International Community | The American Task Force on Palestine

Rick Santorum’s Views on the Middle East
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Arabiya
by Ali Younes - (Opinion) January 19, 2012 - 1:00am

In a town hall meeting during a recent campaign stop in Greenville, South Carolina, Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum said to me, in response to my questions, that he supports attacking Iran with missiles, rockets and other weapons in order to stop it from developing nuclear weapons. On the issue of the Palestinian–Israeli conflict he added that the issue is an internal Israeli matter and that Israel can do whatever it wants and no one should interfere in its internal affairs.

Arabs Deserve a Party of the Citizen
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Huffington Post
by Ziad Asali - (Opinion) January 19, 2012 - 1:00am

As the Arab uprisings enter their second year, a new political movement based on the concept and values of citizenship is needed. A lacuna now exists on the Arab political scene. The Arab uprisings shattered the old order but have yet to coalesce into a clear model for the future. A movement of citizens, expressed in organized political parties with clearly articulated programs, would tap into the patriotic and ecumenical grassroots protest movements and ensure that a historic opportunity for progress is not squandered.

The badly kept secret of Israel's trade throughout the Muslim world
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Shuki Sadeh - (Opinion) January 19, 2012 - 1:00am

Motti (not his real name ), a businessman with connections in Arab countries, was stunned several months ago when representatives of a well-known Israeli food company asked him to check the possibility of exporting to Iran. They told him an Iranian company had approached them through contacts abroad.

Israel must understand that Europe is indeed relevant
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Carlo Strenger - (Opinion) January 18, 2012 - 1:00am

First Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion’s adage ‘what matters is not what the goyim say, but what the Jews do," may have been charming when Israel was a young state, but does not befit a mature country. Nevertheless, current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has made this adage into a whole worldview.

Leading Article: Mere words will not secure peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Independent
(Editorial) January 18, 2012 - 1:00am

Nick Clegg's description this week of Israeli settlements as "deliberate vandalism" of the basic premise of peace negotiations drew a sharp response from Israel. Yet it was only exceptional in making public what every sentient minister across Europe knows to be true, but seldom dares to say. There is ample justification for his remarks in two recent internal EU reports covered in this newspaper.

Egypt Brothers mix pragmatism, ideology on Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Maggie Michael - January 18, 2012 - 1:00am

CAIRO — The Muslim Brotherhood is trying to maneuver its way between its fierce anti-Israel ideology and the realities of governing as it ascends to leadership in Egypt for the first time in its history and faces the key question of how to deal with the country's peace treaty with the Jewish state.

Yalla Peace: Falafel, fences and Syria
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Ray Hanania - (Opinion) January 17, 2012 - 1:00am

A day never passes without an Arab complaining about Israel. Of course, a day never passes without an Israeli complaining about the Arabs, either. The complaints vary widely, covering everything from food to violence. A common complaint is that Israel “stole” the falafel. Well, Israel has stolen Palestinian land, but can you really steal a food? I recently read an Israeli official’s counter to this claim: has Israel also “stolen” Italian food? To be fair, Israelis don’t go around bragging about their “Israeli spaghetti” the way they promote “Israeli falafel.”

Abbas on Diplomacy Tour of Europe
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
January 13, 2012 - 1:00am

RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- President Mahmoud Abbas will travel to Britain, Germany and Russia next week, presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rdainah said on Thursday. Abbas will meet with British Prime Minister David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev during the tour, Rdainah told official Palestinian Authority news agency Wafa. Rdainah emphasized that the three countries are members of the UN Security Council, indicating that diplomacy around the stalled bid for UN membership may be ongoing.

Hamas Members to Reside in Jordan
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
January 12, 2012 - 1:00am

AMMAN — The government is examining the best method to allow Hamas members to reside with their families in Jordan, according to Prime Minister Awn Khasawneh. In an interview with Time magazine, excerpts of which were published on Monday, Khasawneh said Hamas members will not be allowed to establish political headquarters for the movement in Jordan or to practise any political activity. "We will be finding modalities to bring back members of Hamas and their families to come," Khasawneh told Time. "We don’t want them to establish another organisation here."

Do Discard the "Resistance Axis" Hoax
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
by Michael Young - (Opinion) January 12, 2012 - 1:00am

This past week several British parliamentarians were in Beirut to learn more about the situation in Lebanon and Syria. They met with politicians, academics and journalists, and an argument they took home with them was particularly intriguing. It pertains to what has become known in the West as the “resistance axis.”

Video: Inside ATFP Gala 2013

Photo Gallery: ATFP Gala 2013

Recent News