July 29th

The costs and benefits of Palestinian UN options ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ibishblog by Hussein Ibish - (Blog) July 29, 2011 - 12:00am I’m going to look at what looms ahead potentially at the United Nations in September, because that seems to be the most immediate diplomatic and political context, from a Palestinian perspective anyway, and has huge repercussions. First of all, I’d like to put this whole conversation in its context, at least the way that as I understand it, and also the way the Palestinian leadership and a lot of Palestinians who are talking about some kind of U.N. initiative in September, understand it. » Read more

Gaza’s economic mirage ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy by Wasseem El Sarraj - (Opinion) July 28, 2011 - 12:00am GAZA CITY — A predominant, if misguided, narrative holds Gaza to be a Mediterranean secret, where food is plentiful and joy is unabated. Such statements are not exactly false. As a Gazan, I can say I have laughed, dined out (not just falafel), and been able to embrace my proclivity for consumption -- recently purchasing a 37" flat-screen TV. But this has been a product of the stubbornness and creativity of capitalism under an enforced closure (where goods flow into Gaza, but what goes out is very limited). » Read more

Hebron (Walzer) ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Utopian by Michael Walzer - (Blog) July 20, 2011 - 12:00am Last week, with a few friends, I visited Hebron, taken there by one of the leaders of Breaking the Silence, the organization of ex-soldiers that aims to educate Israelis about the meaning and character of the Occupation. (Its collection of “testimonies” about IDF conduct in the territories has recently been published.) Toward the end of the visit, while my friends took a quick look at the Tomb of the Patriarchs—I have an aversion to religious shrines—I sat with our guide, drinking coffee in an Arab shop. Settler kids warned us not to sit there; the owner wasn’t a Jew. » Read more

The Palestinian Statehood Strategy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Arabiya by Ali Younes - (Opinion) July 29, 2011 - 12:00am From the Palestinian perspective, the absence of any meaningful effort to restart the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations that will eventually lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders is the driving force behind the current efforts to submit an application to the UN to recognize Palestine as a state. » Read more

Last roll of the dice for Palestinians at the UN ATFP World Press Roundup Article from swissinfo.ch by Frédéric Burnand - (Opinion) July 28, 2011 - 12:00am The Swiss government has yet to publicly state its position on formal recognition of a Palestinian state. “We are going to the Security Council to obtain full membership of the United Nations and the recognition of Palestine according to the 1967 borders,” affirmed Abbas during a meeting of the central council of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) in Ramallah on Wednesday. But such a move goes against the wishes of supporters of a Palestinian state such as the United States, which argues that peace negotiations are the correct format for such debates. » Read more

Ayalon vs. Goldberg, on Twitter ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Tablet Magazine by Marc Tracy - (Opinion) July 28, 2011 - 12:00am In one corner, in gray suit, we have former ambassador to the United States and current Israeli deputy foreign minister Danny Ayalon, purveyor of a recent viral YouTube video (nearly 200,000 hits) that, shall we say, elides much of the complexity surrounding Israel’s occupation of the West Bank. In the opposing corner, in khaki slacks, we have contributing editor Jeff Goldberg, who noted (via the Forward) that the video is an almost word-for-word copy of a video made by a settlers’ organization, and concluded, “The Israeli Foreign Ministry Is Now Part of the Settlement Movement.” » Read more

To jazz soundtrack, Israeli official insists settlements are legal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Dan Murphy - (Opinion) July 28, 2011 - 12:00am Danny Ayalon, Israel's deputy foreign minister from the ultranationalist Yisrael Beiteinu Party, has kicked up an Internet storm with a slickly produced video that argues Israel is within its rights to hold on to the West Bank in perpetuity. Accompanied by a bouncy jazz soundtrack, Mr. Ayalon – a former ambassador to the US – stands in front of a simple white background while he makes his case in avuncular tones, illustrated by cartoons behind him. For instance, a sheesha-smoking character in a fez is run over by a tank to illustrate the Ottoman Turkish defeat in World War I. » Read more

The Palestinians’ treacherous path to the UN ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Alon Ben-meir - (Opinion) July 29, 2011 - 12:00am The Palestinians’ plans to seek UN recognition are a bad omen for both themselves and Israel. Instead, US President Barack Obama should seek a UN resolution that reflects his own conviction of a two-state solution. » Read more

Israel's Foreign Ministry Borrows From the Settlers for Its Propaganda ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Gal Beckerman - (Opinion) July 27, 2011 - 12:00am Israel’s deputy foreign minister and Twitter warrior, Danny Ayalon, recently released a video over YouTube that is doing quite well — posted on July 11, it now has nearly 180,000 hits. In it, Ayalon tries to explain why he thinks the West Bank should not be referred to as “occupied” and that settlements are not in effect settlements. » Read more

An invitation to Palestine ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Star by Harry Sterling - July 28, 2011 - 12:00am Will Foreign Minister John Baird visit Palestine at the very moment Palestinian authorities seek a controversial vote at the United Nations recognizing Palestine as an independent state? That is what many are wondering following a meeting July 26 in Ottawa between Baird and Palestinian representative Hanan Ashrawi. Ashrawi is no ordinary envoy. She is a big hitter within the PLO, a Christian legislator, the first woman elected to the Palestine National Council, and highly respected as a moderate and pragmatic negotiator by the Americans. » Read more