December 9th

U.S. hurting peace chances by giving up on Israeli settlement freeze, analysts say ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Janine Zacharia - December 9, 2010 - 1:00am The Obama administration's decision to stop seeking a new Israeli settlement freeze as a way back into talks with the Palestinians has diminished prospects of achieving a peace accord within a year and eroded U.S. credibility in the region, analysts said Wednesday. The decision also represented a belated recognition that even if they had persuaded Israel to renew a construction moratorium in the West Bank for three months, U.S. officials would have faced an even more difficult problem after that expired. » Read more

Why the U.S. Ended Push for Israeli Building Freeze ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Ethan Bronner - December 9, 2010 - 1:00am When it became clear a month ago that American and Israeli officials were negotiating a partial, one-time, 90-day Israeli settlement construction freeze in exchange for American military hardware and diplomatic guarantees, few analysts applauded. Related Israel Says It Will Permit More Exports From Gaza (December 9, 2010) » Read more

December 8th

The peace process is not captive to Israeli intransigence ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National (Editorial) December 8, 2010 - 1:00am Seasons may change, but renewal is never a guarantee. This is especially true for Middle Eastern peace, where an autumn of possibility has given way to a winter of discontent. Latin American support for a Palestinian state may be one way to help break the ice. This week Argentina and Uruguay joined the BRIC heavyweight Brazil in recognising an independent Palestine. Bolivia and Ecuador are expected to follow suit. » Read more

Sabra staying as only Princeton hummus ATFP World Press Roundup Article from December 8, 2010 - 1:00am A Princeton student referendum on whether to ask the university's dining services to provide an alternative brand of hummus to Sabra was defeated. Some 1,014 students voted against the referendum and 699 students were in favor during the three days of voting last week, according to results announced Dec. 3, the Daily Princetonian student newspaper reported. » Read more

IDF resumes use of prohibited tear gas canisters ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Chaim Levinson - December 8, 2010 - 1:00am Israel Defense Forces soldiers recently resumed the use of prohibited tear gas canisters to disperse demonstrations in the West Bank. » Read more

Middle East peace talks 'crisis' over settlement row ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC World News December 8, 2010 - 1:00am His comments come hours after the US admitted that it had failed to get Israel to renew its settlement curbs. Mr Abbas suspended talks in September after a 10-month halt on Israeli building in the occupied West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem, expired. The US has vowed to find other ways to bring the two sides together. The peace talks resumed in Washington in September after a break of almost two years, but broke down just weeks later over the settlement issue. US sweeteners » Read more

U.S. to hold separate peace talks with Israel, Palestinians: official ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua December 8, 2010 - 1:00am A senior Palestinian official revealed on Wednesday that the United States informed the Palestinian leadership that it wants to hold separate peace talks with Israel and the Palestinians. "We received an oral letter from the American Administration expressing its desire to hold separate talks with Israel and the Palestinians over the peace process," Yasser Abed Rabbo, Secretary General of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) executive committee told Voice of Palestine Radio. » Read more

Palestinians seek unilateral statehood recognition ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Statesman by Karin Laub - December 8, 2010 - 1:00am The Palestinians' Plan B — an alternative to the elusive peace deal with Israel — is gradually taking shape: convince as many countries as possible to recognize a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, and use that to lobby the United States not to veto recognition by the U.N. Security Council. » Read more

Palestinians seek unilateral statehood recognition ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Statesman by Karin Laub - December 8, 2010 - 1:00am The Palestinians' Plan B — an alternative to the elusive peace deal with Israel — is gradually taking shape: convince as many countries as possible to recognize a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, and use that to lobby the United States not to veto recognition by the U.N. Security Council. » Read more

Palestinians seek unilateral statehood recognition ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Statesman by Karin Laub - December 8, 2010 - 1:00am The Palestinians' Plan B — an alternative to the elusive peace deal with Israel — is gradually taking shape: convince as many countries as possible to recognize a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, and use that to lobby the United States not to veto recognition by the U.N. Security Council. » Read more