Why Won’t Obama Talk to Israel?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Aluf Benn - (Opinion) July 27, 2009 - 12:00am

IN his global tours and TV appearances, President Obama has spoken to Arabs, Muslims, Iranians, Western Europeans, Eastern Europeans, Russians and Africans. His words have stirred emotions and been well received everywhere. But he hasn’t bothered to speak directly to Israelis.

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U.S. warns Israel: Don't build up West Bank corridor
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Aluf Benn - July 24, 2009 - 12:00am

The U.S. administration has issued a stiff warning to Israel not to build in the area known as E-1, which lies between Jerusalem and the West Bank settlement of Ma'aleh Adumim. Any change in the status quo in E-1 would be "extremely damaging," even "corrosive," the message said.

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Israelis Wary of U.S.-Backed Peace Process
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from CBS News
by Robert Berger - July 24, 2009 - 12:00am

Amid strong U.S. pressure for a settlement freeze, there is growing skepticism among Israelis about America's stance in the Middle East peace process. A poll published Friday in The Jerusalem Post shows that 64 percent of Israeli Jews believe Israel cannot trust international pledges for its security in return for dismantling settlements and withdrawing from the West Bank. Furthermore, Israelis want a quid pro quo: 71 percent believe that Palestinians must freeze West Bank construction if Israel is forced to do the same.

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Israel envoy: No crisis with U.S. over settlements
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
July 23, 2009 - 12:00am

There is no crisis in relations between Israel and the United States, despite a lingering dispute - which will be settled "soon" - over settlement construction in the West Bank, Israel's new ambassador to Washington said Wednesday. But a highly respected Tel Aviv think tank said the two countries could be on a "collision course" unless Israel undertook practical measures to back up its statements that it wanted peace with the Palestinians.

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Israeli rabbis to U.S. Jews: Sway Obama administration in our favor
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
July 22, 2009 - 12:00am

A group of Israeli rabbis, headed by Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar, have sent a letter to U.S. rabbis and the President's Conference, urging them to exert political leverage in Israel's favor, Israel Radio reported on Wednesday.

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US: Too soon to discuss Israel sanctions
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP)
July 22, 2009 - 12:00am

Washington believes it is too early to talk about imposing sanctions on Israel to force it to freeze settlement building in east Jerusalem, a State Department spokesman said Tuesday. "It's premature to talk about that," spokesman Robert Wood said when asked about the possibility of US financial sanctions. "What we are trying to do, as I said right now, is to create an environment which makes it conducive for talks to go forward," he added. "And you know, as I said, Senator Mitchell is working very hard on this."

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Jerusalem ‘crisis’ reveals U.S.-Israel communications breakdown
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA)
by Ron Kampeas - July 22, 2009 - 12:00am

The summoning of an ambassador usually signifies a crisis. So what does it mean when the ambassador isn't summoned? That's the question that had U.S. officials scratching their heads after last week's mixed signals over whether the State Department had summoned Michael Oren, Israel's new ambassador, for a dressing-down over a Jewish plan to build 20 apartments in Sheik Jarrah, a Palestinian neighborhood in eastern Jerusalem. Israeli officials had leaked the reports of a "summons" to the media -- except Oren was never summoned, JTA has confirmed.

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Arrogant defiance
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
July 22, 2009 - 12:00am

Israel’s arrogant defiance of the US, its main ally and supporter, over the construction of yet another Israeli settlement in East Jerusalem has no easy or immediate answers. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rejection of Washington’s demands that it cease and desist from building yet another housing project in the heart of East Jerusalem is unprecedented and provocative. Never before has the Jewish state provoked its closest ally to such an extent and gotten away with it.

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'US, Israel rift on settlement issue to be resolved soon'
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
July 22, 2009 - 12:00am

Israel's Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren said that the disagreement between America and Israel on the settlement issue would be resolved soon. In an interview with Israel radio Wednesday, Oren claimed that there was no confrontation and no tension between the two countries. This was Oren's first interview since he presented his credentials on Monday to US President Barack Obama.

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Blind to reality
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Eitan Haber - (Opinion) July 22, 2009 - 12:00am

Recently, we have been seeing more and more reports in respect to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s declaration that he supports the “two states for two peoples” vision. Almost all of these reports carry the same message: PM Netanyahu merely uttered the words, yet the prime minister does not intend to implement what he said; in fact, we are being told that Netanyahu presented the kind of conditions that have no chance of being accepted by the Palestinians.

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