Refugees | The American Task Force on Palestine

U.S. to give $900 million in aid to Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from International Herald Tribune
by Helene Cooper - February 24, 2009 - 1:00am

The Obama administration intends to provide some $900 million to help rebuild Gaza after the Israeli incursion that ended last month, administration officials said Monday. In an early sign of how the administration plans to deal with Hamas, the militant Islamist group that controls Gaza, an official said that the aid would not go to Hamas but would be funneled through nongovernmental organizations.

'Lebanon’s Palestinian refugee camps a time bomb’
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
February 20, 2009 - 1:00am

Lebanon’s 12 Palestinian refugee camps are breeding grounds for extremist groups and constitute a “time bomb” that needs urgent attention, the International Crisis Group think tank said Thursday. Successive Lebanese governments were largely to blame for a “catastrophic” situation in the camps which were set up after the creation of Israel in 1948, the Brussels-based ICG said in a report.

Hasty Interpretations of Developments...and of US Dialogue with Iran and Syria
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al-Hayat
by Raghida Dergham - February 20, 2009 - 1:00am

There is an urgent need for redefining priorities and for profound thinking about the choices available to issues that pertain to the fate of the Middle East and of its relations with the outside world, with the aim of setting a comprehensive and lucid framework to prevent the shower of rumors, claims, predictions and impressions, as well as their harmful results. Among the issues that require responsible focus are the following:

Shake Up in the PLO
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat
by Kifah Zaboun - February 18, 2009 - 1:00am

Ramallah, Asharq Al-Awsat- High-ranking Palestinian sources have revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat that Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas transferred the task of leading the Palestinian negotiating team from Ahmad Quray, alias Abu-Ala, to Saeb Erekat, head of the PLO's negotiations department.

Bill Clinton says he's still hopeful for Mideast peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
February 18, 2009 - 1:00am

Despite the political impasse in Israel and the uncertain future of the Middle East peace process, former U.S. president Bill Clinton says he is still hopeful that Israel and the Palestinians can come to a two-state solution. "Palestinians are having more babies than the Israelis," Clinton told CNN's Larry King Live on Tuesday. "The Israelis have to decide whether they want to share the future in a positive way with a constructive Palestinian state, so that they have a Jewish democracy, which is what Israel was set up to be," he said.

Run, Tzipi, Run!
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Middle East Times
by Claude Salhani - February 13, 2009 - 1:00am

The gang of usual suspects, the pundits who traditionally cover the Middle East, have never been as much on opposite ends in trying to predict what may come from the region in the next few months. Remember the German film "Run Lola Run?" Depending on how fast Lola ran from her apartment to wherever she was going, a few seconds difference would alter the entire ending of the film. The Middle East today finds itself in much the same situation. In short, nearly total confusion.

Obama must resort to arm-twisting
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News
by George S. Hishmeh - (Opinion) February 11, 2009 - 1:00am

Barack Obama does not expect to be woken up at 3am over any imminent Middle East crisis. The Iranians were apparently pleased with his offer to start a dialogue during his very first live press conference, and the Israeli elections apparently have returned the ruling Kadima party to power although it is not yet certain whether Tzipi Livni will be able to form a new coalition government on the second try.

UN official slams Israel for blocking textbooks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
February 10, 2009 - 1:00am

Head of UNRWA operation in Gaza 'extremely frustrated' by Israel's refusal to allow paper into Strip, says new textbooks meant for children's human rights program The top UN Official in Gaza criticized Israel on Monday for blocking the shipment of paper to print textbooks for a new human rights curriculum that will be taught to children in all grades in the Palestinian territory. Israel also has refused to allow 12 truckloads of notebooks into Gaza as well as plastic sheeting which is

One Region, Two States
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Shimon Peres - (Opinion) February 10, 2009 - 1:00am

There is no shortage of opinions when it comes to Middle East affairs, and the recent events in Gaza have not muted them. A minority of Middle East pundits have recently emerged as advocates for a one-state solution, which would undermine Israel's legitimacy and internationally recognized right to exist as a sovereign Jewish state in the land of my forefathers. Having personally witnessed the remarkable progress we have made with the Palestinian Authority in recent years, I believe that a two-state solution is not only the best resolution to this age-old conflict but one within our reach.

Can Obama envoy George Mitchell kick-start Mideast peace?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
by Mark Rice-Oxley - February 9, 2009 - 1:00am

Few people can kick off a résumé like this: "1995-99: solved one of the world's most durable and intractable conflicts." So when President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were casting around for a peace envoy for the Middle East, George Mitchell was the obvious choice. Who better to deploy than someone experienced in the tortuous dealmaking that defused a comparable crisis and steered Northern Ireland toward a (sometimes frosty) civility?

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