NEWS:
Palestinian officials say they are likely to ask the UN for nonmember observer state status, but will push for a vote after the November US elections. This represents a lowering of expectations from last year. Pres. Abbas meets with Jewish Americans, and reiterates Palestinians would resume negotiations if Israel initiated a settlement freeze. Hundreds of protesters in the Gaza Strip call for the overthrow of Hamas following the death of a child in a fire triggered by power outages. Jordan condemns extremist Jewish Israelis for breaking into the yards of the Al Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem. Israel's left-wing Meretz party presents a new peace proposal. Qatar pledges millions in aid for Gaza rebuilding. Six Palestinians are reportedly killed, in a manner that reflects torture and execution, in Aleppo. Israel's official recognition of a settlement university puts its policies under test and scrutiny. A Palestinian citizen of Israel studying at the university says she was thrown off a bus at gunpoint by security officers. A Gaza family blames sewage and lack of sanitation for the loss of eight children in two years. Massachusetts Democratic Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren says Israeli-Palestinian peace must not “fall off the map.” The PA minister accused of sexual harassment is reportedly Civil Affairs Minister al-Sheikh, in charge of security coordination with Israel.
COMMENTARY:
ATFP Pres. Ziad Asali previews Abbas' UN speech. Crispian Balmer says the Palestinians are set for a Pyrrhic victory at the UN. Sefi Rachlevsky says PM Netanyahu is unfit to serve as prime minister. Mark Mardell looks at how Netanyahu has become part of the US election campaign. Osama Al Sharif says Abbas faces a set of unpalatable options. Semih Idiz says unless Israel changes its policies, its efforts to repair relations with Turkey won't work.Aaron David Miller says Netanyahu isn't solely to blame for the impasse on peace or deterioration in relations with the United States. Zvika Krieger looks at what he calls “Fortress Gaza.”
This time last year Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was a hero to his people as he waved an application for statehood recognition from the podium of the United Nations General Assembly.
Palestinians likely to ask UN GA for statehood
Media Outlet:
Associated Press
NEW YORK —
A Palestinian legislator says President Mahmoud Abbas will likely ask the United Nation's General Assembly to vote on recognizing Palestine in November.
Abbas adopts 'Dershowitz Formula' for resuming talks with Israel
Article Author(s):
Chemi Shalev
Harvard jurist and well-known Israel advocate Professor Alan Dershowitz has secured Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ agreement to a settlement freeze formula that he hopes will break the diplomatic stalemate and lead to a resumption of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
Boy's death ignites rare anti-Hamas protests in Gaza
Article Author(s):
Nidal al-Mughrabi
GAZA, Sept 26 (Reuters) - At least 500 protesters in the Gaza Strip have called for the overthrow of the ruling Islamist Hamas group in a rare demonstration triggered by the death of a three-year-old boy in a fire during a power outage.
Jordan condemns radical Israelis for breaking into Aqsa Mosque's yards
AMMAN, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Jordan on Tuesday condemned radical Israel i settlers and rabbis as they broke into the yards of Al Aqsa Mosque, the state-run Petra news agency reported.
Israeli left-wing party introduces new peace plan to replace Oslo Accords
JERUSALEM, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The head of Israel's left-wing Meretz party, Knesset (parliament) member Zehava Gal-On introduced her party's draft for a new peace plan with the Palestinians on Tuesday.
Qatar pledges millions in aid for Gaza rebuilding
Media Outlet:
Ma'an News Agency
GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Qatar is planning to provide half a billion dollars in assistance to the Gaza Strip over the coming three years to rebuild infrastructure destroyed in Israeli attacks.
In a visit to the enclave Tuesday, Qatari ambassador Muhammad al-Imadi said the Gulf country's emir created a special committee to distribute some $450 million for infrastructure, development and education projects.
Group: 6 Palestinians killed in Syria
Media Outlet:
Ma'an News Agency
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Six Palestinians were killed in Syria on Wednesday, a local group said, with some of the bodies showing signs of torture.
The coordinating committee of Yarmouk refugee camp told Ma'an that four Palestinians were killed at a security checkpoint near the city of Aleppo.
West Bank university puts Israeli policies to the test
Article Author(s):
Maayan Lubell
ARIEL, West Bank (Reuters) -- An Israeli government move to upgrade Ariel University Center in the occupied West Bank to a full-fledged university has put the 30-year-old school at the center of a debate at the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: how the settlements will figure in defining a future Palestinian state.
For Arab student going to Ariel, the message is 'Yalla, get off the bus'
Article Author(s):
Jack Khoury
An Arab student says security guards humiliated her and forced her off a bus at gunpoint on her way to Ariel University Center in the West Bank.
Family blames sewage, trash for deaths of 8 children in Gaza camp
Media Outlet:
Ma'an News Agency
GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- A family in Gaza that lost eight children over two years says the lack of sanitation around their home in al-Bureij refugee camp is responsible for their deaths.
The Salim family lives meters from a landfill in the central Gaza camp, and their home is surrounded by open sewage and trash.
Omar Salim, 30, told Ma'an that his son Mohammad pleaded not to be taken to the hospital when he fell ill with a fever and had blue spots on his skin.
