The new Abbas and the old Netanyahu
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons
by Hani al-Masri - September 26, 2011 - 12:00am

President Mahmoud Abbas appears to be a new man. What led to this change? Since taking office, he has always said that only negotiations can lead to the establishment of the state. When the talks faltered or faced an obstacle, he often said, "The alternative to negotiations is the negotiations." When President Abbas set conditions for the resumption of negotiations, these quickly became mere demands. Even in recent days, he repeated that negotiations were his first, second, and third choice.

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UN speech gives Abbas a stronger hand
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Statesman
by Karin Laub - (Analysis) September 26, 2011 - 12:00am

GAZA CITY, GAZA STRIP — President Mahmoud Abbas' surge of popularity following his bid for U.N. recognition for a Palestinian state is bound to give him a stronger hand against the rival Hamas group as they prepare to resume talks on a stalled power-sharing deal next week.

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U.S. lawmaker: Palestinians must return to peace talks or suffer possible divestment
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Natasha Mozgovaya - (Analysis) September 26, 2011 - 12:00am

A U.S. Congressmen said Monday that the Palestinians should think twice about their bid to gain recognition at the United Nations,urging the Palestinian Authority to "reverse course" and get back to the negotiation table.

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Reciprocity, mutuality – key to Mid-East peacemaking
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Gershon Baskin - (Opinion) September 26, 2011 - 12:00am

Dear President Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu, welcome home to both of you. You both did a fine job at the UN and made your peoples feel proud. You represented the cause of your peoples’ struggle for existence and peace with great honor. You can both claim victory and come home to a hero’s welcome.

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Netanyahu's speech of lies
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Akiva Eldar - (Opinion) September 26, 2011 - 12:00am

Bertolt Brecht wrote, in his poem "The Necessity of Propaganda," "Even the hungry must admit that the Minister of Nutrition gives a good speech." (Translation from the German, Jon Swan. ) It must be admitted that Benjamin Netanyahu gave a good speech at the UN General Assembly. His English was polished, his hand gestures precise and his body language perfect. His propaganda was sweet as honey dripping from his lips. It improves from speech to speech. But the prime minister promised that this time he would feed us the truth, not another campaign speech. A test of this promise seems apposite.

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Issue of Israel as Jewish state sank Quartet moves
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
by Arshad Mohammed - September 26, 2011 - 12:00am

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The issue of whether and how to suggest that Israel should be a Jewish state ultimately sank diplomatic efforts to draft a substantive statement to revive peace talks, sources familiar with the matter said. The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Israel and the Palestinians -- and their effective proxies in the negotiations, the United States and Russia -- remain too far apart on that issue and others.

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Steinitz warns of economic measures against PA
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Tovah Lazaroff - September 26, 2011 - 12:00am

NEW YORK – Israel will weigh taking economic measures against the Palestinian Authority if it continues to pursue unilateral steps and refuses to return to the negotiating table, Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday. He spoke with the Post from a hotel lobby in New York, where Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has been staying since his arrival last Wednesday.

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Exclusive Interview With Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas: a Humble Moment in History
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Huffington Post
by Raghida Dergham - (Interview) September 26, 2011 - 12:00am

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had just delivered the most important speech in his life and he is now sitting with his aides, his jacket and neck tie removed, cutting his steak amidst silence after the storm. It is Friday, September 23, and he had just returned from the United Nations General Assembly where he received roaring applause for submitting Palestine's request for full membership in the UN despite American threats to veto the request and punish the Palestinians financially. He is now in a small cluttered living room at his hotel across the UN.

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Netanyahu, Abbas Emerge Unscathed at UN
Media Mention of Hussein Ibish In Bloomberg - September 26, 2011 - 12:00am

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas emerged from their showdown at the United Nations buttressed domestically though no closer to peace talks.

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One Gaza family celebrates Palestinian statehood bid despite Hamas ban
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
by Kristen Chick - September 25, 2011 - 12:00am

When Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas went to the United Nations to ask for recognition of a Palestinian state Friday, Gaza residents weren’t allowed to celebrate in the streets like Palestinians in the West Bank.

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