September 20th, 2011

The Tsuris ATFP World Press Roundup Article from New York Magazine by John Heilemann - (Opinion) September 20, 2011 - 12:00am The last time Barack Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu shared each other’s company, you could say that the encounter did not go well—if by “not well” you mean abysmally. This was on May 20, the day after Obama gave his big speech on the Arab Spring, in which he unleashed a tsunami of tsuris by endorsing the use of Israel’s 1967 borders “with mutually agreed [land] swaps” as the basis for a two-state solution with the Palestinians. » Read more

Palestine UN bid difficult, says Nick Clegg ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Independent by Joe Churcher, Sam Lister - (Analysis) September 20, 2011 - 12:00am Britain faces a "difficult judgment" over whether to back Palestinian statehood at the United Nations, Nick Clegg said today amid reports of a coalition split on the issue. The Deputy Prime Minister said there had been "debates" at the top of Government over the position to adopt but said it would be unhelpful to air them in public. Diplomatic efforts are under way to persuade Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas not to table a Security Council statehood bid - which is opposed by the US and Israel. » Read more

Journey from Oslo to New York after 20 Years ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al-Hayat by George Semaan - (Opinion) September 20, 2011 - 12:00am All the efforts to prevent the Palestinian authority from heading to the United Nations to ensure the proclamation of the state were expected to fail. The Israeli prime minister who kept knocking on Europe’s doors among others after he knocked on the United States’ doors to thwart this step maintained his position. He wants unconditional negotiations. This is the same position that froze the talks over a year ago, and the one that foiled all the American efforts to activate the settlement and reach the promised Palestinian state. » Read more

Palestinians seek state and trappings of a state ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News by Jon Donnison - (Analysis) September 19, 2011 - 12:00am Palestinians got long awaited access to a global institution this month. "I've got a three-piece spicy chicken box with fries," beamed Shadi, an office worker in Ramallah, as he sat back and licked his lips. Kentucky Fried Chicken became the first major fast food franchise to open here. Ramallah has a "Stars And Bucks", mostly frequented by the latter, rather than the former. But no McDonald's. Not even Wimpy. In the week Palestinians take their quest for statehood to the United Nations, it obliged me to ask Shadi one simple, if facetious, question: today KFC, tomorrow a state? » Read more

Capitol Letter / Obama is stuck between a veto and a hard place ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Natasha Mozgovaya - (Blog) September 20, 2011 - 12:00am As President Barack Obama prepares to address the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, many recall what he said to the body last year when he devoted over a quarter of his speech to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. One particular phrase drew much attention: "When we come back here next year, we can have an agreement that will lead to a new member of the United Nations - an independent, sovereign state of Palestine, living in peace with Israel." » Read more

The Palestinian Statehood Gambit ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Wall Street Journal (Analysis) September 20, 2011 - 12:00am Are Palestinians entitled to a state? Before certain readers erupt at the mere suggestion that Palestinians may not be so entitled, we'd note that the Kurds—one of the oldest ethnic groups in the world—don't have a state. Neither do the Tamils of Sri Lanka, the Uighurs and Tibetans of China, the Basques of Spain, the Chechens of Russia or the Flemish of Belgium. The list of peoples with plausible claims to statehood is as long as the current number of U.N. member states, if not longer. » Read more

Malki: Talks can't resume until Israel accepts PA's terms ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Herb Keinon - (Analysis) September 20, 2011 - 12:00am Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki on Tuesday responded to Israeli calls for an immediate resumption of peace talks, saying that Israel must accept the PA's list of terms before negotiations can restart. "[Prime Minister Binyamin] Netanyahu has to accept all terms of reference and stop settlement activity including [in] east Jerusalem, to enter negotiations immediately with [a] timeframe not to exceed six months [and] with international guarantees to make any negotiations serious and credible," Al Jazeera quoted Malki as saying in New York. » Read more

Abbas says willing to meet with Netanyahu during stay in New York ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Analysis) September 20, 2011 - 12:00am Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told Fox News on Monday that he was willing to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their mutual stay in New York. Abbas, who is currently in New York holding meetings in preparation for the UN vote on Palestinian statehood told Fox News, "I will meet any Israeli official any time," although he added that “there is no use if there is nothing tangible." Abbas also included a message to U.S. President Barack Obama in the interview. “You promised me a state by September 2011. I hope you will deliver,” he said. » Read more

Is Abbas going for broke? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency by Walid Awad - (Analysis) September 20, 2011 - 12:00am Soon after his inauguration as president of the United States, Barack Obama embarked on important visits to capitals of Arab and Muslim nations. He made speeches in Cairo and Istanbul to try and persuade Arabs and Muslims to alter their negative views of the US and its policies in the region. To an extent, he succeeded. American flags were raised and even embraced by Libyan demonstrators, and US flags are no longer burned when Arab masses demonstrate to demand freedom and liberty. » Read more

Joe Walsh To Palestinians: Stop Statehood Bid Or Israel Will Annex West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Huffington Post by Joshua Hersh - (Analysis) September 19, 2011 - 12:00am NEW YORK -- A Republican lawmaker has introduced a resolution warning Palestinian leaders that Israel would be within its rights to annex the West Bank if they do not drop their bid for statehood at the United Nations this week. Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) introduced the resolution as a way of urging Palestinian leaders to pull back from their plans to seek formal recognition for their state at the U.N. General Assembly meetings, which take place this week, according to his spokesman, Justin Roth. » Read more