PLO: Israel approves 3,226 houses in Jerusalem in March
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
April 5, 2010 - 12:00am

Israel approved the construction of a total of 3,226 homes for Jews in the disputed East Jerusalem in March, a report by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) said on Monday. The biggest projects involved the building of 1,600 housing units in Ramat Shlomo settlement and another 600 homes in a nearby settlement, the report said. Moreover, Jerusalem municipality has drawn up plans and is waiting an approval to build 50,000 houses in the comings months, according to the report.

»

Israel says it’s planning new gestures
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Yaakov Katz, Hilary Leila Krieger - April 2, 2010 - 12:00am

Israel has formulated a new list of potential gestures towards the Palestinians, Defense Ministry sources said Thursday, as a top Palestinian Authority minister visited Washington for talks with Obama administration officials. The office of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) and the Defense Ministry recently compiled new proposals for easing restrictions on Palestinians in the West Bank, according to Defense officials.

»

Netanyahu's days may be numbered
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News
by George S. Hishmeh - (Opinion) April 1, 2010 - 12:00am

Believe it or not, Benjamin Netanyahu may return to Washington next weekend. The Israeli prime minister has apparently overcome the embarrassment of his stressful encounter with President Barack Obama last month on ending illegal Israeli colony construction on occupied Palestinian land, especially in occupied East Jerusalem, where the Palestinians hope to establish their capital. But whether he will have his tail tucked between his legs remains to be seen.

»

The Background on Jerusalem in International Relations
Policy Focus by ATFP - April 1, 2010 - 12:00am

Numerous recent developments have reconfirmed the centrality of Jerusalem to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

»

Israeli behavior unworthy of U.S. friend
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dallas News
(Editorial) April 1, 2010 - 12:00am

Tensions have eased since the recent clash between the Obama administration and Israel over new expansion plans in East Jerusalem, but the controversy is far from resolved. Unless Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finds a better way to tamp down the expansionist tendencies of his coalition members, a rocky future awaits U.S.-Israeli relations. Final status issues

»

Changing course, Fatah officials call for Palestinian protests against Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
by Ilene Prusher - April 1, 2010 - 12:00am

Senior officials in Fatah, the mainstream faction of the PLO, have for several years taken a backseat approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict -- leaving negotiations to a few leaders at the top and demonstrations to the grass-roots activists on the street.

»

Poll suggests West Bank Jewish settlers more hawkish
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
by David Harris - April 1, 2010 - 12:00am

The mood of Jewish settlers in the West Bank is becoming increasingly uncompromising, according to a new poll published by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The survey looked at the views of Israelis as the Americans try to reboot the peace process with the Palestinians. It compared opinions today with those of Israelis some five years ago immediately prior to the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.

»

Likud MK: Not even 'Hussein Obama' will remove us from Hebron
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Charles Levinson, Natasha Mozgovaya - April 1, 2010 - 12:00am

Thousands of Israelis gathered Thursday at the Cave of the Patriarchs in the West Bank city of Hebron to celebrate the addition of the location to Israel's list of national heritage sites, a move initiated by the Land of Israel caucus in the Knesset. "The masses that have come here, including the 40 members of the Land of Israel caucus, are a guarantee and proof that no one will move us from the Cave of the Patriarchs, not even Hussein Obama," MK Ayoob Kara (Likud) told the crowd.

»

Netanyahu the politician shames Netanyahu the statesman
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Ari Shavit - (Opinion) April 1, 2010 - 12:00am

For the past 20 years, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been a victim of injustice. When he returned from the United States at the end of the 1980s, the leftist elite treated him with boundless hostility. When he headed the opposition during the Oslo years, he was perceived as an agitator and an instigator.

»

Village: Elon Moreh settlers create new outpost
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
April 1, 2010 - 12:00am

Caravan homes, water tanks and tents were installed by settlers on lands belonging to the village of Deir Al-Hatab on Thursday, in what locals said appeared to be an attempt to create an outpost of Elon Moreh settlement. Head of the Deir Al-Hatab village council, Abdul Karim Hussein, said the outpost was set up in the early hours of the morning about 500 meters northeast of the village.

»


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