September 2nd

Christian group launches fight against U.N. vote on Palestinian state ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) September 1, 2011 - 12:00am JERUSALEM (JTA) -- An organization that claims to represent 200 million Christians worldwide has launched a campaign opposing a U.N. vote for a unilateral Palestinian state. Proclaiming Justice to the Nations kicked off the drive Thursday with a proclamation that will be presented to the United Nations in September, stating its mission to encourage U.N. member states to rethink their votes in favor of Palestinian statehood, to support the Israeli government's rejection of negotiations based on the pre-1967 lines and to recognize Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people. » Read more

EU foreign ministers to meet on PA statehood bid ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Herb Keinon, Benjamin Weinthal - (Analysis) September 2, 2011 - 12:00am The EU’s 27 foreign minister’s are scheduled to meet in Poland on Friday, in a session expected to go a long way toward determining how the bloc – whose votes have been courted heavily by both Israel and the Palestinians – will vote on the PA’s UN statehood recognition bid later this month. The meeting comes two days after French President Nicolas Sarkozy told a conference of French ambassadors that it was very important for the EU to speak together on this matter. » Read more

Why Palestinians can't recognize a 'Jewish state' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Hassan Jabareen - (Opinion) September 2, 2011 - 12:00am In his speech before the U.S. Congress last May, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posed a serious challenge to the Palestinian Authority: If the PA would just say, "We recognize Israel as a Jewish state," this would be sufficient to end the conflict. Israel, said Netanyahu, would be the first to vote for Palestinian statehood in the United Nations. The response of PA Prime Minister Dr. Salam Fayyad, in a recent interview with Haaretz, was that, "Israel's character is its own business. It is not up to the Palestinians to define it." » Read more

Israel may have missed its chance for Mideast peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Yoel Marcus - (Opinion) September 2, 2011 - 12:00am We have five submarines and some of the most sophisticated planes in the world, with the last word - the F-35 - on the way. According to foreign sources we also have a nuclear capability. But still one Arab equipped with a knife can cause havoc in an entertainment district in south Tel Aviv. Nobody sent him, it came from his heart. We have one of the best armies and intelligence services in the world, and still terrorists set up a bloody ambush on the road to Eilat and catch us unprepared. » Read more

News analysis: Palestinian statehood could end agreements with Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua by Adam Gonn - (Analysis) September 2, 2011 - 12:00am JERUSALEM, Sep. 1 (Xinhua) -- All the agreements between the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and Israel may end up if the PNA decides to declare an independent state after winning the backing of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren warned in a recent interview. Oren argued that "we have a lot of agreements with the Palestinian Authority, we have no agreements with a 'Government of Palestine.'" » Read more

BDS: The sky is not falling ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Jon Haber - (Opinion) September 1, 2011 - 12:00am No doubt the author of the August 31 piece “Is BDS campaign working” meant well in terms of alerting readers to the threat of not just BDS but the whole effort to de-legitimize the Jewish state. That said, accurate information is always required when analyzing a threat and, unfortunately, the writer chose to take BDS claims of success at face value, rather than digging beneath the surface for more accurate information. » Read more

Popular apathy and cumulative skepticism over September ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency by Akram Atallah Alaysa - (Analysis) September 1, 2011 - 12:00am Most Palestinians, varied as they may be politically, intellectually and socially, often draw a connection between the Declaration of Independence that Yasser Arafat announced in 1988 and the current UN- based battle for statehood. » Read more

Israelis seek EU passports amid existential angst ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Statesman by Dan Perry - (Analysis) September 2, 2011 - 12:00am TEL AVIV, Israel — Despite their country's turbulent history, Israelis enjoy a fairly secure existence: they have military might, a world-class high tech industry powering a strong economy, and America as a solid ally. Yet in recent years, tens of thousands have requested and received the citizenship of European countries like Poland and Germany, which were killing fields for Jews just decades ago. On the surface, the attraction is practical: An EU passport enables free travel and work in the entire union of 27 nations, giving access to high quality and subsidized higher education. » Read more

UN report: Gaza blockade legal, Israel used excessive force ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency (Analysis) September 2, 2011 - 12:00am BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- A UN report on Israel's deadly raid against a Turkish aid ship bound for Gaza has found that the naval blockade was legal but commandos used excessive force in the May 2010 incident. The New York Times, citing a leaked copy of the document to be released Friday, reported that it found Israel used "excessive and unreasonable force" after meeting "violent resistance" from some of the passengers. Israel and Turkey have been in dispute over an apology for the May 31, 2010 raid in which nine Turkish activists were killed. » Read more

Turkey expels Israel diplomats after UN report ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency (Analysis) September 2, 2011 - 12:00am ANKARA (Reuters) -- Turkey expelled Israel's ambassador and senior Israeli diplomats and suspended military agreements on Friday, the day after it emerged a UN report said Israel had used unreasonable force in a raid on a Gaza-bound ship that killed nine Turkish nationals. Stung by Israel's refusal to meet demands for a formal apology, pay compensation for families of the dead, and end the blockade of Palestinians living in the Gaza enclave, Turkey announced it was downgrading ties with the country further. » Read more