The Obama Presidency and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Brandeis University Crown Center for Middle East Studies by Shai Feldman, Khalil Shikaki - November 18, 2009 - 1:00am The first ten months of the Obama administration’s efforts to achieve a breakthrough in Arab-Israeli peacemaking have led to widespread disappointment among Palestinians and to growing anxiety among Israelis. Inevitably, this unsatisfactory interim report card is partly a result of the high expectations created by President Barack Obama himself, during the presidential campaign as well as in his inaugural address and following his inauguration. » Read more

The Only Hope Left? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy by Daoud Kuttab - November 17, 2009 - 1:00am Mahmoud Abbas is in a bind. Faced with a seemingly insurmountable impasse to negotiations with Israel, the Palestinian Authority president can either resign from his PLO chairmanship or come up with some serious, unilateral action to break the deadlock. With hopes that Barack Obama would stand up to the right-wing Israeli leadership dashed, an unwillingness to return to violent resistance, and the inability to resign his presidency of the PA in protest, the Palestinian leader has no alternative but to declare a Palestinian state unilaterally. » Read more

Editorial: Time for action ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News (Editorial) November 18, 2009 - 1:00am If both Israel and Hamas condemn the proposal of a UN declaration of independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, as they have, it suggests it must be the right idea. The Palestinian Authority has come up with it because nothing is happening to the peace process. It is their way of forcing it back onto the international agenda. » Read more

Let down by Obama, Palestinians see few options ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News by Tom Perry - (Opinion) November 18, 2009 - 1:00am With US diplomacy seemingly going nowhere, Palestinians are exploring desperate and at best symbolic measures to press a demand for a state that even firm believers in peace among them fear may never emerge. Appeals to the United Nations and European Union to consider recognizing a state that Israel says it cannot accept on the Palestinians’ terms look unlikely to break the deadlock. » Read more

The world tires of the Palestinian cause ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star by Rami Khouri - November 18, 2009 - 1:00am The atmosphere in Cairo this week tells us much about the contemporary Arab world’s view of the Pa­lestine cause in relation to domestic issues in every Arab country. Ordinary Arabs and their governments alike seem fed up with the incompetence of the Palestinian leadership, while remaining strongly committed emotionally to the justice and rights of the Palestinian cause. This is emotionally satisfying for Palestinians, but not very promising politically. » Read more

Israel’s double standards ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times by Faisal Al Rfouh - (Opinion) November 18, 2009 - 1:00am Israel orchestrated a drama, interdicting a cargo ship on November 3 for allegedly carrying Iranian arms for Hizbollah and then releasing it after nothing incriminating was found. Israel’s reported justification for its action under UN Resolution 1747 looks paradoxical in view of its utter and open defiance of all UN resolutions pertaining to the Palestinian issue, particularly resolutions 242, 338 and 194. » Read more

A Vacuum Can Also be Used ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al-Hayat by Husam Itani - (Opinion) November 17, 2009 - 1:00am In his reaction to the recent Palestinian stance, Benjamin Netanyahu included the following elements: it is forbidden for you to go to the Security Council to issue a resolution that recognizes your future state. If you do this, you will not find international support. If you do obtain this support, we will put an end to this attempt by force. » Read more

U.S. Jews on mission to buy in settlements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) November 17, 2009 - 1:00am A group of American Jews arrived in Israel on a mission to promote home purchases in the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem. The 46 members of the three-day mission, which began Monday, were scheduled to meet with realtors. » Read more

America speaks Arabic ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Moshe Elad - (Opinion) November 18, 2009 - 1:00am US Special Envoy Mitchell’s demand that the Israeli government refrain from building in Jerusalem’s Gilo neighborhood is merely the prelude to a process meant to erode the legitimate status of Israel’s Jerusalem neighborhoods. These neighborhoods (including Gilo, Ramot Alon, French Hill, and Neve Yaakov) were built after the Six-Day War within the jurisdiction of Israel’s capital; now, they are finally being granted American recognition of their traditional Palestinian name: Settlements. » Read more

Ban Ki-moon condemns plan to expand Gilo ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Yitzhak Benhorin - November 18, 2009 - 1:00am UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly denounced Wednesday Israel's plan to expand the Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo, calling it a blatant expansion of a settlement. A spokesman for the secretary general said that Ban "believes that such actions undermine efforts for peace and cast doubt on the viability of the two-state solution". The Secretary-General reiterated his position that settlements are illegal, and called on Israel to respect its commitments under the Road Map to cease all settlement activity, including natural growth. » Read more