July 15th

Ramallah Readies For Obama Visit ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Khaled Abu Toameh - July 15, 2008 - 3:17pm Palestinian Authority officials on Monday welcomed Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's plans to visit Ramallah next week, saying they would brief him on the situation in the PA territories and the status of peace talks with Israel. The officials, however, warned that Obama's meeting with PA President Mahmoud Abbas, slated for July 23, did not mean that the Palestinians favor Obama over his Republican rival John McCain. » Read more

The Perils Of Unconditional Engagement In Print by Ghaith al-Omari - Middle East Progress (Opinion) - May 1, 2008 - 12:00am The issue of whether or not to engage Hamas boils down to the following question: would such engagement help moderate the organization, or would it simply improve Hamas? chances of dominating the Palestinian political scene and encourage extremism throughout the Middle East? For now, any engagement that goes beyond achieving de-escalation in Gaza would serve to bolster Hamas at the expense of those working toward a two-state solution. » Read more

Mideast Conflict: Need For A New Perspective In Print by Ziad Asali - Arab News (Opinion) - May 6, 2008 - 12:00am Peace is not easy. Achieving it requires summoning the deepest forms of courage. It means examining one?s darkest prejudices that dehumanize and demonize the other. The quest for mutual recognition of humanity and dignity is an arduous task. The question facing both Israelis and Palestinians is: Do they prefer to cling to the pain of past injuries and the suffering of their forefathers, or will they determine to move forward and build a better future for their children? » Read more

Israeli Army Arrests 8 Palestinians In Nablus ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Kuwait News Agency (kuna) July 15, 2008 - 3:15pm The Israeli Army arrested 8 Palestinians in Nablus, Tuesday, who Israel claims are affiliated with Hamas Movement. Palestinian security sources said Israeli forces arrested the former head of a charitable society in the city, Dr. abdulhaleem Al-Hanbali, after storming his house and also arrested two members of Nablus Municipality, Kholoud Al-Masri and her husband and Husam Qataloni and his son. A Nabuls Municipality statement said Israeli forces arrested 6 members out of a staff of 15 and claim they are affiliated with Hamas. » Read more

Yasser Abd Rabbo Cautions Against ?Partition of West Bank? Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - April 24, 2008 - 12:00am Washington, DC, April 25 -- In a speech in Washington today, Yasser Abd Rabbo, a PLO Executive Committee Member and Policy Adviser to Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas, reiterated the Palestinian commitment to peace with Israel and praised Bush Administration efforts to reach an agreement. He repeatedly cautioned Israel against seeking “the partition of the West Bank,” which he said Palestinians “will never accept.” Read more

ATFP hosts book event featuring Aaron David Miller Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - April 24, 2008 - 12:00am On Friday, April 18, the American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) hosted a discussion with veteran US peace negotiator Aaron David Miller about his new book “The Much Too Promised Land: America’s Elusive Search for Arab-Israeli Peace” (2008, Bantam Books). Miller served as an adviser to six secretaries of state and is now public policy fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Read more

Palestinian Officials To Washington Amid Low Expectations For Peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Kuwait News Agency (kuna) July 15, 2008 - 3:12pm Palestinian negotiators arrive to Washington on Tuesday to hold talks with US officials in what could be a last bid to overcome the stalemate in a peace process that seems out of reach before the end of the year. "The meeting in Washington is to talk to the Americans about what can be achieved before President George W. Bush leaves office," said the Director of Middle East Democracy at Brookings Tamara Cofman Wittes in an interview with KUNA. » Read more

ATFP Op-ed: Miscalculation In Print by Ziad Asali - The Washington Times (Opinion) - June 17, 2008 - 12:00am Since Hamas' violent takeover of Gaza last June, a pattern of tit-for-tat provocation has defined the organization's relationship with Israel. » Read more

ATFP, Secretary Rice, Private Sector Leaders Promote Investment in Palestine Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - April 28, 2008 - 12:00am Washington DC, April 29 – Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice today convened a meeting of American private sector business leaders and leaders of the US-Palestinian Public-Private Partnership initiative to explore opportunities for investment in Palestine in the run-up to the Palestine Investment Conference in Bethlehem on May 21-23, 2008. Partnership chair Walter Isaacson and co-chairs Jean Case and ATFP President Ziad J. Asali attended the meeting at the State Department along with Secretary Rice and other senior government officials. Read more

Eu Raps Israeli Settlements After Med Union Summit ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Jeffrey Heller, Paul Taylor - July 15, 2008 - 3:09pm The European Union criticised Israel on Monday for what it called continued settlement activity on Palestinian land, while Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was still in Paris after a Euro-Mediterranean summit. A statement issued by the French EU presidency said the 27-nation bloc was "deeply concerned" by an Israeli decision to issue a call for tenders for new housing units in Arab East Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank. "This decision serves to undermine the credibility of the ongoing diplomatic process," the EU statement said. » Read more