International Community | The American Task Force on Palestine

Egypt’s challenge
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
(Editorial) August 6, 2012 - 12:00am

We express our heartfelt condolences to Egypt over the murder of 16 of its soldiers at a base in Sinai near the Israeli border on Sunday.

A difference beyond question
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Richard Cohen - (Opinion) August 6, 2012 - 12:00am

Before the Jews of Hungary were emancipated in the 19th century, they were not permitted to own land. By the end of the century, they were on their way to owning fully one-fifth of Hungary’s large estates and were hugely successful in business and the arts. The Jews of Germany had a similar history.

Gunmen Kill 15 and Steal Vehicle in Attack on Egypt Base
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Mayy El Sheikh, Kareem Fahim - August 5, 2012 - 12:00am

Masked gunmen opened fire on an Egyptian Army checkpoint in the northern Sinai Peninsula on Sunday, killing 15 soldiers who were preparing to break their Ramadan fast. The gunmen then seized at least one armored vehicle and headed toward Israel, apparently in an attempt to storm the border, witnesses and officials said.

Israel losing international support, says British ambassador
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian
by Harriet Sherwood - August 3, 2012 - 12:00am

The British ambassador to Israel has said international support for the Jewish state among those in the political mainstream is eroding, driven by settlement expansion in the West Bank and continued restrictions on Gaza. There is "growing concern" in the UK over lack of progress towards peace with the Palestinians, and Israel was now being seen as Goliath against the Palestinians as David, said Matthew Gould, in reference to the biblical story.

Israel, Arab Countries Share A Common Foe in Radical Islam
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Monitor
by Eitan Haber - (Opinion) August 3, 2012 - 12:00am

Many years ago, a new concept was added to the Israeli political lexicon: a window of opportunity. In those years, the early 1990s, there was no need for erudite explanations of the concept. The Soviet Union collapsed; Syria lost its Soviet patron, halting the supply of Soviet weapons to Damascus and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was on the skids, actually crashing to the boards. The list doesn't end there.

Why the Palestinians are turning against al-Assad
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from CNN
by Jonathan Schanzer - (Opinion) August 3, 2012 - 12:00am

Even if Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad somehow survives the current uprising aimed at toppling his regime, the beleaguered dictator will have a lingering identity problem. Indeed, a long-standing pillar of Syria’s foreign policy has been support to the Palestinian “resistance” against Israel. But in the wake of the Syrian onslaught, the country’s estimated 500,000 Palestinians are abandoning – even challenging – their long-time champion. With this dramatic shift, al-Assad is left more isolated in the Middle East than ever before.

US-Israeli threats against Iran put diplomacy last
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
(Editorial) August 3, 2012 - 12:00am

Not a week goes by before another embattled Israeli or American politician prods the dispute over Iran's nuclear programme. And every week this tactic - all stick, no carrot - fails to deliver any progress to bring a peaceful end to the standoff.

Mortars kill at least 20 in Damascus refugee camp
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
by Paul Schemm - August 3, 2012 - 12:00am

Mortars rained down on a crowded marketplace in a Palestinian refugee camp in the Syrian capital, killing at least 20 people as regime forces and rebels fought nearby, activists said. The attack on Yarmouk camp may well have been connected to a two-day long skirmish in the nearby Tadamon neighborhood, which has been repeatedly shelled by government troops. On Friday smoke could be seen pouring from the neighborhood.

Don't attack Iran now, warns ex-IDF intel chief
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Yaakov Katz - August 3, 2012 - 12:00am

Maj.-Gen. (res.) Aharon Ze’evi Farkash is worried. So worried that he decided this week to break his longstanding silence on Iran and to share his concerns with the world.

Palestinians brace for repercussions over UN bid
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Mohammed Daraghmeh - August 2, 2012 - 12:00am

The Palestinians are bracing for possible punitive reactions by the U.S. and Israel if they go ahead with plans to seek U.N. General Assembly recognition of "Palestine" as a non-member observer state, according to an internal document obtained Thursday. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, backed by the Arab League, is ready in principle to take this step, but hasn't decided whether to submit the request when the General Assembly convenes in September or to wait until after the U.S. presidential election in November.

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