November 1st, 2011

UNESCO Palestine decision sets off U.S.-U.N. confrontation ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Edmund Sanders - November 1, 2011 - 12:00am Reporting from Jerusalem and Washington— A decision by the United Nations' cultural organization to admit Palestine as a member state set off a confrontation between the U.S. and the U.N., threatening to strip Washington of influence in several key international agencies while cutting off a major source of contributions to the world body. » Read more

Israel and the Apartheid Slander ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Richard Goldstone - (Opinion) October 31, 2011 - 12:00am THE Palestinian Authority’s request for full United Nations membership has put hope for any two-state solution under increasing pressure. The need for reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians has never been greater. So it is important to separate legitimate criticism of Israel from assaults that aim to isolate, demonize and delegitimize it. » Read more

October 31st

Remarks by Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad at the Sixth Annual Gala on October 19, 2011 ATFP World Press Roundup Article from American Task Force on Palestine October 31, 2011 - 12:00am Thank you. Thank you so very much. This gives a whole new meaning to what Woody Allen must have had in mind about the importance of showing up. Let me see what I can do with the ten percent. » Read more

Moshe Dayan's Widow Ruth: Zionist Dream Has Run Its Course ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast by Rula Jebreal - (Opinion) October 30, 2011 - 12:00am Elegantly dressed and perfectly made up, Ruth Dayan, 95, receives me with a wide smile in her Tel Aviv home overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The charismatic, alert, and extremely intelligent Dayan is the widow of Moshe Dayan, legendary chief of staff of the Israeli Defense Forces and a key leader in the war of independence in 1948. Indeed, Moshe Dayan was transformed into a symbol of national strength during the Six-Day War in 1967, when Israel took control of the West Bank, Gaza, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights. The Israelis felt invincible with this imposing figure at the helm. » Read more

Intimidating and malicious ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times (Editorial) October 31, 2011 - 12:00am The US threat to stop supporting UNESCO financially if it votes for the admission of Palestine as a full member amounts, simply, to blackmail. Washington has been taking an actively hostile position on the Palestinian quest for recognition as an independent state by international organisations; now it is UNESCO’s turn to come under direct pressure from the US, acting as a proxy for Israel, of course. » Read more

Israeli Brass Astir Amid Pressure for Iran Strike ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by J.J. Goldberg - (Blog) October 28, 2011 - 12:00am “Have the prime minister and defense minister sealed a deal between them, one on one, to attack the nuclear reactors in Iran?” So asks Nahum Barnea, commonly described as Israel’s senior and most respected political journalist, in an article leading the top of the front page of today’s Yediot Ahronot. He writes that growing rumors to that effect have created a quiet but urgent buzz within Israel’s political and military elites. » Read more

Palestine joins UNESCO as full member ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency October 31, 2011 - 12:00am BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The UN's cultural agency voted to admit Palestine as a full member on Monday, weeks before the Security Council is due to report on Palestine's bid for full membership of the United Nations. Palestine overcame US and Israeli opposition to join the cultural body, with UNESCO saying that 107 member states voted in favor, 14 states voted against, with 52 abstentions. The resolution needed 81 votes to pass, as abstentions are not counted, UNESCO said. » Read more

Iran strike? Just say no ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Daniel Friedmann - (Opinion) October 31, 2011 - 12:00am As expected, the terror regime in Gaza continues to constitute an open, bleeding wound for Israel. Yet according to media reports, Defense Minister Barak, who failed in handling the Hamas rule in Gaza, seeks to engage in bigger issues. The Gaza Strip is a minor issue for him. He has his sights set on Iran and the nuclear bomb threat, and Prime Minister Netanyahu is there with him. The situation reached the point where former Mossad Director Meir Dagan felt the need to openly warn against this dangerous move. » Read more

U.N. agency approves full Palestinian membership ATFP World Press Roundup Article from CNN by Josh Levs - October 31, 2011 - 12:00am (CNN) -- The U.N. agency focusing on education and science voted Monday to accept a Palestinian bid for full membership, in the first vote on the matter by a part of the world body. The vote, which required two-thirds approval by UNESCO members, passed with 107 votes in favor, 14 against, and 52 abstentions. The vote is separate from the Palestinian bid for full membership in the United Nations. Representatives of several countries pointed out that currently that bid is being discussed by members of the U.N. Security Council. » Read more

Israel's radical leaders tempted to drag us into war ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Sefi Rachlevsky - (Opinion) October 31, 2011 - 12:00am Under normal circumstances, the military establishment is to the right of the political establishment. The reason is obvious: The singer wants to sing, the writer wants to write, and the division commander wants to mobilize divisions. When Moshe Dayan said he would rather restrain galloping horses than prod lazy mules, he was not referring only to his generals. It is a common pattern on the world stage. Only rarely are the roles reversed for the military to find itself to be more moderate and circumspect than the political leadership. » Read more