Free Jonathan Pollard
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Lawrence Korb - (Opinion) October 28, 2010 - 12:00am

About 25 years ago, Jonathan Jay Pollard, a U.S. naval intelligence analyst, betrayed his country by providing highly classified information to Israel. Even though Israel was and still is a U.S. ally and is routinely supplied with U.S. intelligence, Pollard deserved to be severely punished for his actions. However, the punishment should fit the crime. In his case, it does not.

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Some Israelis Hoping for A GOP Win, But Will History Repeat Itself?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
by Nathan Guttman - October 27, 2010 - 12:00am

As predictions of a Republican tidal wave in the coming congressional elections became more certain, some Israelis were experiencing goose bumps of anticipation. Many on the right in Israel believe a shift of one or both houses of Congress to a Republican majority could limit the Obama administration’s ability to pressure Jerusalem — even more than it is already limited with the Democrats — in its quest for a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.

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Credit to Obama for sticking with the Middle East. But it's gone very wrong
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian
by Jonathan Freedland - (Opinion) October 26, 2010 - 12:00am

The august ranks of those who form the conventional wisdom in American politics are as one: Barack Obama's Democrats are going to take a hammering in next Tuesday's midterm elections. One of the few elements of the Obama record not blamed is also, paradoxically, one of those areas that need to change on 3 November. It is the administration's handling of the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians.

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Palestinians renew threat to seek UN recognit
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Statesman
by Mohammed Daraghmeh - October 25, 2010 - 12:00am

BETHLEHEM, WEST BANK — The Palestinian president said Monday that Israel has been taking unilateral steps for decades by building settlements, so the Palestinians might take one of their own — asking the United Nations to recognize their independent state. President Mahmoud Abbas was replying to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said the only path to peace is negotiations. The threat of unilateral action indicates the depth of the crisis over peace talks restarted just last month by President Barack Obama.

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Halt to Palestinian peace talks could become permanent
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Glenn Kessler, Janine Zacharia - October 23, 2010 - 12:00am

In perhaps the shortest round of peace negotiations in the history of their conflict, talks between the Israelis and Palestinians have ground to a halt and show little sign of resuming.

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Just Knock It Off
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Thomas L. Friedman - (Opinion) October 21, 2010 - 12:00am

Some of Israel’s worst critics are fond of saying that Israel behaves like America’s spoiled child. I’ve always found that analogy excessive. Say what you want about Israel’s obstinacy at times, it remains the only country in the United Nations that another U.N. member, Iran, has openly expressed the hope that it be wiped off the map. And that same country, Iran, is trying to build a nuclear weapon.

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Moves to free convicted spy Pollard pick up in U.S. and Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Vita Bekker - October 21, 2010 - 12:00am

As convicted spy Jonathan Pollard approaches 25 years behind bars, Israelis and others are renewing efforts to secure freedom for the former U.S. Navy intelligence analyst, who is serving a life sentence for relaying military documents to Israel. Pollard's case has been a source of constant friction between Israel and the United States, its staunchest ally. Israeli leaders have failed to persuade Washington to release the 56-year-old American Jew, whom Israelis and some U.S. officials say was given an unduly long sentence for spying for a friendly government.

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Clinton calls for release of Gilad Shalit—Palestinian American audience applauds
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA)
by Ron Kampeas - (Blog) October 21, 2010 - 12:00am

This moment, at about 23 minutes into the video* was not an extraordinary one, to those familiar with the American Task Force on Palestine. It's a group that works closely with the Mahmoud Abbas Palestinian Authority, that rejects Hamas, that engages Jewish groups that also embrace two states. Here it is from the transcript of the secretary of state's remarks to the group's dinner:

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The Palestinians' Ploy
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National Interest
by Paul Pillar - (Blog) October 21, 2010 - 12:00am

Whatever is your opinion about the issues that divide Israelis and Palestinians, you have to give the Palestinians credit for having hit upon a clever idea to inject into the current impasse. That idea, currently a subject of discussion among Palestinian leaders in the West Bank, is to appeal to international bodies for some kind of affirmation of Palestine as a state on land Israel conquered in the 1967 war.

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US backs Palestinian demand to see borders
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
October 14, 2010 - 12:00am

WASHINGTON (Ma’an) -- The US on Wednesday supported the PLO's request to see a map of Israel's borders, but said such demands must be made face-to-face, not through the media. PLO Secretary-General Yasser Abed Rabbo on Wednesday called on Israel and the US to provide a map of Israel's borders before "asking anything else." "Israel is an unknown entity in terms of borders [so] how does it suggest to recognize it as a Jewish state? Israel and the US should first set out Israel's borders," he explained.

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