Middle East News: World Press Roundup

NEWS: Israeli officials confirm they are not only planning building in the sensitive E1 corridor, but also the extremely controversial Givat HaMatos settlement near Beit Safafa. Israeli media reports suggest construction is aimed more at the United States than at the Palestinians. Leading European states and Australia summon Israel's ambassadors to complain about settlement construction. The US also intensifies its criticism. Palestinians say they might pursue war crimes charges if Israel continues with the settlement plan. Palestinian officials say they're ready to resume negotiations with Israel. Israel arrests settlers suspected of attacks in the occupied West Bank. The UN General Assembly calls on Israel to open its nuclear facilities to international inspection. Hamas' leader Al-Zahar says armed struggle is the only way forward for Palestinians. The UN accuses Syria of violating the 1974 cease-fire terms with Israel. COMMENTARY: ATFP calls on the US to ensure Israel doesn't build in E1. Hussein Ibish says the international community must stop Israel's settlement plan or drop the pretense of pursuing a two-state solution. The New York Times says Netanyahu is making a strategic mistake by planning to build in E1. Reuven Pedatzur says, now that the war is over, Israeli officials must explain their decision to assassinate Hamas commander Jabari. Ha'aretz says Netanyahu is behaving recklessly. Shlomo Avineri explains how Israel might've used the Palestinian UN initiative to its own advantage. Emanuel Rosen says extremists on both sides are leading Israel and the Palestinians towards disaster. Gerson Baskin says the conflict is entering a lose-lose scenario, although it is not too late. Ian Black says it's time for Europe to propose its own peace initiative. Mary Robinson and Martti Ahtisaari say Europe can make its voice heard by boycotting settlement products. Yossi Alpher looks of the lessons of the recent Gaza conflict. The Daily Star says if the West wants peace, it's going to have to stand up to Israel on settlements. Blake Hounshell interviews former PM Olmert. Alon Pinkas says the two-state solution is in big trouble. Michael Koplow says Netanyahu is bluffing about building in E1.

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Israel to build new Jewish neighborhood in east Jerusalem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua December 3, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Jerusalem Municipality is set to authorize a new Jewish neighborhood in east Jerusalem later this month beyond the 1967 lines on annexed Palestinian territories. Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem Kobi Kahlon confirmed to the Jerusalem Post on Monday that the final authorization of the neighborhood, Givat Hamatos, is set to include 2,610 housing units and will be given on Dec. 19. » Read more

'U.S. angered by claim that new building at E-1 aimed at Obama, not Palestinians' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Chemi Shalev - December 3, 2012 - 1:00am The U.S. Administration intensified criticism of Israel’s decision to proceed with construction at the E-1 site near Ma'ale Adumim in response to indications that the move was meant to “retaliate” against U.S. President Barack Obama for his refusal to endorse the 2004 Sharon-Bush letter on settlement blocs. » Read more

5 European Nations Summon Envoys of Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Isabel Kershner - December 3, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM — Britain, France, Spain, Sweden and Denmark summoned the Israeli ambassadors to their countries on Monday to protest Israel’s plans for increased settlement construction, an unusually sharp diplomatic step that reflected the growing frustration abroad with Israel’s policies on the Palestinian issue. » Read more

Australia summons Israel ambassador over settlements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters December 4, 2012 - 1:00am CANBERRA (Reuters) -- Australia summoned the Israeli ambassador on Tuesday to protest against Israel's decision to expand Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank and withhold tax revenue from the Palestinian Authority. Australia's move followed similar actions in Europe including Spain, France, Britain, Sweden and Denmark in the wake of the Palestinians winning de facto UN recognition of statehood. » Read more

U.S. intensifies criticism of Israel on settlement plan ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Andrew Quinn, Matt Spetalnick - December 3, 2012 - 1:00am WASHINGTON, Dec 3 (Reuters) - The United States on Monday ratcheted up criticism of Israel over plans to expand Jewish settlement building on occupied land, urging it to reconsider despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's refusal to back down. The Obama administration's tougher-than-usual words for close ally Israel came after five European governments summoned Israeli ambassadors in their capitals to express concern over the new settlement projects. But Washington stopped short of threatening any concrete measures against the Jewish state. » Read more

