Iran on its own. (Ha'aretz)
 
Hamas police disperse protesters outside UNRWA's headquarters in Gaza. (Xinhua)
 
 
COMMENTARY:
 
The Economist says Fatah officials may soon regret hounding Fayyad out of office. (The Economist)
 
Hassan Barari also says Palestinians may come to soon regret Fayyad's departure. (Jordan Times)
 
Bloomberg says Israel is making a huge mistake by undermining the Palestinian economy, and these policies led to Fayyad's resignation. (Bloomberg)
 
Peter Beinart says Israel and the United States should have supported Fayyad, but didn't. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)
 
Gil Troy says Fayyad's resignation is a loss for both peoples. (Daily Beast/Open Zion)
 
Grant Rumley says it remains to be seen if Fayyad's reforms can survive without him. (The Atlantic)
 
Jon Donnison says it may take quite some time to find a replacement for Fayyad. (BBC)
 
Ha'aretz says Israel's future depends on peace with the Palestinians and other neighbors. (Ha'aretz)
 
Zvi Bar'el says Israeli-Turkish rapprochement is moving forward such that it may be difficult for Erdogan not to visit Israel in his upcoming trip to the area. (Ha'aretz)
 
David Pollock says there is an increasing risk that Israel could be drawn into the Syrian Civil War. (New York Times)
 
Amos Harel says Israel's military is changing quickly. (Ha'aretz)
 
Jay Michaelson says friends of Israel ought to listen to the pro-peace views of its security hawks. (The Forward)
 
Mairav Zonszein says those who haven't seen the occupation firsthand can't preach to stone-throwing Palestinian protesters. (The Forward)
 
Oudeh Basharat says the controversy about stone-throwing in Palestinian protests shows Israel has ceded the role of righteous underdog. (Ha'aretz)
 

Alon Pinkas says Sec. Kerry needs a framework for his peace process diplomacy.

April 15th

ATFP Thanks PM Fayyad for his Service, Reiterates Importance of Institution-Building
Press Release - April 15, 2013 - 12:00am

  April 15, Washington DC -- The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) thanks outgoing Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad for his outstanding service. Fayyad will continue as Caretaker Prime Minister for the Palestinian Authority (PA) but is expected to leave office in the near future.



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