April 6th

Netanyahu to Evade Two-State Solution- Israeli Official
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat
by Nazar Majli - April 6, 2009 - 12:00am

In an exclusive statement to Asharq Al-Awsat, a senior Israeli government diplomat said that the new-old Israeli Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, is coming under great pressure from abroad to move forward in the Palestinian negotiations on the basis of a two-state solution. He added that Netanyahu intends to circumvent this principle and to take a new approach that might be surprising.

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Israel Anticipated a Stronger Hamas in Gaza War
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Howard Schneider - April 4, 2009 - 12:00am

The small house near Gaza City posed no immediate threat -- there was no sniper fire or evidence it was wired with explosives. But as the Israel Defense Forces approached with plans to position soldiers on either side, Maj. Gur Rosenblat said he still regarded the structure with suspicion, and called in a bulldozer to tear it down. There was nothing inside.

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April 3rd

Raghida Dergham evaluates how Arab governments and the Obama Administration can work together to improve the situation in the Middle East (1). An op-ed in Haaretz attempts to put the ax attack in the West Bank attack into context (2), while the rabbi of the settlement in question insists that his community is not seeking revenge (4). Newly appointed Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman is questioned by police regarding allegations of fraud (3) (11), as opposition leader Tzipi Livni condemns his recent speech rebuffing Annapolis conference agreements (7). An Italian news publication reports that at least 19,000 Palestinian homes have been destroyed since 1967(5). Palestinian unity talks in Cairo are suspended, and set to resume in three weeks (10). The United Nations appoints a former war crimes prosecutor to investigate alleged offenses by both sides during the Gaza war (14).

UN appoints Gaza war investigator
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Jazeera English
April 3, 2009 - 12:00am

The United Nations has appointed a former war crimes prosecutor to investigate offences allegedly committed by Israeli and Palestinian fighters during Israel's war on Gaza. Richard Goldstone, a Jewish judge from South Africa, will lead a fact-finding team on the mission, ordered by the Human Rights Council in January.

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Head in the sand?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
by George S. Hishmeh - April 3, 2009 - 12:00am

Why does Benjamin Netanyahu think that everyone will believe him when he speaks from the two sides of his mouth, especially when he is talking about life-and-death issues like peace with the Arabs, particularly the Palestinians?

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Israeli FM questioned over fraud
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News
April 2, 2009 - 12:00am

Police said Mr Lieberman was questioned under caution on suspicion of "bribery, money-laundering and breach of trust" as part of an ongoing investigation. Mr Lieberman was sworn in as foreign minister on Tuesday. He has previously denied any wrong-doing and says the corruption probe against him is politically motivated. Police confirmed that the interview had been scheduled in advance with Mr Lieberman.

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The Doha Summit: The Arab Peace Initiative and the Politics of Reconciliation
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Israel Policy Forum
by Sadie Goldman - April 2, 2009 - 12:00am

Seventeen Arab countries met for the Arab League summit in Doha, Qatar, on Monday in an attempt to overcome past differences and unite to face various issues affecting the region. Inter-Arab reconciliation was not a randomly selected theme. Arab states have been deeply divided over how to engage with Iran, the Palestinians, and Israel. Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah II has been promoting Arab reconciliation; this conference was meant to be an official platform to show Arab publics that their leaders can work together toward peace and prosperity.

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Palestinian unity talks suspended
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Jazeera English
April 3, 2009 - 12:00am

The rival Palestinian Hamas and Fatah faction have suspended unity talks in Cairo after they were unable to reach an agreement, sources say. The Egyptian-mediated process will resume in three weeks, Nabil Shaath, a senior Fatah official, said on Thursday.

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Change your tune
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Economist
April 2, 2009 - 12:00am

THE outlook for peace between Jews and Arabs in the Holy Land has rarely looked bleaker, at least if you take the pronouncements of the protagonists at face value. This week the Israelis got a new government whose prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu (left), refuses to say that the Palestinians should have a state of their own. The Islamists of Hamas, who won the last election in the Palestinian territories and may win the next, officially deny that Israel should exist at all.

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US Affairs: Unsettling buzz
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Hilary Leila Krieger - April 2, 2009 - 12:00am

The Obama administration has been taking advantage of the unusually long Israeli political interlude to bat away questions about how it will deal with a Binyamin Netanyahu-led coalition. The public record only makes it clear that the administration is looking forward to working with the new government of its important friend and ally, that it is committed to pursuing a two-state solution and that the settlements are viewed as facilitating neither.

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