Israel to advance east Jerusalem building plans ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Amy Teibel - December 4, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM —Israel is moving forward with plans for two major settlement projects in east Jerusalem, a spokeswoman said Tuesday, even as a senior Palestinian official warned that his government could pursue war crimes charges if Israel doesn't halt such construction. International anger over Israeli settlement construction has snowballed in recent days, following last week's U.N. recognition of a state of Palestine — in lands Israel occupied in 1967 — as a non-member observer in the General Assembly. » Read more

Palestinians ready to resume peace talks after UN bid: chief negotiator ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua December 3, 2012 - 1:00am RAMALLAH, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said in a special interview with Xinhua on Monday that the Palestinians are ready to resume the peace talks with Israel based on new references after the United Nations granted the Palestinians the status of a non-member observer state. » Read more

Israel arrests settlers suspected of W.Bank attacks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Allyn Fisher-Ilan, Dan Williams - December 3, 2012 - 1:00am JERUSALEM, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Israeli police arrested three Jewish settlers on Monday whom they suspect of arson and other attacks on Palestinian property in the occupied West Bank. At a time of heightened diplomatic tension over claims to the land, the men were found carrying fuel and spikes shortly after a car was torched in a Palestinian village near Hebron. A police spokesman said they had appeared to be about to conduct a second attack in another village nearby when they were detained. » Read more

UN calls on Israel to open nuclear facilities ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Edith M. Lederer - December 4, 2012 - 1:00am UNITED NATIONS —The U.N. General Assembly has overwhelmingly approved a resolution calling on Israel to quickly open its nuclear program for inspection and backing a high-level conference to ban nuclear weapons from the Middle East which was just canceled. » Read more

Hamas' Al-Zahar urges Fatah members to join armed resistance ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency December 4, 2012 - 1:00am GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar on Monday urged Fatah members to join the armed resistance. "Come to the program of resistance and stop wasting time and efforts, let’s put our hands together and carry the gun," al-Zahar said at a ceremony to honor the victims of Israel's war on Gaza. » Read more

UN chief accuses Syria of violating Golan accord with Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press December 4, 2012 - 1:00am United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is accusing the Syrian government of serious violations of the 1974 agreement that separated Israeli and Syrian forces in the Golan Heights and is calling on both countries to halt firing across the cease-fire line. Ban urged Syria to stop deploying troops and military equipment in the disputed zone. » Read more

ATFP Asks US to Ensure No Israeli Building in E1 ATFP World Press Roundup Article from ATFP December 4, 2012 - 1:00am Dec. 3, Washington, DC -- The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) today urged the Obama administration to use all its good offices with Israel to ensure that settlement expansion reportedly being considered in the highly sensitive “E1 corridor" not take place. » Read more

The E1 emergency ATFP World Press Roundup Article from NOW Lebanon by Hussein Ibish - (Opinion) December 4, 2012 - 1:00am You can't say Israel and United States didn't warn each other, or that they didn't see this coming. The Americans anticipated a potential Israeli overreaction to the Palestinian United Nations status upgrade to "nonmember observer state." And there was one measure they particularly wanted to prevent: new Israeli settlement construction in the hypersensitive E1 corridor near Jerusalem.  » Read more

Mr. Netanyahu’s Strategic Mistake ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times (Editorial) December 3, 2012 - 1:00am Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel seems determined to escalate a crisis by retaliating against the Palestinians after the United Nations General Assembly voted to elevate Palestine to observer state status. Instead of looking for ways to halt a downward spiral, Mr. Netanyahu on Monday defiantly dug in on his plans to build 3,000 more housing units in contested areas east of Jerusalem and in the West Bank, and to continue planning a development in the most contentious area known as E1. » Read more

Why did Israel kill Jabari? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Reuven Pedatzur - (Opinion) December 4, 2012 - 1:00am The real story behind Operation Pillar of Defense in Gaza has not yet been investigated, but now that the explosions have stopped, we are obligated to delve into the truth. The decision to kill Hamas military chief Ahmed Jabari, which was the opening shot of the operation, was made even though he was involved in negotiations on signing a long-term cease-fire agreement. » Read more

Reckless behavior ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Editorial) December 4, 2012 - 1:00am Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to freeze the transfer of funds to the Palestinian Authority and build 3,000 housing units in the West Bank is nothing less than reckless behavior. The decision to punish the PA has provoked a confrontation with the international community, which voted overwhelmingly to accept the Palestinians as a nonmember observer state at the United Nations. » Read more