U.S. Senate hopeful: Israeli-Palestinian peace shouldn't fall off the map
Article Author(s):
Dina Kraft
Watertown, MA. - Amid cheers of “We Want Liz,” Elizabeth Warren, the Democratic candidate in the most high-profile U.S. Senate race, seemed to be enjoying herself as she wound her way through thick crowds of supporters at the town fair in this working class Boston suburb.
PA minister suspected of sexual harassment revealed to be Fatah member in charge of coordination with Israel
Article Author(s):
Avi Issacharoff
The Palestinian minister that has been suspected of sexually harassing an employee was revealed to be Civil Affairs Minister Hussein al-Sheikh, a senior Fatah member and the person in charge of the civilian and security coordination with Israel.
No Drama at Turtle Bay
Article Author(s):
Ziad Asali
Media Outlet:
The Daily Beast
At the upcoming United Nations General Assembly meeting, the world will be watching—though with markedly less intensity than last year—to see what the Palestinians will do.
Palestinians set for Pyrrhic victory in United Nations
Article Author(s):
Crispian Balmer
RAMALLAH (Reuters) -- If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
After failing last year to win recognition of full statehood at the United Nations, President Mahmoud Abbas returns to New York on Thursday to ask the General Assembly for a less ambitious status upgrade.
The Israeli prime minister is unfit to serve
Article Author(s):
Sefi Rachlevsky
Early in the summer of 1983 Menahem Begin became unfit to serve as prime minister. For weeks this fact was concealed from the Israeli public by cabinet ministers and military leaders.
Netanyahu gets tangled up in US election
Article Author(s):
Mark Mardell
Iran is not on the agenda. But it is on their minds.
As the big United Nations meeting gets underway, the West's biggest foreign policy challenge is not likely to be discussed.
Abbas’ grim options
Article Author(s):
Osama Al-Sharif
Media Outlet:
The Jordan Times
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas finds himself in an unenviable position as he prepares to fly to New York to pursue the difficult goal of upgrading Palestine’s status from observer status to a non-member observer state.
Can Israel Win Turkey Over?
Article Author(s):
Semih Idiz
Israel is probing its relations with Turkey. Moderate remarks from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his extreme right-wing Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman reflect their search for reconciliation.
Stop Blaming Bibi
Article Author(s):
Aaron David Miller
Media Outlet:
Foreign Policy
It's been a bad month for Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Israeli prime minister has been hammered for being trigger-happy on Iran, he won't see his good friend Barack Obama at the opening of the U.N. General Assembly, and he's being blasted for intervening in American politics.
Welcome to 'Fortress Gaza,' Home of the Newly Radicalized Hamas
Article Author(s):
Zvika Krieger
Media Outlet:
The Atlantic
Top officials in Hamas have confirmed this week that the group's leader, Khaled Mishaal, has decided to resign his post. Hamas official Salah al-Bardawil tried to dismiss any suspicions of internal discord: "He has decided to retire to make room for the younger members." But Mishaal's decision belies significant shifts within the organization.
Links:
[1] http://www.americantaskforce.org/print/27904
[2] http://www.americantaskforce.org/printmail/27904
[3] http://www.americantaskforce.org/printpdf/27904
[4] http://www.americantaskforce.org/rss/wpr
[5] https://www.americantaskforce.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=1
[6] http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-09-26/palestinian-leader-abbas-back-at-un-with-lowered-aims
[7] http://www.statesman.com/ap/ap/top-news/palestinians-likely-to-ask-un-ga-for-statehood/nSLxN/
[8] http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/abbas-adopts-dershowitz-formula-for-resuming-talks-with-israel.premium-1.466794
[9] http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/26/palestinians-hamas-death-idUSL5E8KQ3TJ20120926
[10] http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-09/26/c_131872768.htm
[11] http://search.news.cn/language/search.jspa?id=en&t1=0&t=1&ss=&btn=0&ct=Yemen&n1=Israel&np=content
[12] http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-09/25/c_123761343.htm
[13] http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=523487
[14] http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=523658
[15] http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=523702
[16] http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/for-arab-student-going-to-ariel-the-message-is-yalla-get-off-the-bus.premium-1.466658
[17] http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=523433
[18] http://www.haaretz.com/news/features/u-s-senate-hopeful-israeli-palestinian-peace-shouldn-t-fall-off-the-map.premium-1.466712
[19] http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/pa-minister-suspected-of-sexual-harassment-revealed-to-be-fatah-member-in-charge-of-coordination-with-israel.premium-1.466809
[20] http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/09/25/no-drama-at-turtle-bay.html
[21] http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=523493
[22] http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/the-israeli-prime-minister-is-unfit-to-serve.premium-1.466680
[23] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19705161
[24] http://jordantimes.com/abbas-grim-options
[25] http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/politics/2012/09/israels-futile-attempts-to-repair-turkish-relations.html
[26] http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/09/25/stop_blaming_bibi
[27] http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/09/welcome-to-fortress-gaza-home-of-the-newly-radicalized-hamas/262811/
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