International Community | The American Task Force on Palestine

Intimidating and malicious
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
(Editorial) October 31, 2011 - 12:00am

The US threat to stop supporting UNESCO financially if it votes for the admission of Palestine as a full member amounts, simply, to blackmail. Washington has been taking an actively hostile position on the Palestinian quest for recognition as an independent state by international organisations; now it is UNESCO’s turn to come under direct pressure from the US, acting as a proxy for Israel, of course.

Bosnia presidents 'cannot agree' on UN bid
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
(Analysis) October 28, 2011 - 12:00am

Bosnia's trio of presidents said on Thursday they could not agree on whether to support a Palestinian bid for full UN membership, with Sarajevo potentially holding a key vote in the UN Security Council. Bosnia's presidency has been shared by leaders of its Muslim, Croat and Serb communities since its 1992-95 war. In a statement after meeting Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman in Sarajevo, the triumvirate said it had so far been unable to reach a joint position on the Palestinian application, reflecting the country's own ethnic divisions.

Alstom loses $10b Saudi railway contract
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News
by Abbas Al Lawati - (Analysis) October 28, 2011 - 12:00am

French transport giant Alstom has lost a $9.4 billion rail tender in Saudi Arabia, a move thought to be punishment for the company's involvement in Israeli expansion projects in Occupied Jerusalem. The Saudi Railway Organisation (SRO) has awarded a contract for the second phase of the Haramain rail link between the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah to, Al Shoula, a consortium of 12 Spanish companies, after facing pressure for awarding its first phase, worth $1.8 billion, to Alstom in February, 2009.

Palestine faces US 'pressure' ahead of UNESCO vote
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
October 27, 2011 - 12:00am

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- The Palestinians are in battle with the United States in two United Nations bodies, the Palestinian Authority foreign minister said Wednesday ahead of a vote in Paris. Riyad al-Malki said the vote to admit Palestine as a member of UNESCO was a "small battle leading to the big battle in the Security Council", which will soon vote on Palestine's statehood bid. "We are working hard to counter American pressure on poor countries to discourage them from voting for us”, al-Malki explained in an interview. He hoped more powerful countries would back the smaller ones.

UNESCO Becomes a New Battleground
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Inter Press Service (IPS)
by A.D. McKenzie - (Analysis) October 27, 2011 - 12:00am

Palestine’s bid to become a member of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has created a tense atmosphere here, as the United States threatens to cut financing if the application is approved. Delegates to the agency’s 36th General Conference, which began this week, faced heightened security and a barrage of international media attention, as UNESCO’s 193 member states prepare to vote on the Palestinian request.

American-Israeli Held in Egypt Is Released
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Isabel Kershner - (Analysis) October 27, 2011 - 12:00am

Ilan Grapel, an American-Israeli citizen who had been held in Egypt since June, charged with spying for Israel, was released on Thursday in exchange for 25 Egyptians held in Israeli jails. Mr. Grapel, 27, a law student from Queens, was flown from Cairo to Ben-Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv in the early evening, accompanied by Israeli officials. The released prisoners were transferred to Egypt through the Taba border crossing around the same time.

Israeli-Egyptian swap highlights brittle ties
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Statesman
by Tia Goldenberg - (Analysis) October 27, 2011 - 12:00am

Israel said Thursday that it agreed to trade Egyptian prisoners for a U.S.-Israeli citizen imprisoned in Cairo on unsubstantiated suspicions of spying to defuse a potential crisis between the two neighboring countries. Israel's agreement to such a swap highlights how brittle relations have become between the two since the fall of Egypt's longtime leader Hosni Mubarak, and that many on both sides want to preserve them.

A textbook case of politicization
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
(Editorial) October 25, 2011 - 12:00am

Last week we wrote about California's decision to require teachers and textbooks to include positive messages about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in their lessons. We opposed that law — not because we think schools shouldn't teach about the contributions of people of all sexual orientations (they should!), but because we're concerned about the continuing politicization of California's classrooms.

India and Israel: a friendship deepened by prejudice
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian
by Kapil Komireddi - (Opinion) October 25, 2011 - 12:00am

In 1974, the New York Times journalist Bernard Weinraub described India as "the loneliest post in the world" for Israeli diplomats. Having voted against the creation of Israel at the UN in 1947, India held back from establishing full diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv until 1992. For decades, Israel's presence in India was limited to an immigration office in Mumbai.

Israel, Egypt agree to prisoner swap
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Alertnet
by Allyn Fisher-Ilan - (Analysis) October 24, 2011 - 12:00am

Israel and Egypt said on Monday they have struck a deal to swap 25 Egyptians in Israeli custody for a U.S.-Israeli dual national accused by Cairo of espionage, in a step seen as easing strains between the strategic neighbours. The U.S.-brokered deal was reached shortly after a successful Egyptian-brokered swap between Israel and Hamas Islamists that freed captive soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.

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