June 22nd

Obama’s morally confused Mideast policies endanger Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Newt Gingrich - (Opinion) June 21, 2011 - 12:00am Israel and America are at a dangerous crossroads in which the survival of Israel and the safety of the United States both hang in the balance. Year after year, the forces of terrorism become stronger, and the claims of terrorists become more acceptable to our European allies and more powerful in the United Nations. Year after year the Iranian dictatorship, with its openly stated desire to annihilate Israel and defeat the United States, moves closer to having nuclear means to do so. Year after year, Hamas grows stronger in Gaza and Hezbollah grows stronger in Lebanon. » Read more

Obama’s path paves the way for a secure Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Stuart E. Eizenstat - (Opinion) June 12, 2011 - 12:00am A strong secure Jewish state of Israel, supported by the United States as a close ally, has been a central feature of my public and private careers. » Read more

The settler hoax has defeated realistic Zionism ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Avirama Golan - (Opinion) June 22, 2011 - 12:00am The results of a telephone survey on the Jordan Valley among 500 Hebrew-speaking Israelis were quietly released recently. The survey revealed that more than anything, Israelis prefer discussing their cottage cheese, or their cottage, if they have one, than to be bothered too much by reality. That's how they can easily be sold any pseudo-political fantasy and can be marketed a desire that is cut off from all context - practical or moral. » Read more

Protest organizer jailed by Israeli court for year ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency June 19, 2011 - 12:00am RAMALLAH (Ma’an) -- The Ofer Israeli military court sentenced popular protest coordinator Naji At-Tamimi to one year of imprisonment and a fine of 10,000 shekels ($2,914), his colleagues said. Naji and Basem At-Tamimi were taken by Israeli forces from their homes in April and held without charge. Naji was charged with inciting and participating in rallies and organizing demonstrations against Israeli land confiscation and settlement building. Israel has declared such demonstrations illegal. » Read more

Europe, Palestine expects more from you ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star by Rami Khouri - (Opinion) June 22, 2011 - 12:00am After spending a few days this week in European cities with American and European diplomats and experts on Middle Eastern issues, I sense that the confusion and convolution levels among Western powers vis-à-vis Arab-Israeli issues is at an all-time high. To reverse the “threat level” analysis that Western powers use to describe the dangers they face from Middle Eastern or Asian-based terrorists, the Arab world right now faces an “extremely high” threat level of being at the receiving end of some really irrelevant and even dangerous American and European diplomacy. » Read more

Netanyahu must ditch his madly right-leaning coalition ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Aluf Benn - (Opinion) June 22, 2011 - 12:00am You may love or hate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but there is no arguing with his success. Since he returned to power, Israel has enjoyed security calm, economic growth and political stability of a sort not seen for the last generation. The people prefer Netanyahu's diplomatic standstill and security restraint to the policy of his predecessor, Ehud Olmert, which combined diplomatic daring with military adventurism. Israelis are in love with the status quo and do not want to be disturbed by peace initiatives or wars. Netanyahu's passivity suits them just fine. » Read more

A Palestinian deal cannot be won if Abbas keeps crying wolf ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Tony Karon - (Opinion) June 22, 2011 - 12:00am Perhaps, as a youth, President Mahmoud Abbas was never told the parable of the boy who cried wolf. I suggest this because the Palestinian Authority leader has with such monotonous regularity brandished the threat to quit his job that he appears to believe it is a vital weapon in the Palestinian diplomatic arsenal. » Read more

The danger of Netanyahu's new settlement policy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Editorial) June 22, 2011 - 12:00am A few days after he revealed his opinion that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict does not stem from a territorial dispute, and is therefore insoluble, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to implement a horrific idea necessitated by his worldview. He decided to accelerate the race to occupy additional territories in the disputed areas by thinning out the means of supervision of the settlement project authorities. » Read more

Fayyad: I will not obstruct unity deal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency June 22, 2011 - 12:00am RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- Prime Minister in Ramallah Salam Fayyad assured Tuesday evening that he "can't and won't be an obstacle to Palestinian reconciliation." Following speculation he would publicly refuse the post of prime minister in the new transitional unity government being negotiated by Hamas and Fatah, his words fell short of the declaration, saying "I shall support to the best of my abilities any candidate Palestinian parties agree upon." » Read more

Israel to Allow Building Cargo to Enter Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Ethan Bronner - June 21, 2011 - 12:00am JERUSALEM — The Israeli military said Tuesday that it had agreed to allow a United Nations agency to bring building materials for 1,200 new housing units and 18 new schools into Gaza, one of the largest construction projects in the Palestinian coastal strip in years. An Israeli military spokesman said the project came in addition to 130 others, including 14 schools, approved for construction by various agencies in Gaza. » Read more