June 23rd

France's Sarkozy Offers In Israel To Broker Peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Francois Murphy - June 23, 2008 - 3:03pm

French President Nicolas Sarkozy put himself forward on Monday as a possible Middle East peace broker, offering in a speech to Israel's parliament to help reach agreement and mobilize French troops if necessary. "I ask you to trust us because we want to help you," said Sarkozy, the first French president to address the Knesset since Francois Mitterrand in 1982.

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Israeli Army Abuses Palestinian Prisoners: Group
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
June 23, 2008 - 3:01pm

An Israeli anti-torture watchdog said in a report on Sunday Israeli soldiers routinely abuse bound Palestinian detainees and it accused the military of "absolute indifference" towards such mistreatment. The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI) said its findings were based on 90 detailed accounts from Palestinians as well as from soldiers who witnessed the abuse and were concerned over the army's failure to stop it.

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Frustration In Gaza Despite Slight Easing Of Blockade
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP)
by Joseph Krauss - June 23, 2008 - 2:59pm

Dozens of Palestinian lorry drivers waited to load their goods in the scorching sun as Israel started to ease its blockade of the Gaza Strip on Sunday. The decision to increase the amount of humanitarian goods allowed into the besieged territory came after an Egyptian-mediated truce between Israel and the Islamist Hamas movement held for a fourth day. More than 50 empty trucks lined the road on the Gaza side of the Sufa crossing as Israeli hauliers unloaded goods on the other side. Many of the drivers said they had been waiting for more than 24 hours.

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Answering Attacks With Smiles And Smileys
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Inter Press Service (IPS)
by Nora Barrows-friedman - June 23, 2008 - 2:55pm

East of Beit Sahour in Ush Ghrab, the tree line stops and the bronze, rocky desert begins. In a flat clearing on this hilltop, a small, abandoned military post is being slowly transformed from an assorted collection of cement-grey barracks into a virtual oasis for the region's children, families and tourists. A former watchtower now has bright flowers painted on the roof; what was once a stark administrative office is now painted blue and pink, with a sign above the entrance reading 'The Nest Café' in red block letters.

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Gloomy Mood Envelops Israel Despite Gaza Truce
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from International Herald Tribune
by Ethan Bronner - June 23, 2008 - 2:53pm

After a year of painful violence - Hamas rockets flying into Israeli communities, soldiers killed and wounded on forays into Gaza - one might have expected the start of a six-month cease-fire with Hamas to be hailed here as good news. Yet what was the front page headline in the Maariv newspaper that day? "Fury and Fear."

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More Goods Entering Gaza Under Israel-hamas Truce
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Boston Globe
by Ibrahim Barzak - June 23, 2008 - 2:51pm

Israel allowed dozens of trucks to deliver food, diapers and clothes to the Gaza Strip on Sunday, boosting the flow of basic goods as part of a four-day-old truce with Hamas militants. Further increases are expected if the quiet continues, offering the prospect of relief for Gazans after a year of Israeli sanctions against the Hamas regime. The six-month deal is meant to end attacks that have killed more than 400 Palestinians and seven Israelis since the Islamic Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip a year ago, and pave the way toward wider-reaching agreements.

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In Need Of ‘wins On The Ground’
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Newsweek
by Lally Weymouth - June 23, 2008 - 2:49pm

King Abdullah of Jordan sat down at Petra with NEWSWEEK's Lally Weymouth last week and reflected on the state of affairs in his part of the world. He emphasized the need for a settlement of the Palestinian issue and claimed that Iran was no longer such a big problem for his country. Indeed, he sounded a bit like Barack Obama in arguing for the need for dialogue with Iran—a country he has in the past described as a major threat. Excerpts:

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The Jenin Model And The Gaza Model
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-ayyam
by Hassan Al-battal - June 23, 2008 - 2:42pm

Some of you may follow Super Star, or Law and Order, both of which are very exciting television programs. As television, the Berlin Conference episode, supporting the security and law programs of the Palestinians, was less exciting than the Paris Economic Conference show, which followed the Annapolis Political Conference program.   As we all know, the Annapolis Conference fell short of expectations, while the Paris Conference exceeded expectations, and the Bethlehem Conference, which achieved tangible results, was an actual success.  

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June 22nd

An ATFP translation of an article in Al-Ayyam Daily looks at the prospects of the Berlin Conference, scheduled to begin tomorrow (1). Newsweek’s Lally Weymouth sits down with Jordanian King Abdullah (2). Skepticism regarding the Hamas- Israel ceasefire continues (4) (6) (12) (13) even as the deal is gradually implemented (3). In a recent speech to the Israeli Knesset French President Nicolas Sarkozy offered his help in brokering Middle East peace (8).

June 20th

Quest For Peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Philadelphia Inquirer
June 20, 2008 - 3:35pm

Quest for peace Former Republican Sen. Rick Santorum tries to frighten supporters of Israel away from supporting Democratic nominee Barack Obama in part by citing my observation that Obama appears interested in ending the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip ("In addressing Israel policy, Obama displays duality," June 19).

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