Netanyahu and Obama are at point of no return
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Akiva Eldar - (Opinion) March 26, 2010 - 12:00am

The strife between Israel and the United States concerns something far bigger than the proximity talks with the Palestinians. As far as President Barack Obama and his senior advisers are concerned, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to blame for nothing less than damaging the standing of the U.S.in the Middle East and the Muslim world.

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Palestinians: Obama wants Israel to hand over Abu-Dis to PA
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Ali Waked - March 26, 2010 - 12:00am

The Obama Administration is demanding that Israel hand over more West Bank land to exclusive PA control, including the Abu-Dis area adjacent to Jerusalem, Palestinian sources told Ynet Thursday. According to the US vision, the move will take place as part of reverting to the state that prevailed in the West Bank before the outbreak of the last Intifada.

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Arabs pledge $500 million in east J'lem aid
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Roee Nahmias - March 26, 2010 - 12:00am

Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa on Thursday announced that the organization's member states approved a $500 million assistance package for Palestinians residing in Jerusalem. The Arab foreign ministers convened Thursday for a preparatory meeting in the Libyan city of Sirte, ahead of the Arab League summit scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.

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Is It Too Late to Share Jerusalem?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Time
by Andrew Lee Butters - March 26, 2010 - 12:00am

The disputed fate of Jerusalem has long epitomized the stalemate in the Middle East peace process, and over the past two weeks it has been at the center of rare diplomatic brawl between Israel and the U.S. But even as the Obama Administration and the Israeli government square off over demands that Israel refrain from announcing new construction projects in occupied East Jerusalem, the tussle as Israel extends its grip and Palestinians push back is a flashpoint. "The tinder is dry in Jerusalem," says one Western diplomat.

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Mr. Obama and Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
(Editorial) March 26, 2010 - 12:00am

After taking office last year, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel privately told many Americans and Europeans that he was committed to and capable of peacemaking, despite the hard-line positions that he had used to get elected for a second time. Trust me, he told them. We were skeptical when we first heard that, and we’re even more skeptical now.

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Deep chill in U.S.-Israeli relations
Media Mention of Hussein Ibish In Politico - March 25, 2010 - 12:00am

Bad personal chemistry, public confrontation and mutual silence a full day after a two-hour meeting Tuesday night between President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have deepened the impression of a worsening fracture in the special relationship between the U.S. and Israel.

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Deep chill in U.S.-Israeli relations
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Politico
by Laura Rozen, Ben Smith - March 25, 2010 - 12:00am

Bad personal chemistry, public confrontation and mutual silence a full day after a two-hour meeting Tuesday night between President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have deepened the impression of a worsening fracture in the special relationship between the U.S. and Israel.

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Netanyahu departs Washington amid chill
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Politico
by Laura Rozen - (Blog) March 25, 2010 - 12:00am

Netanyahu departed Washington for Israel late Wednesday night, after what some sources described as a sometimes frantic last 24 hours of decision-making after a late night meeting with Obama at the White House Tuesday night.

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Israel awaits word but signs are no deal with U.S.
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
March 25, 2010 - 12:00am

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ended a troubled U.S. visit on Thursday with no apparent resolution of a serious dispute with Washington over Jewish housing in occupied East Jerusalem. Despite his hints at potential compromise, Israeli commentators saw failure to secure a deal with U.S. President Barack Obama and said tensions with Washington appeared to have been left unresolved. Israeli President Shimon Peres, the country's elder statesman, said Netanyahu "apparently ... did not reach an understanding wih the United States of America".

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Netanyahu: Progress made in talks with U.S.
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Natasha Mozgovaya, Barak Ravid - March 25, 2010 - 12:00am

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that progress had been made toward resolving the diplomatic crisis with the United States over the contentious plan to build more Jewish homes in East Jerusalem. "We are trying to find the golden path between our will to advance the peace process along with the United States, and between maintaining the standard policy of all Israeli governments," said Netanyahu just before boarding a plane back to Israel early Thursday.

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