Obama’s Visit to Israel a Chance To Reset US-Israel Ties
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Monitor
by Ben Caspit - (Opinion) February 7, 2013 - 1:00am

The previous elections in Israel took place in February 2009, some three months after Barack Obama was elected as the first black president in the history of the United States, and about one month after he assumed office. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formed his government on April 1, 2009. In other words, Obama had a 40-day hiatus in which he was the sitting president and Netanyahu was the prime minister-designate, attempting to put together a coalition.

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Welcome, Secretary Kerry!
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Uri Savir - (Opinion) February 7, 2013 - 1:00am

Congratulations to John Kerry on his taking office as secretary of state of the United States. President Barack Obama could not have made a better choice than a man who was himself close to being in the Oval Office, a liberal democrat from Massachusetts with bipartisan support, a champion of human rights and democracy who understands all too well the might of the United States as leader of the free world, a true American and a cosmopolitan man who fathoms the changing world.

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Chill Out, John Kerry
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New Republic
by Aaron David Miller - (Opinion) February 7, 2013 - 1:00am

Here we go again.  A recently minted American secretary of state eager to burnish his foreign policy credentials barely a day after his confirmation has already called both the Israeli prime minister and Palestinian president to discuss the importance of trying to resume the peace process and to express America’s commitment to Arab-Israeli peace. 

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Obama's visit to Israel is better late than never
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
(Editorial) February 7, 2013 - 1:00am

The timing of U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Israel is no accident. The visit presumably attests to the new order of priorities of Obama's second term, the great importance he attaches to immediate movement in negotiations with the Palestinians, and the close relationship he sees between the peace process and stability in a Middle East undergoing convulsions.

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Boosting ties
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
(Editorial) February 7, 2013 - 1:00am

On several occasions during his first term – particularly at times when it seemed that relations between Jerusalem and Washington were strained – The Jerusalem Post called on US President Barack Obama to visit Israel. Now the visit is apparently about to happen and we welcome the US president with open arms.

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Obama’s Israel trip is not about Middle East peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy
by Josh Rogin - (Opinion) February 7, 2013 - 1:00am

U.S. President Barack Obama will visit Israel next month for the first time in his presidency, but few are expecting him to make a substantive push for real progress in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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Obama Complicates Netanyahu’s Coalition Talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast
by J.J. Goldberg - (Opinion) February 7, 2013 - 1:00am

For all the speculation over what President Obama plans to say to Prime Minister Netanyahu when the two meet in Jerusalem in March or April, the important message has already been delivered. By making Israel his first overseas destination, the president has made it the top item on his second-term foreign-policy agenda. And with all due respect to the prime minister’s domestic political constraints, that means the president intends to create some movement toward Israeli-Palestinian peace.

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Judith Butler's Remarks to Brooklyn College on BDS
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Nation
by Judith Butler - (Transcript) February 7, 2013 - 1:00am

Usually one starts by saying that one is glad to be here, but I cannot say that it has been a pleasure anticipating this event. What a Megillah! I am, of course, glad that the event was not cancelled, and I understand that it took a great deal of courage and a steadfast embrace of principle for this event to happen at all.

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Palestinian Officials Urge Obama to Push for Peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
by Daniel Estrin - February 7, 2013 - 1:00am

Palestinian officials said Thursday they hope President Barack Obama's upcoming visit to the region signals readiness to re-engage in Mideast peace efforts, but that negotiations can only resume if Washington is ready to get tough with Israel.

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News Analysis: Stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks to dominate Obama's visit
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
February 7, 2013 - 1:00am

 

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