Netanyahu's missed opportunity ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Shlomo Avineri - (Opinion) December 4, 2012 - 1:00am Following is the speech that the prime minister of Israel should have delivered at the UN General Assembly after Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' address: "I would like to congratulate the president of the Palestinian Authority on the courageous step you took. In coming to the UN General Assembly seeking recognition of Palestine as a nonmember state, you have embarked on the path toward a historic compromise between the Jewish national movement - Zionism - and the Palestinian national movement. » Read more

Both sides at fault ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Emanuel Rosen - (Opinion) December 4, 2012 - 1:00am Remember November 2012. Remember the month in which Bibi and Lieberman gave Hamas the seal of approval and essentially affixed the state of Hamastan in Gaza. » Read more

Encountering Peace: The stage is set for the final act ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Gershon Baskin - (Opinion) December 3, 2012 - 1:00am Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s speech at the UN was a bad one. I could explain that he was speaking to his own public after a war in which Palestinians were killed, and his people were angry. I could point out that throughout the world experts noted that the one real loser of the Gaza war was Abbas and his Palestinian Authority. » Read more

Middle East conflict: it's time for Europe to suggest its own path to peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Ian Black - (Opinion) December 3, 2012 - 1:00am Israel's ambassadors to Britain and France must have spent an uncomfortable few minutes on Monday as they were called in to hear of official displeasure in London and Paris at their government's decision to expand settlements in a key area of the occupied West Bank. Sweden, Denmark and Spain also summoned Israeli envoys for a slap on the wrist. Even Germany, often cautious about criticism of Israel, issued a public protest. » Read more

This is Europe's big chance to help the two-state solution become reality ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Martti Ahtisaari, Mary Robinson - (Opinion) December 3, 2012 - 1:00am The vote to grant Palestine observer state status at the UN last month brought a rare promise of hope to a land where it has been in short supply. It is disappointing, however, that European countries failed to endorse the bid unanimously. As former European heads of state, we find such a lack of coherence difficult to reconcile with the European Union's support for a two-state solution. » Read more

Where Gaza Has Left Us ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Yossi Alpher - (Opinion) December 4, 2012 - 1:00am Now that the fog of war over Gaza has lifted and the ceasefire appears to be settling in, a number of strategic questions and lessons emerge. Many are relevant not just to the Israel-Hamas confrontation. » Read more

Settling reality ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star (Editorial) December 2, 2012 - 1:00am The West condemned Israel’s settlement plan Monday in no uncertain terms, but the 3,000 planned new homes are just the latest in a well-established policy by the Jewish state. The takeover of Palestinian land seized in 1967 via settlements has been a creeping plan by Israel to change the reality of the situation over the past 45 years. » Read more

The Case Against Benjamin Netanyahu ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy by Blake Hounshell - (Opinion) December 4, 2012 - 1:00am Ehud Olmert is running. Or maybe he's not. He insists he'll only make an announcement about his political future on Israeli soil, though he seems to take great pleasure in dropping hints. Either way, the former Israeli prime minister had a two-pronged message on this weekend's trip to America: Benjamin Netanyahu can be beaten in the upcoming elections in January. And peace with the Palestinians is still possible. » Read more

Trouble Lies Ahead For Two-State Solution ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Monitor by Alon Pinkas - (Opinion) December 3, 2012 - 1:00am What are the implications of the Palestinians' achieving non-member observer status at the United Nations, and the Israeli response announcing more settlements, including in areas east of Jerusalem delineated in maps as possibly part of a future Palestinian state? There are two scenarios.  In one word: Nothing. In one acronym: A LOT, meaning A Lot Of Trouble. » Read more

Bibi Is Bluffing On E1 ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast by Michael Koplow - (Opinion) December 3, 2012 - 1:00am Following Thursday’s U.N. vote granting non-member state observer status to Palestine, Netanyahu’s security cabinet voted to advance plans to build in the area between Jerusalem and Ma’ale Adumim known as E1, which would cordon off East Jerusalem from the West Bank, making a future contiguous Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital impossible. This would probably deal a fatal blow to the two-state solution given that borders and Jerusalem are two of the four final status issues that must be negotiated. » Read more

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