Peace Based on Two States | The American Task Force on Palestine

Clinton Reaffirms US Commitment to Middle East Solution
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Voice of America
by Mohamed Elshinnawi - October 21, 2010 - 12:00am

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks at the Fifth Annual Gala of the American Task Force on Palestine in Washington, 20 Oct 2010 U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to a two-state solution and comprehensive peace in the Middle East. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the path to security and dignity for Palestinians and Israelis lies in negotiations that result in two states, living side by side in peace.

Clinton Urges Arab Financial Support for Palestinians
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Voice of America
October 21, 2010 - 12:00am

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks at the Fifth Annual Gala of the American Task Force on Palestine in Washington, 20 Oct 2010 U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says Arab countries should provide more financial support to the Palestinian Authority. Speaking Wednesday to pro-Palestinian group the American Task Force on Palestine in Washington, Clinton said it takes more than plans and commitments "to support making the state of Palestine a reality." The U.S. and the European Union are the Palestinian Authority's main donors. 2 state solution

Settlers Race to Build Units in West Bank
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Ethan Bronner - October 21, 2010 - 12:00am

Less than four weeks since the end of Israel’s building freeze in the West Bank, hundreds of units are under construction in dozens of settlements there, settler leaders and anti-settlement advocates said Thursday. Foundations have been dug for 300 units and work is under way on a couple of hundred more, they report, many of the units in smaller settlements that would be most unlikely to remain as part of Israel in any future two-state deal with the Palestinians.

Just Knock It Off
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Thomas L. Friedman - (Opinion) October 21, 2010 - 12:00am

Some of Israel’s worst critics are fond of saying that Israel behaves like America’s spoiled child. I’ve always found that analogy excessive. Say what you want about Israel’s obstinacy at times, it remains the only country in the United Nations that another U.N. member, Iran, has openly expressed the hope that it be wiped off the map. And that same country, Iran, is trying to build a nuclear weapon.

Gov't officials: Prepare for unilateral steps
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Atilla Somfalvi - October 21, 2010 - 12:00am

The Palestinians' intention to seek international recognition of a Palestinian state did not catch Israel's political echelon by surprise. Amid deadlocked negotiations and an ongoing dispute over the construction in the settlements, senior government officials have begun discussing Israel's need for a plan B.

A Search for Plan ‘B’ as Hopes Fade for Direct Mideast Talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
by Nathan Guttman - October 20, 2010 - 12:00am

As Israelis and Palestinians continue to reject compromise on the extension of a Jewish settlements freeze on the West Bank, all eyes are turning to Washington to see what happens next. With each side digging in on its demands regarding the settlements before they will agree to resume direct negotiations, diplomats and analysts are increasingly discussing the possibility of the Obama administration issuing its own “terms of reference” for such talks. It is an act that would mark a new phase in American involvement, but would still fall short of a full-fledged Obama peace plan.

However wonderful they may be, settlers are an insurmountable obstacle to peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Avi Issacharoff - (Analysis) October 20, 2010 - 12:00am

Last week I was invited to visit the Hayovel neighborhood in the West Bank settlement of Eli (erected on the 50th anniversary of Israel's establishment). This neighborhood includes several structures that were likely built on Palestinian land and are slated for demolition, pending a court ruling.

Rights of Return and Recognition Cannot Be Swapped
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
by Leonard Fein - October 20, 2010 - 12:00am

In a recent New York Times essay, published Oct. 14, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Michael B. Oren, argues forcefully on behalf of the call by Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu for the Palestinians to recognize Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people. “Affirmation of Israel’s Jewishness,” he writes, “is the very foundation of peace, its DNA.”

Arab Israelis in no man's land
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Asia Times
by Victor Kotsov - October 20, 2010 - 12:00am

On the surface, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict might appear as a fairly straightforward confrontation, between two clearly defined actors, based on clashing national aspirations. This is certainly how the international community (which, for the most part, sticks to the “two states for two peoples” mantra) prefers to look at it. However, reality is somewhat different and - to use a cliche - very complex.

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