May 26th

Palestinian UN bid: Israel's battle for Europe ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Ronen Medzini - May 26, 2011 - 12:00am The Foreign Ministry is focusing efforts on trying to block the Palestinian plan to win UN recognition for an independent state in September. Israel's chance of winning a majority among the 192 UN members state is miniscule, as the 116 states comprising the Non-Aligned movement tend to vote together and are likely to vote in favor of a Palestinian state. It is estimated that the large majority of non-Western nations among the remaining 76 states will also vote in favor of the Palestinian bid, which leaves Israel with a little over 40 states whose vote is still open. » Read more

Netanyahu relegated himself to the footnotes of history ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Gideon Levy - (Opinion) May 26, 2011 - 12:00am The "speech of his life" must now quickly become the speech of Prime MInister Benjamin Netanyahu's political demise. The hour is pressing, there is no time and nothing is going to come of Netanyahu any more. » Read more

Netanyahu's peace stance is running Israel into a wall ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Ari Shavit - (Opinion) May 26, 2011 - 12:00am When Benjamin Netanyahu became prime minister, he had to formulate a peace strategy. He had to decide whether he aspired to reach an interim agreement or a final-status one with the Palestinians. He opted to go for a final-status agreement. » Read more

Mideast Quartet envoy Tony Blair: Obama anxious about Israel's fate ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press May 26, 2011 - 12:00am Middle East envoy Tony Blair says United States President Barack Obama launched his peace initiative because he's concerned about what might happen to Israel if Palestinians unilaterally declare statehood. Blair told an audience of business leaders gathered in central London on Thursday that Obama is "frankly worried about the position that Israel is in." » Read more

Israeli settlers, rightists, slam Netanyahu over U.S. Congressional speech ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua May 25, 2011 - 12:00am Israeli settlers living in the West Bank expressed their disappointment on Wednesday regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's U.S. Congressional address, where he suggested Israel would be willing to swap land with Palestinians in exchange for peace. "His discourse was ambivalent," Danny Dayan, Head of the Council of Jewish Communities in the West Bank told Xinhua. » Read more

Netanyahu's congressional speech appeases Washington, disappoints Ramallah ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua by Adam Gonn - May 26, 2011 - 12:00am When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday spoke before the United States Congress, it was his third major policy speech in less than two weeks. Netanyahu was to have presented a plan to reinvigorate the direct peace negotiations with the Palestinians. The result, however, according to some analysts, was something very different. » Read more

Are pre-1967 borders indefensible for Israel? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Aron Heller - May 26, 2011 - 12:00am During a swing through Washington this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly said his country's pre-1967 lines are "indefensible." A total withdrawal from the West Bank, a strategic highland looming over central Israel, would certainly leave the Israeli heartland more vulnerable to attack or invasion. But some experts say that long-range missiles, weapons of mass destruction and cyber-warfare mean that in the modern world the greater risks lie elsewhere — especially if a future Palestine is demilitarized. » Read more

Poll: Israelis back Netanyahu's tough stance in US ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press May 26, 2011 - 12:00am An Israeli poll indicates that support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has surged following his contentious visit to the United States. Netanyahu had a a tense meeting in Washington with President Barack Obama over the nature of a future Palestinian state. In an address before Congress, he insisted Israel would not return to its pre-1967 war borders. The survey has 51 percent of those polled supporting Netanyahu — a 13 percent increase from the Dialog Institute's previous poll published five weeks ago. The latest poll results were published Thursday in the Haaretz daily. » Read more

Palestinian unity deal exposes divisions in Hamas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Nidal al-Mughrabi - May 26, 2011 - 12:00am Divisions in Hamas have been brought to the surface by a reconciliation agreement with rival group Fatah, exposing splits in the Palestinian Islamist movement that could complicate implementation of the deal. It is the first time differences between Hamas leaders in Gaza and the movement's exiled politburo in Damascus have been aired so openly in public, supporting a view that the group is far from united. » Read more

MKs attend controversial settlement announcement ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency May 26, 2011 - 12:00am The speaker of Israel's parliament and two ministers attended the dedication on Wednesday of new Jewish settler homes in East Jerusalem in what an Israeli NGO called "a dangerous provocation." Among the first of the VIPs to arrive at the site in the city's annexed eastern sector were speaker Reuven Rivlin, Environment Minister Gilad Erdan and Education Minister Gideon Saar, all of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party. » Read more