U.S.-Israel Relations | The American Task Force on Palestine

In Berkeley, California, US Jews argue fiercely over Israeli policies
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
by Sharmila Devi - March 3, 2011 - 1:00am

It has a history of anti-war and pro-civil rights activism unmatched anywhere in the United States, yet not even this bucolic city nestled above San Francisco Bay in California is immune from the slings and arrows that accompany the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Berkeley is home to the top-ranked University of California, bookshops, cafes and wide leafy boulevards with imposing houses for professors and professionals from San Francisco's high-tech sector.

Rather Than Defend Obama, J Street Is Now Pushing Him
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
by Nathan Guttman - March 2, 2011 - 1:00am

Shifting sands in the Middle East and new political realities in Washington are forcing J Street to recalibrate its strategy. The dovish Israel lobby, whose supporters gathered recently in Washington for its second national conference, had previously tried to provide political cover for President Obama as he pushed for a speedy resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But now J Street finds itself prodding a reluctant administration to take a more assertive approach.

Poll: Americans still favorable towards Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Yitzhak Benhorin - March 1, 2011 - 1:00am

Barack Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu 's relationship may be shaky, the peace process is deadlocked – but Americans still have our backs. The latest Gallup Poll reveals that the majority of Americans, about 63%, continued to rate Israel favorably in 2011. Nearly 17% of Americans favor the Palestinians and 20% are impartial – supporting both sides equally or indifferently. Americans have not been affected by European and global de-legitimization efforts, not even by the apartheid week organized by Israel's adversaries in campuses around the world.

Encountering Peace: Learning from J Street
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Gershon Baskin - (Editorial) February 28, 2011 - 1:00am

I am writing from Washington DC, where I’m attending the second annual conference of J Street, together with more than 2,000 American Jews from all walks of life, four MKs from Kadima and one from Labor. There are a number of other Israelis representing various peace and human-rights organizations.

Dennis Ross: Time running out for peace; status quo unsustainable
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Yitzhak Benhorin - February 28, 2011 - 1:00am

The Obama Administration's "ongoing strategic discussions with the Israelis have taken on a character, a range of issues, intensity, and a frequency that is simply unprecedented," Dennis Ross told J Street's annual conference on Monday. The White House adviser on Middle East peace issues said that one of the Obama Administration's principles was “an unshakeable commitment to Israel’s security.”

Demand soars for Birthright trips
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
February 25, 2011 - 1:00am

A record 40,108 eligible Jewish young adults in North America applied to participate in a Taglit-Birthright Israel trip this summer. Registration for the trip, which closed February 22 after only seven days, represents both the highest number of applicants from North America and the shortest registration period.

J Street aims to have 2,000 at weekend conference in DC
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Hilary Leila Krieger - February 25, 2011 - 1:00am

More than 50 members of Congress are expected to attend J Street’s second-annual conference here this weekend, with 200 offices receiving the progressive group’s lobbyists during its visit to Capitol Hill on Tuesday, according to the organization. The number of federal lawmakers coming to the conference gala on Monday night are slightly more than the 44 who came last year, but well under the 148 lawmakers who served as a host committee at the last conference. This year J Street has no host committee.

In the Middle East protests, a seismic shift
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Fareed Zakaria - (Editorial) February 24, 2011 - 1:00am

We are in the midst of a revolution in the Middle East, one that has unleashed long-suppressed forces that will continue to send shock waves across an arc of countries from Morocco to Iran. We are all looking at each crisis individually as it breaks out. But if we step back we can see that this is really a seismic shift and that it will in time reverberate throughout the region.

Dan Shapiro to be named US envoy to Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Hilary Leila Krieger - February 23, 2011 - 1:00am

Senior White House adviser Dan Shapiro is set to be nominated as the next US ambassador to Israel, Washington sources said on Tuesday. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because no formal announcement has been made, though one is expected soon. Shapiro, born in 1969, currently serves as the National Security Council’s senior director for the Middle East and North Africa. He has regularly traveled to Israel and worked closely with US Middle East envoy George Mitchell to try to forge an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.

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