Strong and Stronger
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast
by Hussein Ibish - (Opinion) June 8, 2012 - 12:00am

At a recent informal meeting with Jewish Americans at the White House, President Barack Obama apparently expressed concerns about “domestic political constraints” holding back Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on the peace process with Israel. This has led a number of observers, including Peter Beinart, to conclude that Abbas is politically "weak," or at least that Obama thinks so.

»

When Will the Six-Day War End?
Media Mention of Hussein Ibish In The Atlantic - June 7, 2012 - 12:00am

This week marks the 45th anniversary of the Six-Day War. It was a war of necessity for Israel -- Egypt and Syria, in particular, had manifested themselves as existential threats to the then-19-year-old Jewish state (Jordan less so) -- and it was a war whose first phase ended in unambiguous victory.

»

US denounces Israeli PM plans for new settler homes
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from NOW Lebanon
June 7, 2012 - 12:00am

The United States Wednesday denounced Israeli plans to expand a West Bank settlement by 300 homes, saying it posed a hurdle toward kickstarting moribund peace talks with the Palestinians. "We're very clear that continued Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank undermines peace efforts and contradicts Israeli commitments and obligations," said a State Department spokesperson, Mark Toner. "You know, our position on settlements remains unchanged. We do not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity."

»

U.S. denies comments attributed to Obama against Abbas: Erekat
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
June 7, 2012 - 12:00am

The United States on Wednesday denied statements attributed to President Barack Obama against Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, a senior Palestinian official said. "The White House has officially presented clarifications to the Palestinian leadership on Obama's statements related to Abbas commitment to the Middle East peace process," said chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat. Earlier reports had said that Obama made statements that Abbas does not have good intentions to achieve peace with Israel and he is not committed to the peace process.

»

Abbas to Israelis: Don't turn your backs on peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Khaled Abu Toameh - June 6, 2012 - 12:00am

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday called on Israel “not to turn [its] back to the prospects of peace” and cautioned that the chances to achieve peace may not remain for too long.

»

Last chance for two states, as apartheid beckons
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Muhammad Shtayyeh - (Opinion) June 6, 2012 - 12:00am

Almost two decades ago, the world celebrated the beginning of a process that was supposed to lead to a just and peaceful resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict within five years. The Oslo Accords was designed to be the means to an end: an end already defined by international law, which would fulfill the Palestinians’ natural and legal right to self-determination, see the return of the Palestinian Territory occupied in 1967 (OPT) to its rightful owners, and a just and agreed on solution to the plight of Palestinian refugees.

»

Egyptian status quo ends for Israelis, Palestinians
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Crispian Balmer - (Opinion) June 5, 2012 - 12:00am

Far apart on so many issues, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas almost certainly see eye to eye on the Egyptian presidential election. Both would like Ahmed Shafiq, a former air force chief who served as Hosni Mubarak's last prime minister, beat the Muslim Brotherhood's anointed candidate, Mohamed Mursi, in the June 16-17 ballot.

»

A Glimmer?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
(Editorial) June 5, 2012 - 12:00am

There is a plenty of blame to be shared for why peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians are going nowhere. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s insistence on expanding Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem are a big part of the problem. There may be some glimmer of hope in Mr. Netanyahu’s decision to support an Israeli Supreme Court order to close an illegal neighborhood, known as Ulpana, in the West Bank settlement of Beit El.

»

Abbas Says Without Jerusalem, Palestinians Don’t Want State
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bloomberg
by Jonathan Ferziger, Alaa Shahine - June 5, 2012 - 12:00am

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said his people don’t want to establish their own state unless they’re assured that Jerusalem will be its capital. Abbas, speaking today at a meeting of the World Economic Forum in Istanbul, blamed Israel for the standstill in peace efforts and called on the U.S. to help break the deadlock.

»

How Israel Can Finally Win the Six-Day War
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bloomberg
by Jeffrey Goldberg - (Opinion) June 4, 2012 - 12:00am

Tuesday marks the 45th anniversary of the Six-Day War between Israel and its Arab neighbors, and the question remains: Which side will win? Yes, many people are under the impression that Israel already won. It’s true that the first phase of the war -- which began with Israeli strikes on the Egyptian air force and ended with Israel in possession of the Sinai Peninsula, the Golan Heights, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip -- represented an unambiguous military triumph.

»


American Task Force on Palestine - 1634 Eye St. NW, Suite 725, Washington DC 20006 - Telephone: 202-262-0017