November 18th

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

Poll: Record high support of peace talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews November 18, 2009 - 1:00am According to the monthly War and Peace Index, some 75% of the Jewish public in Israel support holding peace negotiations with the Palestinian Authority. This marks the highest support rate recorded on the War and Peace index in recent years. Despite the optimistic numbers, the public is split vis-à-vis the demand to freeze construction in settlements in order to advance negotiations. » Read more

Comment / Why Netanyahu really does want to advance peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Aluf Benn - (Opinion) November 18, 2009 - 1:00am I could hear the prime minister's familiar voice on the telephone. "I want to advance a peace agreement with the Palestinians. I am capable of achieving an agreement. I have the political will inside me," Benjamin Netanyahu told me. He repeated this message during his speeches at the conference of Jewish communities in Washington and at the Saban Forum in Jerusalem: great concessions, generosity of spirit, territorial compromise, let's start negotiations and surprise the world, he said. » Read more

ANALYSIS / Netanyahu senses Obama's weakness on Jerusalem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Akiva Eldar - (Analysis) November 18, 2009 - 1:00am If there is anything that irks the White House more than news from the American consulate in Jerusalem about new West Bank settlements, it is a newspaper report on a new neighborhood in East Jerusalem. Thus when U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's envoy, Yitzhak Molcho, on Monday about a new construction project in Jerusalem's Gilo neighborhood, which is beyond the 1967 lines, Mitchell was hoping to settle the matter quietly. » Read more

Abbas in Cairo: PA committed to seeking UN recognition ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency November 18, 2009 - 1:00am President Abbas confirmed on Tuesday the unilateral decision to seek UN recognition of a Palestinian state in accordance with the recent Arab Peace Initiative committee’s support, during a news conference with Egyptian President Hosni Mobarak. Abbas confirmed the Palestinian Authority’s commitment to appealing to the UN Security Council for a resolution recognizing a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with Arab support. » Read more

Israel razes Palestinian homes in Jerusalem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency November 18, 2009 - 1:00am Israeli bulldozers demolished a two-family Palestinian home in the town of Al-Isawiya in occupied East Jerusalem on Wednesday, the second home demolition in two days. Residents of the town said Israeli forces entered the village with three bulldozers on the premise of carrying out demolition orders, and noted Israeli police and border guards blocked off the main entrances of the community. » Read more