Israel's right-wing is trying to stifle the reality of Palestinian demographics
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Barak Ravid - (Blog) January 2, 2012 - 1:00am

Every year, in almost every country, government reports detailing statistics and demographics of the country's citizens are published during the last week of December. The reports detail how many babies were born that year and how many people died. Some of those reports are turned into semi-comic articles on the back page of the newspaper, or discussed on current event radio programs, and sometimes they are simply thrown to the wastebasket.

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Interview with Salam Fayyad: To Act and Not to Fall
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Yedioth Ahronoth
by Nahum Barnea - (Interview) December 30, 2011 - 1:00am

One of the few privileges enjoyed by an Israeli journalist is the privilege to drive to Ramallah in his car. Going to Ramallah is going abroad while remaining close to home. For Christmas and New Year, its main streets are lit with colored lights: Red, blue and golden. On Wednesday evening, the city was very quiet. The cars did not honk their horns. The muezzins did not issue calls for prayer. One of the members of the Fatah leadership called for a third Intifada in a gathering in Ramallah, but his words were carried away by the wind. This week belongs completely to Santa.

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Israel has a partner
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Shimon Shiffer - (Opinion) December 28, 2011 - 1:00am

Officials at the Prime Minister’s Office are again angry at Mahmoud Abbas. Did I say angry? I meant stunned. The Palestinian leader met in Turkey last week with Amna Muna, who was involved in the murder of teenager Ophir Rahum. “Those who make pretenses of making peace with Israel are going all the way to Turkey to meet a despicable murderer,” Netanyahu’s office charged. Well said.

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Democracy is favorable for right of self-determination
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Amal Jamal - (Opinion) December 19, 2011 - 1:00am

The Arab Spring has been a source of pride and happiness for many Arab citizens of Israel. Most of the Arab public in Israel has expressed unequivocal support for the courage shown by thousands of Arab civilians around the region in calling for the ouster of corrupt regimes, endangering themselves and their families.

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Palestine Melts Iceland
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Weekly Standard
by Elliott Abrams - (Blog) December 16, 2011 - 1:00am

On November 29th the Icelandic parliament voted to recognize Palestine as a state. Yesterday, a ceremony was held in Reykjavik in the presence of the Icelandic and PLO foreign ministers. Here is the text of the resolution adopted by Althingi, the Icelandic parliament:

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Palestinians Will Invent a State Next
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bloomberg
by Michael Kinsley - (Blog) December 12, 2011 - 1:00am

Dec. 12 (Bloomberg) -- In November 1947, shortly after the United Nations voted for partition of the Holy Land into separate Arab and Jewish states, Chaim Weizmann was cited by the New York Times as saying that “the most important work now was to build Palestine.” What? To build Palestine? Yes, in 1947 the word “Palestinian” --if it meant anything at all -- referred to Jews living in Palestine. The Palestine Post (now the Jerusalem Post) was the Jewish English-language newspaper.

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UNESCO to raise Palestinian flag
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
December 9, 2011 - 1:00am

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- UNESCO will raise the Palestinian flag at its Paris headquarters on Tuesday to mark the admission of Palestine as a full member, a press statement said on Wednesday. President Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riyad Malki will preside over the ceremony with UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, it said. UNESCO voted to admit Palestine as a member on Oct. 31. which triggered a funding cut by the United States, the largest contributor to the UN cultural agency.

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In subtle messages, Palestinians promote statehood bid in Christmas celebrations
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
December 8, 2011 - 1:00am

BETHLEHEM, West Bank — At Christmas time the world looks to Jesus’ traditional birthplace of Bethlehem, and this year the Palestinians hope to use some of that attention to boost their quest for independence. They’re trying to be subtle about it, with just a hint of politics in this year’s Christmas slogan, “Palestine celebrating hope,” a veiled reference to their bid this fall to win U.N. recognition of a Palestinian state.

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'PA won't 'back down' from UN statehood bid'
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
December 2, 2011 - 1:00am

The Palestinian Authority "will not back down" from their efforts to become a member of the United Nations, even though the PA has acknowledged that they would not succeed were the Security Council to vote today, senior PA negotiator Saeb Erekat told Ma'an News Agency Thursday. Erekat said the PA would persist even if the request fails to pass in the Security Council, adding that the PA leadership knew from the outset that United States would use its veto on the initiative.

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Chabot: U.S. Warned That It Would Defund UNESCO
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Roll Call
by Representative Steve Chabot - (Opinion) December 1, 2011 - 1:00am

On Oct. 31, the United States announced that it would be withholding its contribution to UNESCO in response to that body’s decision to grant full membership to a state of Palestine. This decision was neither rash nor surprising; on the contrary, it was mandated by provisions of two U.S. laws, one of which has been on the books for more than a decade.

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