Clinton 'concerned' about Jerusalem demolition
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
(Blog) January 10, 2011 - 1:00am

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the Sunday demolition of a Palestinian hotel in Jerusalem a "disturbing development undermines peace efforts to achieve the two state-solution." In a statement issued the evening following the demolition, Clinton said the demolition of The Shepherd Hotel by Israeli settlement builder Irving Moskowitz "contradicts the logic of a reasonable and necessary agreement between the parties on the status of Jerusalem."

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Palestinians say they'll go to UN for recognition
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
by Mohammed Daraghmeh - January 10, 2011 - 1:00am

The Palestinian foreign minister says he will seek United Nations recognition for a Palestinian state in September and is currently lobbying for votes worldwide. The move is part of the Palestinians' so-called Plan B of pursuing an alternative to a negotiated peace deal while talks with Israel remain stalled. Riad Malki's announcement Sunday followed Chile's recognition of Palestine, making it the fifth South American country to do so recently.

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Clinton slams Israeli demolition of historic hotel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
by Matthew Lee - January 9, 2011 - 1:00am

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is strongly criticizing Israel for the demolition of a vacant but historic hotel in an Arab neighborhood of east Jerusalem, saying that the move undermines U.S. efforts to restart stalled peace talks.

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Israel envoy to discuss reviving peace talks in U.S.
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Ori Lewis - (Blog) January 8, 2011 - 1:00am

An envoy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to Washington next week to discuss ways to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, a statement from Netanyahu's office said on Saturday. "(Netanyahu's representative) Yitzhak Molcho and a Palestinian representative will travel to Washington next week with the aim of advancing the diplomatic process," the statement said. When asked, a spokesman for Netanyahu declined to comment whether Molcho would meet his Palestinian counterpart.

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Egypt: A Chat About Arab-Israeli Peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Isabel Kershner - January 6, 2011 - 1:00am

Egypt’s president, Hosni Mubarak, told Israel on Thursday to “review its positions and policies and to adopt tangible confidence-building measures” toward the Palestinian Authority in order to allow a resumption of peace talks, an Egyptian official told reporters after talks between Mr. Mubarak and Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Mr. Netanyahu asked Mr. Mubarak to try to persuade the Palestinians to return to “direct, intensive and serious” negotiations, the Israeli government said in a statement. Israeli-Palestinian talks have been stalled since September. Mr.

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Flurry of int'l diplomacy launched in bid to revive Mideast peace process
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
by Gur Salomon - January 6, 2011 - 1:00am

Following a long hiatus in international involvement in the stalled Mideast peace process, intense diplomatic activity was launched this week in an effort to get Israelis and the Palestinians back to the negotiating table. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak met in Egypt's resort town of Sharm el- Sheikh on Thursday to explore ways to break the current diplomatic impasse.

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Al-Maliki: Lieberman takes defense
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
January 4, 2011 - 1:00am

Israeli foreign ministry officials are working defense on the international stage, PA Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki told Ma'an, saying his Israeli counterpart had taken to visiting the same nations he visits and working to undo advances in Palestinian foreign relations. Traveling with President Mahmoud Abbas on his recent trip to South America, Senegal and Tunis, Al-Maliki spoke of the West Bank government's efforts to push Palestinian statehood on the international stage, and anticipating Israeli diplomatic moves that could seek to quash successful initiatives.

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Israel arrests staff from British consulate
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
January 4, 2011 - 1:00am

Israeli authorities have arrested two locally hired workers at the British consulate general in Jerusalem who were reportedly linked to a plot to attack a stadium, the Foreign Office in London said. "I can confirm that two members of the local staff at the consulate general in Jerusalem have been arrested by Israeli authorities," a Foreign Office spokesman said. "We understand from reports that they have been charged with the illegal sale of weapons and we are seeking confirmation of these charges. It is an ongoing legal process."

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For statehood, Abbas to focus on Israelis
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
January 3, 2011 - 1:00am

During his flight from Senegal to Tunis, President Mahmoud Abbas told journalists he would spend the coming weeks holding meetings with representatives of Israeli civil society organizations in an effort to side-step the Israeli government in the search for a peace deal. "I'm sure the majority of Israelis want peace," Abbas said, adding that it was unfortunate that the current coalition led by right-wing Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu had "thwarted US efforts to broker a peace agreement."

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Abbas: I’m not afraid of Wikileaks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
January 3, 2011 - 1:00am

President Mahmoud Abbas said he was not concerned over any material that could be released about him or his government by the whistleblower site Wikileaks, saying follow-up with the site was not on his agenda. "I hear talk about it," Abbas told Ma'an, but said he had no personal interactions with the site, adding that the PA was "not afraid of any leaked document," because officials "say things in public and not in secret. If there’s anyone afraid of these documents, it would be the ones who say something in public while they have another position in secret.”

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