Erekat: UN resolution will set terms for talks with Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Tovah Lazaroff - September 20, 2012 - 12:00am

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat on Thursday said the terms of reference for Palestinian negotiations with Israel will be set in a proposed UN General Assembly resolution. Speaking after a meeting with a number of European Union envoys in Jericho, Erekat said the process of establishing a state begins at the UN, so seeking upgraded statehood status at the United Nations is not a unilateral step. "No one is talking about canceling the peace process," he said.

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Palestine — The Sustainable Unsustainable Status Quo?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Monitor
by Aaron David Miller - (Opinion) September 20, 2012 - 12:00am

In recent months, the issue of Palestine has been pushed over the world’s and region’s radar screen by Iran, Syria and recent anti-American demonstrations sweeping the Arab and Muslim world.  hat’s happening here? Is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict old hat? Does anyone care anymore? Will it simply keep?

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Palestine to Bid For Observer Status at UN General Assembly
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Carnegie Middle East Center
by Yezid Sayigh - (Opinion) September 20, 2012 - 12:00am

Following a month of contradictory statements from various Palestinian Authority (PA) officials, on September 5 Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas confirmed that he would seek non-member observer status for Palestine at the United Nations when he addresses the General Assembly on September 27. In his announcement, he pointed to support for the bid from the Non-Aligned Movement, the Arab League's Council of Foreign Ministers and the Islamic states.

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Fayyad’s democracy of bread
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by David Rosenberg - (Opinion) September 20, 2012 - 12:00am

The economic protests of the last couple of weeks have been principally about the rising price of fuel and the government’s austerity measures. But across the Middle East, it’s the price of bread that can spark revolution or ensure political quiet, which is why Egypt spends billions of dollars annually subsidizing bread prices. Thus, the agreement reached earlier this week between the Palestinian Authority and bakery owners in the West Bank to freeze bread prices until next month is laden with symbolism.

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Abbas says he will go ahead with UN bid speech
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
September 19, 2012 - 12:00am

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- President Abbas reiterated on Wednesday that he will deliver a speech at the General Assembly of the United Nations to ask for recognition of Palestine as a non-member state. The comments, which were posted on the president's Facebook page, added that the speech would most likely take place on September 27.

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Don't Expect a Romney Intifadeh, the Palestinians Are Used to Disappointment
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Time Magazine
by Tony Karon - (Opinion) September 19, 2012 - 12:00am

It seems the writing is on the wall for the Palestinians: should Governor Mitt Romney win November’s presidential election, they have no credible reason to expect any help from the U.S. in realizing their national aspirations. In a recent Florida session with donors, a tape of which was posted by Mother Jones, the Republican nominee made clear he believes that a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — the standing policy of the U.S.

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Fayyad posts protest song on his Facebook page
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Roi Kais - September 17, 2012 - 12:00am

In wake of the Palestinian social protest, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad decided to take matters into his own hands: Fayyad on Sunday posted a popular anti-government protest song, which calls on the prime minister to resign, on his own Facebook page.

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Gaza govt: Inquiry cleared Palestinians in Sinai attack
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
September 17, 2012 - 12:00am

GAZA CITY (Ma’an) -- The government in the Gaza Strip has conducted an investigation with Egyptian coordination into the deadly border attack last month, and found no Palestinians were involved, a Palestinian official said on Monday. Neither residents of the Gaza Strip nor other Palestinians played a part in the killing of 16 Egyptian security officials on Aug. 5, spokesman of Gaza's interior ministry, Ehab al-Ghasein, said in a statement.

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Settlements Keep Growing Despite Migron Setback
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
by Nathan Jeffay - September 16, 2012 - 12:00am

Jerusalem — Three years after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that he had “no intention of building new settlements,” contractors paid by Israel’s government have constructed a brand-new, exclusively Jewish neighborhood in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

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Faded hopes of Palestinian place at UN
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News
by Jon Donnison - (Opinion) September 14, 2012 - 12:00am

Car horns blared as people craned out of their sunroofs waving red, black, green and white Palestinian flags. The crowds had just watched President Mahmoud Abbas, live on a giant screen from New York, as he told the United Nations he was heading to the Security Council to ask for Palestine to be admitted as a member state. Although the move was unlikely to change facts on the ground for Palestinians, or end Israel's occupation, Mr Abbas saw it as a way of putting diplomatic pressure on the Israeli government.

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