Abbas secretly meets Israeli minister
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
October 15, 2012 - 12:00am

RAMALLAH, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas secretly met Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak in Jordan Thursday, a Palestinian source revealed Monday. King Abdullah II of Jordan also participated in the meeting which was held in Amman, the source added. The meeting focused on efforts to resume peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians and their plans to seek a state recognition through the United Nations.

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The challenge of statesmanship
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Gershon Baskin - (Opinion) October 15, 2012 - 12:00am

Election season is here, and many of us Israelis entertain the fantasy/dream of throwing our hats into the arena and imagining that we could soon be in positions of power in government. If I were prime minister, who would receive my first phone call? It would not be a difficult decision – Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

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World powers will soon support our cause, says top Palestinian official
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Amira Hass - (Opinion) October 15, 2012 - 12:00am

Twice during an hour-long interview, Dr. Hanan Ashrawi let out a laugh that sounded embarrassed. The first time was when she explained what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did in his UN General Assembly address: a speech she deemed patronizing, cut off from reality, stuck in an outdated Manichean perception. The doctor of comparative literature suggests that he did not convince his audience.

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U.S. says Palestinian status bid jeopardizes peace process
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
October 15, 2012 - 12:00am

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 15 (Reuters) - A Palestinian bid to upgrade its U.N. status to a sovereign country would jeopardize the peace process with Israel and make it difficult to get the two sides to return to talks on a two-state solution, the United States said on Monday. Having failed last year to win recognition of full statehood at the United Nations, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said last month he would seek a less-ambitious status upgrade at the world body to make it a "non-member state" like the Vatican.

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Report: Abbas to propose peace talks after UN vote
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
October 10, 2012 - 12:00am

NEW YORK (Ma'an) -- President Abbas told European diplomats on Tuesday that he will resume peace talks with Israel after a UN vote on the Palestinian request for non-member status in the world body, The Associated Press reported. Abbas believes that a freeze on illegal settlement building may not be necessary to engage in talks if the UN recognizes a Palestinian state which includes all of the West Bank, AP reported.

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Time is running out for peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News
by George S. Hishmeh - (Opinion) October 4, 2012 - 12:00am

The Palestinian Question has been temporarily shelved — hopefully only till November — much to the disappointment of many a Palestinian who was expecting the ball to start rolling this month.

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Only the U.S. Can End the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Huffington Post
by Alon Ben-Meir - (Opinion) October 2, 2012 - 12:00am

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict cannot be resolved without the direct and active involvement of the United States, using both inducements and coercive diplomacy to bring about a peaceful solution. If the conflict remains unresolved over the next couple of years it will most likely precipitate a massive violent conflagration to the detriment of the Israelis and Palestinians, and will also severely damage the U.S.' security, economic interests and its credibility in the region. For these reasons, what the next president of the U.S.

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Two states for two peoples
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Gershon Baskin - (Opinion) October 2, 2012 - 12:00am

In his United Nations speech, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on the Security Council to “to urgently adopt a resolution comprising the basis and foundations for a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict that would serve as a binding reference and guide for all if the vision of two states, Israel and Palestine, is to survive and if peace is to prevail in the land of peace.” In November 2009 I drafted a proposal for a Security Council resolution which I shared with the leaders of

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Commitments Not Reaffirmed
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast
by Gil Troy - (Opinion) October 2, 2012 - 12:00am

Are there any progressives out there sufficiently committed to the peace process and the two-state solution to criticize Mahmoud Abbas’s speech to the U.N. General Assembly?

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Vote on UN bid of recognizing Palestinian as non-member state to be "very soon": official
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
September 30, 2012 - 12:00am

RAMALLAH, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- A senior Palestinian official on Sunday said that the vote on the bid of recognizing Palestinian as a non-member state by the United Nations will be "very soon." Chief Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat, told Xinhua that the Palestinian delegation in New York began its contacts and consultations with Arab and foreign countries.

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