We're going to pay
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Shimon Shiffer - (Opinion) December 6, 2012 - 1:00am

In the past, prime ministers would react with scorn and contempt to the UN and European resolutions against Israel. "Um-Shmum," David Ben-Gurion said angrily (um is the Hebrew acronymic pronunciation for 'UN', and the 'shm'-prefix signifies contempt or irony). "Those anti-Semites," Yitzhak Rabin said of the Europeans.

»

Abbas says new Israeli settlements 'red line'
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Dalia Nammari - December 5, 2012 - 1:00am

RAMALLAH, West Bank — An Israeli-Palestinian showdown over plans for new Jewish settlements around Jerusalem escalated on Wednesday. Israel pushed the most contentious of the projects further along in the planning pipeline, and the Palestinian president said he would seek U.N. Security Council help to block the construction.

»

Merkel to warn Netanyahu: Promote peace process or face world seclusion
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Barak Ravid - December 5, 2012 - 1:00am

With Israel and European Union states embroiled in a diplomatic crisis, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel Wednesday night in Berlin.

»

Peace Process Pulls at Germany-Israel Ties
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Nicholas Kulish - December 5, 2012 - 1:00am

BERLIN — Growing up as a teenager in Germany, Jonathan Logan’s opinion of the Middle East conflict was black and white.

»

How Obama Can Get Tough With Bibi
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast
by Lara Friedman - (Opinion) December 5, 2012 - 1:00am

Recently, the European Union adopted harsh new Iran sanctions, strongly supported by Israel. Shortly thereafter, Israel announced new East Jerusalem settlement construction. The EU’s top official Catherine Ashton, who was about to visit Israel, condemned the announcement in measured terms; Israel’s Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, publicly told her, in effect, to shove it.

»

Australia summons Israel ambassador over settlements
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
December 4, 2012 - 1:00am

CANBERRA (Reuters) -- Australia summoned the Israeli ambassador on Tuesday to protest against Israel's decision to expand Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank and withhold tax revenue from the Palestinian Authority. Australia's move followed similar actions in Europe including Spain, France, Britain, Sweden and Denmark in the wake of the Palestinians winning de facto UN recognition of statehood.

»

Israel to advance east Jerusalem building plans
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Amy Teibel - December 4, 2012 - 1:00am

JERUSALEM —Israel is moving forward with plans for two major settlement projects in east Jerusalem, a spokeswoman said Tuesday, even as a senior Palestinian official warned that his government could pursue war crimes charges if Israel doesn't halt such construction. International anger over Israeli settlement construction has snowballed in recent days, following last week's U.N. recognition of a state of Palestine — in lands Israel occupied in 1967 — as a non-member observer in the General Assembly.

»

UK downplays economic sanctions against Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
December 4, 2012 - 1:00am

LONDON — British Foreign Secretary William Hague has downplayed the possibility of European economic sanctions against Israel for its latest settlement-building plans, saying there is "no enthusiasm around the European Union" for such measures.

»

Israel faces lowest point in Europe relations in decades
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Christian Science Monitor
by Christa Case Bryant - December 4, 2012 - 1:00am

The unusually strong European rebuke of Israel’s plans to tighten its grip on land sought for a Palestinian state marks at least a 30-year low point in relations, say Israeli foreign policy scholars. While the nature of Europe’s complaint is not new, the tone reflects both heightened urgency about salvaging the two-state solution, and accumulated impatience with a government seen as diplomatically tone deaf.

»

Palestinians warn Israel must be held accountable over settlements
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
December 4, 2012 - 1:00am

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -- The Palestinians accused Israel in a letter to the United Nations of planning to commit further "war crimes" by expanding Jewish settlements after the Palestinians won de facto UN recognition of statehood and warned that Israel must be held accountable.

»


American Task Force on Palestine - 1634 Eye St. NW, Suite 725, Washington DC 20006 - Telephone: 202-262-0017