November 29th

Palestine: theatricals at the UN ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian (Editorial) November 28, 2012 - 1:00am A "crashing wave of applause" filled the hall in which the general assembly was meeting in Flushing Meadow Park, the temporary headquarters of the new United Nations, when the French representative voted for the resolution which partitioned Palestine. The French vote was taken as a signal that the resolution would prevail. "The chamber," wrote Alistair Cooke, our correspondent, "was crackling with currents of elation and despair." » Read more

Germany backtracks on Palestinian bid; Israeli official: 'We lost Europe' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - November 29, 2012 - 1:00am Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian people are enjoying sweeping support in the lead up to Thursday night's vote at the UN General Assembly over whether to upgrade the Palestinians' standing to non-member observer status. By Thursday morning Israel time, that support had turned into a full-on landslide, as more European nations decided to alter their positions, essentially leaving Israel to fend for itself. » Read more

Supporting Palestine at the UN today is a vote for peace in the Middle East ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Hanan Ashrawi - (Opinion) November 29, 2012 - 1:00am It might seem stating the obvious that Palestinians and Israelis find solutions only through negotiation, until you look at the record. It is a story in which one side makes proposals for nothing in return; one side makes agreements that the other side breaks; and one side keeps commitments that the other side ignores. » Read more

The time is now: Support Palestine’s UN bid ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Nabeel Shaath - (Opinion) November 29, 2012 - 1:00am Today, Palestine will ask the UN General Assembly to vote on a resolution to enhance its status to that of Observer State. This step will be a milestone in realigning international efforts to achieve peace in the region, within the framework of international law and the values embodied in the UN Charter. There should be no doubt: Supporting this initiative will create a new, positive, and effective momentum for a just path to peace in our region.   » Read more

Germany to abstain from UN Palestine vote ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters November 29, 2012 - 1:00am BERLIN (Reuters) -- Germany said it would abstain in a vote on Thursday at the UN General Assembly on changing the Palestinian Authority's diplomatic status, citing fears that it could be counterproductive to the peace process. "We did not take this decision lightly. Germany shares the goal of a Palestinian state ... but the decisive steps towards real statehood can only be the result of negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians," Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said in a statement. » Read more

What will Palestinians do after the U.N. vote? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post (Editorial) November 28, 2012 - 1:00am THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY will almost certainly win a vote Thursday in the U.N. General Assembly granting observer status to a state of Palestine. But it will be a pale triumph for President Mahmoud Abbas and his West Bank-based Fatah movement. » Read more

The Palestinians’ U.N. Bid ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times (Editorial) November 28, 2012 - 1:00am On Thursday, a week after the Gaza cease-fire between Hamas and Israel, the Palestinian Authority, which controls parts of the West Bank, is scheduled to ask the United Nations General Assembly to upgrade the Palestinian status to nonmember observer state. » Read more

Strong European support for Palestinian statehood move ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Louis Charbonneau - November 28, 2012 - 1:00am UNITED NATIONS, Nov 28 (Reuters) - A Palestinian bid for indirect U.N. recognition of statehood received vows of support from more than a dozen European nations as of Wednesday, and diplomats said this backing may deter Israel from harsh retaliation against the Palestinian Authority for seeking to upgrade its U.N. status. » Read more

How Will the Palestinian UN Move Impact Prospects for Mideast Peace? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from PBS (Analysis) November 28, 2012 - 1:00am MARGARET WARNER: For more on the Palestinian bid for greater recognition at the United Nations, I'm joined by David Makovsky of the Washington Institute For Near East Policy, and Ghaith Al-Omari, executive director of the American Task Force on Palestine. Welcome back to both of you. » Read more

Palestinians certain to win recognition as a state ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Edith M. Lederer - November 29, 2012 - 1:00am UNITED NATIONS —The Palestinians are certain to win U.N. recognition as a state Thursday but success could exact a high price: Israel and the United States warn it could delay hopes of achieving an independent Palestinian state through peace talks with Israel. The United States, Israel's closest ally, mounted an aggressive campaign to head off the General Assembly vote. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defiantly declared Thursday that the Palestinians would have to back down from long-held positions if they ever hope to gain independence. » Read more