'Netanyahu handing UN arena over to the Palestinians'
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Shlomo Shamir - February 9, 2011 - 1:00am

Diplomats at the United Nations on Tuesday were harshly critical of Israel's ongoing failure to appoint a permanent ambassador to the UN, saying it has essentially forfeited the arena to the Palestinians. While Israel is represented by an acting ambassador, Meron Reuben, he lacks the authority of a permanent representative. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman were unable to agree on a permanent candidate for months, and the man they finally settled on, Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan, rejected the job this week.

»

PLO urges Quartet to back Palestinian state
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
February 2, 2011 - 1:00am

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat urged the Middle East Quartet on Tuesday to recognize a Palestinian state within 1967 borders when it meets later this week. "We call on the international Quartet take an historic decision to recognize the state of Palestine on the 1967 borders at its next meeting on February 5 in Munich," Erakat told AFP. "In order to bring security and stability in the Middle East, we must drain the swamp that is the Israeli occupation, which is the sole cause of all problems in the region," he said.

»

UN resolution condemning Israel puts Obama on the spot
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
by James Reinl - January 31, 2011 - 1:00am

A draft Security Council resolution that condemns Israeli settlement building on Palestinian land is expected to push the US president, Barack Obama, into the uncomfortable position of using his first veto in the top UN chamber. The Palestinians have returned to the UN's 15-nation body to settle grievances with Israel after US-brokered talks between the two sides broke down last year, saying that Washington will lose credibility if it blocks their draft resolution.

»

PLO: US credibility at stake in UN settlement vote
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
by Abdullah Rebhi - January 26, 2011 - 1:00am

Palestinian negotiator Nabil Sha'ath warned that Washington risks losing "any credibility as a peace broker" if it vetoes a UN Security Council resolution calling for a halt to Israeli settlement building. The Palestinians will address the 15-member Security Council "whether or not the United States wants it," Sha'ath told reporters late on Monday in Doha, where he was speaking to Al-Jazeera TV, and confirming the authenticity of the leaked "Palestine Papers" on peace talks with Israel.

»

Israel worries over possible EU states' recognition of Palestinian state
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
by Dave Bender - January 25, 2011 - 1:00am

Israel's efforts to stem a rising tide of recognition of a Palestinian state received a blow Tuesday afternoon, with Ireland's decision to upgrade the Palestinian diplomatic mission in Dublin to that of an embassy. The announcement, broadcast by Israel Army Radio, followed a symbolic gesture of recognition by Peru on Monday. Sources at Israel's foreign ministry said officials had been discussing the possibility, and foresaw even more states following suit.

»

Counterpoint: Palestinians and the U.N.
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Aaron David Miller - January 24, 2011 - 1:00am

On Jan. 21, Hanan Ashrawi, the veteran Palestinian negotiator and politician, argued on these pages (“Palestinians, America and the U.N.”) that the Palestinians are justified in raising the issue of Israeli settlements before the U.N. Security Council, and that Washington should support them. The debate is joined. A bad idea

»

Palestine hopeful US won't use veto
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
January 20, 2011 - 1:00am

Member of the Palestinian negotiating committee Nabil Shaath told a French delegation Tuesday that he believed the US would have a hard time using their veto on a draft resolution submitted to the UN over Israeli settlement building. US officials, however, the same day warned at the United Nations that putting the resolution to a Security Council vote would "complicate" peace efforts. While the US has still not said though whether it would veto the measure, Israeli media has said indications are that the resolution will be quashed.

»

Palestinians, America and the U.N.
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Hanan Ashrawi - (Opinion) January 20, 2011 - 1:00am

Palestinians are well within their rights to bring the issue of Israeli settlements and their illegality before the United Nations Security Council. Our decision to do so follows both Israel’s refusal to cease all settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory, and America’s failure to ensure Israel’s compliance with international law and existing agreements. The United States should support such a move, not block it.

»

Palestinians defy US with Security Council request
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
by Karin Laub - January 20, 2011 - 1:00am

The Palestinian request to have the U.N. Security Council condemn Israeli settlements looks at first like another declarative gambit that changes little on the ground. But much more is at stake. Palestinians hope their Security Council initiative will give them an idea of how much support they have for future moves. These include seeking international recognition of a Palestinian state as early as this fall.

»

U.S.: Possible UN censure of settlements 'not helpful' to peace process
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
January 20, 2011 - 1:00am

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict should be resolved through direct peace negotiations, not by submitting resolutions to the UN Security Council condemning Israeli settlements, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Thursday. The United States has opposed a move by Arab countries to bring a resolution condemning the settlement, but has not said it would use its veto to block passage.

»


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