September 30th

Palestinians press Security Council members to back UN statehood bid ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Jack Khoury - (Analysis) September 30, 2011 - 12:00am Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is due to leave for Colombia next week, in an attempt to convince officials in the South American nation to support a bid for Palestinian statehood at the United Nations Security Council. A Palestinian official speaking with Haaretz on Friday, said that "within the Security Council there are nine nations who had already recognized a Palestinian state, so the Palestinians expect those countries to support the [UN] proposal too." » Read more

PA minister's corruption trial postponed again ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency September 30, 2011 - 12:00am RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- The trial of the Ramallah-based government's Minister of Agriculture was postponed for the third time on Thursday, at the request of defense lawyers. Minister Ismail Daiq faces charges of corruption in public office at the newly instituted anti-corruption court in Ramallah. His defense lawyer has requested several delays of the hearing in order to give more time for preparation of the case, a Ma'an correspondent said. The hearing has been rearranged for Oct. 6, and is being presided over by judges Husein Obeidat and Bilal Abu Hantash and Izz Ad-Din Shahin. » Read more

Condemnation grows against Israel's settlement plans ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency (Analysis) September 30, 2011 - 12:00am BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Pressure is growing against Israel as Russia and Turkey added their voices to the international condemnation against the recent approval of 1,100 housing units in East Jerusalem. "We are particularly concerned that decisions on such a sensitive matter should be taken at an extremely important time for the future of the peace process," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement. "We are counting (on Israel) so that the construction projects in East Jerusalem are reviewed." » Read more

Palestinians: Quartet peace plan contains 'encouraging elements' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Associated Press - (Analysis) September 29, 2011 - 12:00am A senior Palestinian official said Thursday that the Middle East Quartet's proposal for renewing negotiations with Israel contained some encouraging elements, after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas convened top officials to discuss the matter. "The Quartet statement contains encouraging elements and we call on Israel to announce its commitment to the principles and points of reference it identifies," Yasser Abed Rabbo, the secretary general of the PLO, told reporters after the meeting. » Read more

September 29th

Exclusive Interview With Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas: a Humble Moment in History ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Huffington Post by Raghida Dergham - (Interview) September 26, 2011 - 12:00am Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had just delivered the most important speech in his life and he is now sitting with his aides, his jacket and neck tie removed, cutting his steak amidst silence after the storm. It is Friday, September 23, and he had just returned from the United Nations General Assembly where he received roaring applause for submitting Palestine's request for full membership in the UN despite American threats to veto the request and punish the Palestinians financially. He is now in a small cluttered living room at his hotel across the UN. » Read more

Asharq Al-Awsat talks to Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat by Ali El-saleh - (Interview) September 28, 2011 - 12:00am Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas looked very pleased hours after he delivered his historic speech at the United Nations General Assembly [UNGA] and submitted the application requesting full membership for the state of Palestine. This pleasure and happiness are justified. President Abbas disappointed those that cast doubts on his seriousness of going to the United Nations prior to presenting the membership allocation to UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon and delivering his speech. » Read more

Victory in defeat ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News (Editorial) September 29, 2011 - 12:00am Sometimes a defeat can be a great moral victory. For the British, Dunkirk in 1940 was such; a mass retreat before Hitler’s forces was seen as a glorious success against all the odds, shipping the troops across the Channel in an armada of small boats. For Americans, the battle of the Alamo against the Mexican Army in 1836 was a glorious defeat. » Read more

America’s dangerous game at the UN ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times by John V. Whitbeck - (Opinion) September 29, 2011 - 12:00am The number of UN member states extending diplomatic recognition to the state of Palestine has now risen to 131, leaving only 62 UN member states on the wrong side of history and humanity. If one ignores small island states in the Caribbean and the Pacific, almost all of the non-recognisers are Western states, including all five of the settler-colonial states founded on the ethnic cleansing or genocide of indigenous populations and all eight of the former European colonial powers. » Read more

Hamas Missed its Chance ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al-Hayat by Abdullah Iskandar - (Opinion) September 29, 2011 - 12:00am Let us go through the best case scenario in regard to President Mahmoud Abbas’ request before the Security Council to earn the recognition of the Palestinian state: The Council decides during today’s session to transfer the request to the commission in charge of examining the petitions, which is at the same time composed of the fifteen member states. The committee ratifies the request and transfers it for voting at the Council, where it earns the sufficient number of votes (nine and above) only to be obstructed by the announced American veto and be consequently toppled. » Read more

Israeli stalling hints at real agenda ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National (Editorial) September 29, 2011 - 12:00am On Wednesday, the Israeli cabinet rejected a formula proposed by the Quartet of mediators - the US, UN, EU, and Russia - in a bid to bring Israelis and Palestinian back to the negotiating table. This followed by a day Israel's latest step toward building 1,100 more homes in the Gilo district of East Jerusalem. In grand understatement, Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, labelled the settlement expansion "counterproductive to our efforts to resume direct negotiations between the parties." » Read more