Internal American Politics | The American Task Force on Palestine

‘The Hand Of Providence’ And, Oh, The Occupation
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast
by Bernard Avishai - (Opinion) July 30, 2012 - 12:00am

Dear Governor Romney: Today, in Jerusalem, you compared the Israeli economy to Palestine’s and suggested, by implication, that Palestinians lacked everything from a progressive culture to “the hand of Providence.” You and I were management consultants in Boston. Here are some facts:

Romney visit reveals falling visibility of Palestinian issue
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA)
by Ben Sales - (Opinion) July 30, 2012 - 12:00am

Mitt Romney’s policy speech in Israel covered plenty of bases: The presumptive Republican presidential candidate spoke about the status of Jerusalem, the threat of a nuclear Iran, the “tumult” of the Arab Spring and the “enduring shared values” that bedrock the U.S.-Israel relationship. But there was one topic that gained little attention: Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians. The word “Palestinian” did not appear once in the speech on Sunday evening.

Romney to Israel Hayom: Israel deserves better treatment than it's getting from Obama
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Israel Hayom
by Boaz Bismuth, Amos Regev - (Interview) July 27, 2012 - 12:00am

Israel deserves better treatment than it received during the term of U.S. President Barack Obama, Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney told Israel Hayom in a special interview this week. "I would treat Israel like the friend and ally it is. We share not only common interests, but also common values." "I cannot imagine going to the United Nations, as Obama did, and criticizing Israel in front of the world," he said. "You don't criticize your allies in public to achieve the applause of your foes."

Mitt, Are You Sure This Trip Was a Good Idea?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast
by Gershom Gorenberg - (Opinion) July 27, 2012 - 12:00am

Even before he gets to Israel this weekend, Mitt Romney has discovered the perils of trying to look like a statesman overseas while running for office at home.

Mideastern poker game
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Orly Azoulay - (Editorial) July 24, 2012 - 12:00am

Barack Obama was a distinguished poker player: As a high school student in Hawaii, he would sit at street corners and defeat anyone who played against him. He did the same during his college days in California: He would walk around the dorms holding a whiskey bottle and a deck of cards, looking for players who would challenge him.

Syria Unrest Will Shadow Romney's Israel Trip
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Buzzfeed
by Zeke Miller, Ben Smith - July 19, 2012 - 12:00am

The deepening unrest in Syria threatens to drive an unlikely wedge between many American conservatives and their allies in Israel on the eve of Mitt Romney’s friendly visit to the country. Even before the violence intensified and closed in on Damascus this week, Romney and his advisers were pushing for more direct American support of the Syrian rebels, while the Obama administration focused bringing international pressure to bear and working through proxies.

You Gotta do What You Gotta Do
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast
by Peter Beinart - (Opinion) July 13, 2012 - 12:00am

J Street, long assaulted by the right, is suddenly under attack from the left. Ever since its staunch—and perhaps decisive—opposition to a divestment initiative under consideration by the Presbyterian Church, some of J Street’s ideological allies have been slamming it for being on the wrong side of the anti-occupation struggle.

Will Romney outsource foreign policy?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Douglas Bloomfield - (Opinion) July 11, 2012 - 12:00am

Earlier in this space I noted how Mitt Romney seems to emulate Groucho Marx’s famous line, “I have my principles, and if you don’t like them, I have others.” That was on display again last week when he was tied in knots contradicting himself and his top advisers on both immigration and Romneycare following two key Supreme Court decisions. Romney may also have a Nixonian trait. No, I’m not saying he’s a crook or paranoid, but he does appear obsessed with secretiveness.

US displeased with Levy Report
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Yitzhak Benhorin - July 10, 2012 - 12:00am

The American Administration vehemently disagrees with the findings of the Levy Report, which states that the Israeli government must promote the legitimization of all West Bank settlements and outposts. Speaking at a press briefing on Monday evening, State Department Spokesman Patrick Ventrell said that, "The US position on settlements is clear.

US sending the wrong signals
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News
by George S. Hishmeh - (Opinion) July 5, 2012 - 12:00am

Although Syria seems on the verge of imploding, US President Barack Obama and his Republican rival Mitt Romney — both locked in a tight presidential campaign — are still distracted, focusing elsewhere in the Middle East — yes, on Israel and its inflated ambitions!

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