Why is Obama so tough on Israel and timid on Syria?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Jackson Diehl - (Opinion) June 19, 2011 - 12:00am

One of the hallmarks of the Arab Spring has been the emergence of a new and more modest American foreign policy. The Obama administration has insisted on not taking the lead in promoting democratic change; it has declined to act unless not just the French and British but the Arab League go first. It still can’t bring itself to say that Bashar al-Assad, a dictator and implacable U.S. enemy who is using tanks and helicopter gunships to slaughter his people, is not qualified to lead Syria to democracy.

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What to Do With Lemons
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Thomas L. Friedman - (Opinion) June 18, 2011 - 12:00am

While President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have gotten a lot of things right on foreign policy, they’ve made quite a mess in Israeli-Palestinian relations, where they’ve alienated all sides and generated zero progress. They’ve been inconsistent — demanding a settlements freeze then backing down — unimaginative and politically wimpy.

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U.S. Pushes New Effort on Peace in Mideast
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Wall Street Journal
by Jay Solomon - June 17, 2011 - 12:00am

WASHINGTON—The Obama administration and European governments are stepping up efforts to revive Arab-Israeli peace talks, saying they have little time to head off a Palestinian drive to seek United Nations recognition as a state. The White House this week dispatched its top Middle East negotiators, Dennis Ross and David Hale, to the region to try to gain Israeli and Palestinian agreement to resume negotiations based on parameters President Barack Obama laid out last month, according to U.S. and Israeli officials.

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The Steve Simon call
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA)
by Ron Kampeas - (Blog) June 16, 2011 - 12:00am

The Washington Post's left and right columnists are having a grand old time mixing it up over a call that Steve Simon, the White House go-to guy on Israel, had last Friday with the Jewish leadership. I heard the call. To put it gently, Greg Sargent, the Plum Line, or "left" columnist, has it right. And I don't know where Jennifer Rubin, the "Right Turn" columnist, is getting her info. The short story I put out Friday did not quote Simon at length, but I did not expect his remarks would be misreported.

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10 days, 10 months
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Brian Schaefer - (Opinion) June 16, 2011 - 12:00am

With June comes stifling summer heat and the French. Perhaps even more visible, or audible, is the endless stream of tour buses out of which tumble thousands of young Americans on whirlwind tours of the country. They’re loud, excited, and wielding cameras like weapons. Ladies and gentlemen, it’s Taglit-Birthright season in Israel.

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Opposition: Netanyahu isolated Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
June 15, 2011 - 12:00am

The Opposition took aim at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Wednesday during a special hearing on "The Netanyahu government's failure in the political, economic, and social fields". "You have isolated the State of Israel," said MK Dalia Itzik (Kadima). "You and your government sit in shocking idleness while the Arab states conduct a de-legitimization campaign. Your answer to that: They hate us."

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Netanyahu's "insoluble" conflict
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Americans For Peace Now
by Ori Nir - (Opinion) June 15, 2011 - 12:00am

If you want to understand why the Obama administration is so angry with Binyamin Netanyahu and his government, read what Netanyahu told Etgar Keret, one of Israel's leading young authors. Keret spoke with Netanyahu on a recent trip to Italy. He was reporting for Haaretz, the Israeli daily, which once a year hires Israel's leading authors and poets to serve as reporters.

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Netanyahu and the Arab spring
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Ahram
by Abdel-Moneim Said - (Opinion) June 15, 2011 - 12:00am

Two regionally and globally crucial spectacles have been unfolding in the Arab world this year. The first is the wave of "revolutions", or "uprisings", or whatever they might be called that have variously overthrown regimes, striven to overthrow others, and made yet others so uncomfortable that not a day goes by without them announcing various reforms.

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US envoys try to renew Israeli-Palestinian talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Statesman
by Tia Goldenberg - June 15, 2011 - 12:00am

Senior U.S. diplomats have returned to the Middle East for an unannounced visit to try to find a way to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks that collapsed last year and now face new challenges. Dennis Ross and David Hale's visit, confirmed by an Israeli official Wednesday, is their first to the region since special Mideast envoy George Mitchell resigned last month after failing to break the negotiations deadlock.

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Godspeed to Jerusalem, Glenn Beck
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Larry Derfner - (Opinion) June 15, 2011 - 12:00am

The American Right and Israeli Right have become the closest, most natural of allies. The Glenn Beck rally in Jerusalem for Israel, or at least for everything that’s lousy about Israel, is taking shape. According to Wednesday’s Yediot Aharonot, the rally has a name – “Restoring Courage.” Also a date – August 24. Also a place, or places – the Old City and Teddy Stadium. Also, tentatively, some guests of honor – Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Michele Bachmann and Mike Huckabee.

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