Major New Palestinian State and Institution Building Document Issued
Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - January 26, 2010 - 1:00am

The Ministries of Finance and Planning and Administrative Development of the Palestinian National Authority (PA) have issued a major new document pertaining to the state and institution building program of the Thirteenth Palestinian Government that was adopted in August, 2009.


ATFP offers condolences on the passing of Hasib Sabbagh
Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - January 12, 2010 - 1:00am

Jan. 12, 2010, Washington, DC – The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) offers its condolences to the family and friends of noted businessman and philanthropist Hasib Sabbagh following the announcement today of his passing away. ATFP also offered condolences to the Palestinian people generally, in light of Mr. Sabbagh’s many important civic and philanthropic efforts over the years.


Clinton urges Israel, Palestinians to plunge into talks
Media Mention of Ziad Asali In The Los Angeles Times - January 9, 2010 - 1:00am

By Paul Richter January 9, 2010 Reporting from Washington

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Clinton urges Israel, Palestinians to plunge into talks
Media Mention of Ziad Asali In The Los Angeles Times - January 9, 2010 - 1:00am

Reporting from Washington-- Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Friday urged Palestinians and Israelis to plunge into negotiations over the most difficult issues dividing them as a way of breaking an impasse in peace talks. Clinton said negotiations on major issues, such as the borders of a future Palestinian state or the status of Jerusalem, would help defuse the dispute over the growth of Jewish settlements in the West Bank that has obstructed progress toward peace.

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The Pragmatist
Media Mention of Hussein Ibish In Tablet Magazine - December 8, 2009 - 1:00am

The Palestinian prime minister, Salam Fayyad, was sharing his vision for the future. “The key requirement for a Palestinian state,” he began, speaking on a cellular telephone from his office in Ramallah. Then the line went dead, a dropped call. “You’ll have to excuse,” he said when he rang back. “We have a lot of competing cellular networks here, and sometimes our signals get crossed.”

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ATFP Senior Fellow on Speaks on Palestinian Perspectives at J Street Conference
Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - November 27, 2009 - 1:00am

ATFP Senior Fellow Hussein Ibish participated in a panel discussion on "Palestinian Perspectives: Looking Forward" on Oct. 27, 2009, at the first annual conference of the pro-Israel, pro-peace group J Street in Washington, DC. The panel was moderated by Amjad Atallah, Co-Director of the Middle East Task Force at the New America Foundation, and also included Nadia Bilbassy of the Middle East Broadcasting Center and Bassim Khoury, a former Minister of National Economy for the Palestinian Authority.


ATFP Reiterates the Centrality of Jerusalem to Negotiations
Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - November 25, 2009 - 1:00am

Nov. 25, Washington, DC – The American Task Force on Palestine today reiterated its long-standing support for the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian permanent status negotiations on the basis outlined by President Barack Obama in his speech before the UN General Assembly addressing, “the permanent-status issues: security for Israelis and Palestinians; borders, refugees and Jerusalem.”


ATFP Senior Fellow Moderates HCEF Conference Panel on Two-State Solution
Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - November 24, 2009 - 1:00am

On Saturday, October 24, ATFP Senior Fellow Hussein Ibish moderated a panel on the two state solution between Israel and the Palestinians at the 11th international conference of The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF). Panelists in the discussion were Dr. James Zogby, President of the Arab American Institute (AAI), and Paul L. Scham, Esq., Executive Director of the Gildenhorn Institute for Israel Studies at the University of Maryland and Adjunct Scholar at the Middle East Institute.


East Jerusalem Settlement Plan Deepens Rift With Washington
Media Mention of Ghaith al-Omari In The Wall Street Journal - November 19, 2009 - 1:00am

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. sharply criticized Israel's decision to move ahead with a building expansion in East Jerusalem, underscoring the rift between the Obama administration and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over how to push forward the stalled Middle East peace process. The U.S. has unsuccessfully lobbied Mr. Netanyahu over the past nine months to agree to a total Israeli construction freeze in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, to underpin negotiations aimed at creating an independent Palestinian state.

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Expanding 'settlements' in eastern Jerusalem? Part 1
Media Mention of Ghaith al-Omari In The Examiner - November 19, 2009 - 1:00am

The government of Israel is in process of approving 900 new houses in the Gilo neighborhood of Jerusalem, on land acquired in 1967. The U.S. calls this “expanding a settlement.“ The White House press secretary “was ‘dismayed” and asking both parties to avoid unilateral actions that could ‘pre-empt or appear to pre-empt negotiations.’” “Disagreements over settlement building are in large part the reason that the negotiations, which have been stalled for months, have not resumed.”

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