Beyond the Occuption: Palestine and the Two-State Solution
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from In These Times
by Ralph Seliger - (Interview) July 6, 2010 - 12:00am

In the wake of the Israel Defense Force’s violent interdiction of the Free Gaza movement’s “peace flotilla” on May 30, and Israel’s decision to ease the blockade of Gaza as a result, we present a pro-Palestinian viewpoint that favors peaceful co-existence with the Jewish State.

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Peace Demands Courage
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
by Ziad Asali - (Opinion) July 1, 2010 - 12:00am

Too often Israeli-Palestinian relations are seen as a zero-sum conflict in which whatever is good for one party is bad for the other. In reality, both parties, for different reasons, need the same thing: a negotiated agreement that ends the occupation and the conflict once and for all. Palestinians cannot achieve their basic goal of independence and statehood without a negotiated agreement. Similarly, Israel cannot achieve peace, defined borders, regional acceptance and long-term security without a negotiated agreement with the Palestinians.

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'Pause before going to war, once again'?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
by Michael Jansen - June 24, 2010 - 12:00am

The Israeli liberal daily Haaretz carried a very illuminating article this week, written by Ari Shavit, who argued that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Ehud Barak are regarded by many Israelis as "twins", dependent on one another. Shavit reveals that while the atmosphere between Netanyahu and the White House is frosty, Vice President Joe Biden gets along just fine with Barak. For this reason and others, Netanyahu treats Barak with "respect".

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Asali addresses The Israel Project
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from
by Jihan Abdalla - June 22, 2010 - 12:00am

On June 22, 2010, Asali addressed The Israel Project and called for a broad national alliance in support of a two-state solution. Full transcript of his speech follows. Dear Jennifer, Thank you and the board and staff of The Israel Project for inviting me to address this distinguished audience.

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Creative ideas threatened by continued settlement building
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons
by Ghassan Khatib - (Opinion) June 22, 2010 - 12:00am

The Israeli settlement project in occupied Palestinian territory, which started from the beginning of the Israeli occupation in 1967, has always been one of the most contentious aspects of the conflict. From the beginning, these illegal settlements, including in East Jerusalem, were responsible for provoking fierce confrontations. And when the peace process started, this same Israeli policy proved the major obstacle to reaching a solution.

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Asali addresses The Israel Project
Speech by Ziad Asali at National Press Club - June 21, 2010 - 12:00am

Dear Jennifer, Thank you and the board and staff of The Israel Project for inviting me to address this distinguished audience. For those of us working here in the United States towards a reasonable and final end of conflict agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, the challenge is more daunting than in most contexts, and the stakes are higher. Those of us who care deeply about peace, Israel, the Palestinians and, above all, our own country, understand that it is our historic mission at this time to spare no effort and to work together towards achieving this crucial goal.

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Beyond the Gaza blockade: What drives Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
by Ilene Prusher - June 18, 2010 - 12:00am

It was one of those moments in Israeli politics – any nation's politics – in which the numbers just don't add up. Lawmakers had been toiling all night trying to fashion a budget. Now night had turned into dawn and debate into occasional tempestuousness when, at 7 a.m., Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strode into the Knesset in his trademark crisp white shirt, designer tie, and dark suit.

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Zionist Congress calls for settlement freeze
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA)
June 18, 2010 - 12:00am

(JTA) -- The World Zionist Congress passed a resolution endorsing a two-state solution and a West Bank settlement freeze. The vote in Jerusalem came a day after some opponents of the resolution walked out of a meeting of the 36th Congress’ settlement committee. Following the walkout, the remainder of the meeting was chaired by Hadar Susskind, the vice president of policy and strategy at J Street, which favors U.S. pressure on Israel toward a two-state solution.

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Abbas: Palestinian, U.S. positions "completely identical"
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
June 17, 2010 - 12:00am

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday he feels the Palestinian National Authority ( PNA) and the U.S. administration's positions are completely identical. Abbas, who returned Wednesday to the West Bank after visiting five countries, including the United States, said "the most important thing in this tour is that the U.S. and Palestinian positions were completely identical." "There are no differences between me and President Barack Obama on any issue," Abbas told the Ramallah-based al-Ayyam newspaper.

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A Palestinian Ben-Gurion?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Gadi Taub - (Opinion) June 15, 2010 - 12:00am

At this time, Israeli prisons maintain a separation between criminal and security detainees. Some of the most veteran prisoners are unhappy about this, because when such separation is in place, the criminals talk about crime all day and plan their next criminal act, while security detainees talk about ideology the whole day and plan the next “acts of resistance.” Once upon a time, when the detainees were mixed, they spent their days arguing with each other.

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