On a mission to 'reclaim' Jerusalem
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Jazeera English
by Jacky Rowland - June 24, 2009 - 12:00am

Arye King is an Israeli settler on a self-appointed mission from God: to extend Jewish ownership over the whole of Jerusalem. Armed only with a crash helmet and a list of properties which, he says, belong to Jewish owners, he travels by motor scooter around the Jerusalem area, posting eviction orders against Palestinians who believe they are living lawfully in the disputed homes. On the day we join him, his mission takes him to Beit Zafafa, a Palestinian neighbourhood in the south of the city.

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ATFP Hosts Ir Amim Director Daniel Seidemann
Press Release - Contact Information: Ghaith al-Omari - June 19, 2009 - 12:00am

On June 18, 2009, the American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) hosted Ir Amim director, attorney, and esteemed Jerusalem expert Daniel Seidemann for a lunch discussion with ATFP board members and supporters. Mr. Seidemann’s visit was sponsored by Americans for Peace Now.


Jerusalem plan nixed over too much zoning for Arabs
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News
by Mohammed Mar’i - June 12, 2009 - 12:00am

Israeli Interior Minister Eli Yishai has instructed his ministry staff to nix a master plan for Jerusalem on the grounds that it allocates too much territory for Palestinian construction, the daily Haaretz reported yesterday. In recent days Yishai instructed Ruth Yosef, tapped as the ministry’s new supervisor for Jerusalem, to shelve the program - the fruit of several years of labor by dozens of Israeli architects.

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U.S. Demands Israel Halt Construction in East Jerusalem Market
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Akiva Eldar - June 2, 2009 - 12:00am

Washington is furious over the Interior Ministry's anticipated approval of a plan to build a new hotel in East Jerusalem, just 100 meters from the Old City's walls. The plan, which would see the demolition of a wholesale market and kindergarten, is slated to be approved today. In conversations with Israeli officials, senior American officials have made it clear that they want Israel to freeze all plans for expanding the Jewish presence in East Jerusalem, and especially in the Holy Basin - the area adjacent to the Old City.

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Settlers seek takeover of East Jerusalem area
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
June 1, 2009 - 12:00am

Israeli settlers are waging court battles to evict dozens of Palestinians from homes in an East Jerusalem neighborhood, a move threatening to widen Israel's rift with U.S. President Barack Obama over settlements. They are trying to reclaim plots of land in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood which they say were owned by Jews before Israel's creation in 1948. They have already won property rights to six Arab homes, whose residents were subsequently evicted. Palestinians and an Israeli rights group say settlers are trying to evict a further 27 Arab families from 28 buildings.

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It's not up to Israelis to determine the status of Palestine
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
by Daoud Kuttab - (Opinion) May 14, 2009 - 12:00am

As the summit between US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approaches, most of the discussion has focused on whether or not the newly elected Israeli leader will finally say that he backs a two-state solution. This is the wrong approach. Israelis should not determine the status of the Palestinian entity, nor should Palestinians have a say in what Israelis call their own state.

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Ethnically cleansing the land where Christianity was born
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
by Michael Jansen - May 14, 2009 - 12:00am

During his high profile visit to the Holy Land, Pope Benedict XVI preached reconciliation between Christians/Muslims and Jews. But he failed to bridge the gulf between the Vatican and Jews because he did not speak of past issues dividing Catholics and Jews. These include long-standing persecution of Jews by the church, culminating in the murder of six million by the Nazis during World War II, and the refusal of Pope Pius XII to intervene in the Nazi extermination of the Jews.

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PA says in charge of pope's east J'lem visit
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Erfat Weiss - May 11, 2009 - 12:00am

Several hours before the pope's visit, the question of east Jerusalem's status has been put to the test once again: The Jerusalem Police on Monday morning sealed off a conference hall at the Ambassador Hotel in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood following the Palestinian Authority's plan to hold a briefing for foreign and Palestinian journalists ahead of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Israel. A senior PA official told Ynet in response that "when the pope arrives in east Jerusalem, he and his visit are our responsibility."

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Israel Closes Media Center, Upsetting Palestinians
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Isabel Kershner - May 11, 2009 - 12:00am

The Israeli police on Monday closed down an official Palestinian media center that had been set up in East Jerusalem for the visit of Pope Benedict XVI, as Israel and the Palestinians competed to exercise authority in the contested part of the city. As the pope arrived in Jerusalem, each side accused the other of exploiting his visit for political gain. Though the pope’s movements have been carefully choreographed to avoid obvious political minefields, every step and word was bound to be closely scrutinized.

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To gain a true affinity for Arab Jerusalem, visit it
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
by Sultan Al Qasemi - (Opinion) May 10, 2009 - 12:00am

This year Jerusalem was chosen as the Unesco Arab capital of culture. What Unesco doesn’t understand is that Arabs only honour Jerusalem in their minds and with their rhetoric, and that there is no real support for the Holy City.

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