September 8th, 2011

Palestinians: Differences with US on UN bid 'still wide' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency September 8, 2011 - 12:00am The differences with Washington over the UN bid are "still wide," a senior Palestinian official said on Wednesday after talks with US envoys in the West Bank city of Ramallah. "The gap between the Palestinian and US positions is still wide after the meeting," presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina told AFP. "There are efforts being made and an agreement to continue communication with the US administration and the (Middle East) Quartet envoy," he said. » Read more

Palestinians Seeking Statehood at UN May Get Same Rights as Pope ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bloomberg by Flavia Krause-Jackson - September 8, 2011 - 12:00am Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas won’t walk away from the United Nations General Assembly this month with the sought-after statehood. More likely, he’ll get parity with the world’s smallest state led by Pope Benedict XVI. Support for the upgrade in Palestinian status at the UN from “entity” to “non-member state” is likely if the matter is brought to a vote in the 193-member assembly, where a two- thirds majority, or 129 votes, is required. » Read more

Wendy Sherman promises U.S. veto of Palestinian statehood at U.N. ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy by Josh Rogin - September 7, 2011 - 12:00am Wendy Sherman, President Barack Obama's nominee for a top State Department post, told senators on Wednesday that the U.S. will surely veto a Palestinian request for recognition of statehood if it reaches the U.N. Security Council, seemingly getting out ahead of the Obama administration on the issue. Sherman's remarks came toward the end of her confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in an exchange with Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), who pressed her to comment on the Palestinian Authority's plan to seek full member state status at the United Nations later this month. » Read more

September 7th

'What's Wrong with the Palestinians Appealing to the UN?' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Speigel International by Christoph Sydow, Volkhard Windfuhr - (Interview) September 7, 2011 - 12:00am Pro-democracy uprisings are continuing in the Middle East and the Palestinians could soon declare statehood. SPIEGEL spoke with Arab League General Secretary Nabil Elaraby about the Syrian regime's use of violence against protesters and how the US has failed to force Israel to negotiate in good faith. SPIEGEL: Libya has been liberated from Moammar Gadhafi's autocratic rule. Tensions in Syria, meanwhile, have already claimed more civilian lives than the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia combined, and yet the Arab League is holding back. Why are you going easy on the Syrian regime? » Read more

A new poll suggests that most Palestinians prefer continuing negotiations with Israel rather than a UN initiative ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Palestinian Center for Public Opinion by Nabil Kukali - September 6, 2011 - 12:00am Poll No. 179 Sept. 06, 2011 The most recent poll prepared by Dr. Nabil Kukali reveals that: (83.6%) of the Palestinians evaluate the US efforts on recognizing the Palestinian state as negative. (59.3%) prefer to resume the negotiations with Israel. (45.2%) expect Palestine to become a new UN member (48.8%) oppose holding peaceful demonstrations after proclaiming the recognition of the State of Palestine at the UN. (49.2%) believe that the PA President, Mahmoud Abbas, should exert more effort to obtain international support for the recognition of the Palestinian state. » Read more

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat on statehood moves at U.N. ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Edmund Sanders - (Interview) September 6, 2011 - 12:00am Reporting from Jerusalem— Palestinians have everyone guessing about their next move. » Read more

In Sinai, Egypt should be tough but fair ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Masry Al-Youm by Issandr El Amrani - (Opinion) September 6, 2011 - 12:00am On 29 July, a group of around hundred armed men rode into the town of Arish in northern Sinai on motorbikes. They proceeded to attack the central police station, as well as a hospital morgue where they were reported to have taken a body of one of their own, before disappearing back into the desert. » Read more

Jewish groups say U.N. resolution is inevitable, but its wording isn’t set ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Ron Kampeas - September 6, 2011 - 12:00am WASHINGTON (JTA) -- All but resigned to the inevitability of a Palestinian push for statehood at the United Nations later this month, Jewish groups are hoping that its effects can be blunted through aggressive diplomacy and the threat of action by the U.S. Congress. » Read more

Not Israel’s best times ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News by Osama Al-Sharif - (Opinion) September 6, 2011 - 12:00am These are not Israel’s best times. A tussle with Turkey over a commando raid on a flotilla of aid-carrying ships heading to Gaza Strip last year in which nine Turkish citizens were killed, has just turned into a full-fledged diplomatic war. Ankara expelled the Israeli ambassador this week and vowed to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza at the International Court of Justice. Turkey’s main demand, that Israel issues an official apology for the naval attack, has been rejected — again — by Tel Aviv. » Read more

Israeli settlers vandalize IDF base in first 'price tag' act against army ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Chaim Levinson - September 7, 2011 - 12:00am Israeli settlers in the West Bank vandalized an Israel Defense Forces base on Wednesday, carrying out a "price tag" operation against the army for the first time since adopting the policy in recent years. Unknown perpetrators infiltrated a base in the Binyamin region and snuck their way to a mechanics workshop on site, where they slashed the tires and cut the cables of 12 army vehicles. The vandals sprayed the word "price tag" on the walls, as well as other graffiti referring to the three illegal homes demolished by the IDF in the outpost of Migron on Monday. » Read more