International Community | The American Task Force on Palestine

Amid Syria's turmoil, Israel sees Assad as the lesser evil
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
by Joshua Mitnick - May 6, 2011 - 12:00am

As Syria's Assad regime buckles under mass protests for reform and democracy, neighboring Israel is watching with unease. True, the downfall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would ostensibly remove a key player in the Iranian-led alliance threatening the Jewish state on several fronts. But Syria under Mr. Assad has been a stable neighbor and maintained a regional balance that officials and analysts fear could crumble – providing an opening for hard-line Islamist groups.

Netanyahu: France says PA must OK Jewish state
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP)
May 6, 2011 - 12:00am

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday after talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy that France wants the new Palestinian government to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. "What I heard from President Sarkozy is that they must recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish people," Netanyahu said outside the Elysee Palace in Paris, after a meeting he described as "good, far-ranging and friendly".

Syria's Palestinians try to stay neutral amid turmoil
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
by Phil Sands - May 5, 2011 - 12:00am

Syria's Palestinians, wary of being sucked into an internecine fight, are struggling to remain neutral as the authorities and anti-government protesters pressure them to choose a side in the Syrian uprising. Half a million Palestinian refugees live in Syria, a majority of them in Damascus. They have become largely assimilated: marrying into Syrian families, employed with Syrian co-workers in government bureaucracies and housed alongside Syrian neighbours.

UK, France may back PA's bid for state
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
May 5, 2011 - 12:00am

In a sign of Britain's impatience with Israel British Premier David Cameron told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday that Britain may endorse a unilateral declaration of state by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas if Israel declines to take part in substantive peace negotiations with the Palestinians to create a two state solution. "Britain's clear and absolute preference is for a negotiation to take place between Israel and the Palestinians which leads to a two state solution which everyone endorses," a senior diplomatic source was quoted by the Guardian as saying.

Lebanon welcomes Palestinian reconciliation, calls for Int'l support
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
May 4, 2011 - 12:00am

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Wednesday welcomed the reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas, calling for international support to the deal. The reconciliation between the two parties was a blessed step to protect the Palestinian people and establish an independent state, Hariri said in a statement.

Jordan welcomes Hamas-Fatah reconciliation deal
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
May 4, 2011 - 12:00am

Jordan's Minister of State for Communications and Media Affairs Taher Adwan said Wednesday Jordan welcomes the reconciliation deal signed between Fatah and Hama, the state-run Petra news agency reported. "Jordan supports any efforts that help end the divide between Gaza and Ramallah that harmed the Palestinian issue," Adwan said in a statement. The Jordanian government hopes that the deal will enhance Palestinian, Jordanian, Arab and international efforts to attain the desired peace and create an independent Palestinian state, said Adwan.

Israel has Lost a Strategic Ally, "Sheikh Osama"...
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Elaph
by Khairallah Khairallah - (Opinion) May 2, 2011 - 12:00am

Osama bin Laden met the fate he deserved. It is thought that the Arabs will be amongst the first to congratulate the Barack Obama Administration for this achievement. Primarily they are supposed to try and learn from the experiences they endured as a result of the actions of Osama bin Laden. Difficult questions must be asked about the environment that allowed this phenomenon to survive and cause so much hardship. .

No "final decision" yet on Palestinian tax freeze: Israeli officials
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
May 2, 2011 - 12:00am

Israeli officials remained close- mouthed Monday after Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz announced a day earlier a decision to freeze the transfer of tax revenues to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) following the reconciliation accord between Fatah and Hamas. Steinitz, along with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and many other senior Israeli officials, have slammed the interim unity government deal reached between Hamas and the Fatah-ruled PNA last week in Cairo, and vowed not to negotiate with Hamas, which Israel maintains is a terrorist organization.

Hamas mourns bin Laden's death
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
May 2, 2011 - 12:00am

Hamas on Monday condemned the killing by US forces of Osama bin Laden and mourned him as an "Arab holy warrior" while Iran condemned "Zionist terror" and a US national security official told Reuters the mission of the special forces team that hunted down the terrorist had been to kill him. "This was a kill operation," the official said, making clear there was no desire to try to capture bin Laden alive in Pakistan.

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