September 23rd

Obama is doubling down, not backing down, on Middle East peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ibishblog by Hussein Ibish - (Blog) September 23, 2009 - 12:00am Most reactions to the tripartite meeting at the UN yesterday between Pres. Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu and Pres. Abbas were negative, and this is entirely understandable since no one had anything particularly new to say. Reaction in the Arab world was particularly agitated, with many commentators arguing that Obama has "capitulated" to Israel's position on settlements, and some even throwing up their hands entirely about any possibility of progress under this president. » Read more

Palestinian PM cites support for statehood plan ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Karin Laub - September 22, 2009 - 12:00am Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said in an interview Tuesday that he has won broad international support for his plan to ready the Palestinians for statehood within two years. However, Fayyad sidestepped the question of whether the Palestinians would unilaterally declare statehood at the end of that period if a peace deal with Israel is not in place. He said that decision would have to made by the Palestine Liberation Organization and others when the time comes. » Read more

A Mideastern farewell photo at the UN? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star by Zahi Khouri - (Opinion) September 23, 2009 - 12:00am No concrete results were expected from Tuesday’s meeting at the United Nations that brought together US President Barack Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The gathering marked the end of the first phase of Obama’s intriguing foray into Arab-Israeli peace-making. » Read more

Obama hosts Middle East peace talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Sharmila Devi - September 23, 2009 - 12:00am The US president Barack Obama yesterday acknowledged the long road to Middle East peace after he directly entered the diplomatic process and brought the current Israeli and Palestinian leaders together for the first time. As expected, there was no breakthrough, but Mr Obama reiterated his commitment to resuming peace talks and announced that Israeli and Palestinian negotiators would meet George Mitchell, US Middle East envoy, next week. » Read more

Failure to advance Middle East peace a setback for Obama ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Howard Lafranchi - September 22, 2009 - 12:00am Unbowed by the failure to reach an accord to restart Mideast peace talks, President Obama told Israeli and Palestinian leaders he met Tuesday that he would keep up his administration's diplomatic efforts until negotiations are relaunched. He then directed top foreign policy aides, including Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and special Mideast envoy George Mitchell, to continue the intense contacts with Israeli and Palestinian officials the US has pursued since Obama took office. » Read more

Obama may have lost some face in the Middle East, but don't write him off yet ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Jonathan Freedland - (Opinion) September 23, 2009 - 12:00am There was something wrong with that picture. Of course all the best politicians are skilled actors, so they did their best to hide the reality. But, despite the smiles and the handshake, Barack Obama, Mahmoud Abbas and Binyamin Netanyahu could not quite conceal the weirdness at the centre of their photo-op in New York today. What the image should have conveyed was the gratitude of the leaders of two minor states, happy to be basking in the sunlight radiated by the global emperor. » Read more

President Obama enters the Mideast fray ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Paul Richter - September 23, 2009 - 12:00am President Obama, exasperated by the disappointing course of Mideast peace efforts, urged Israelis and Palestinians on Tuesday to reapply themselves, even though eight months of intensive American engagement has failed to return the parties to the negotiating table. Obama met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at a New York hotel ahead of a United Nations session, stepping personally into the process and offering an unusually blunt message. » Read more

A reluctant handshake - but no deal as Middle East plan falters ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Ian Black, Ewen Macaskill - September 23, 2009 - 12:00am Barack Obama failed to achieve a hoped-for breakthrough aimed at the resumption of Middle East negotiations yesterday ­during a three-way meeting with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders in New York. The president had only one success to show for months of effort: a tentative handshake between the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, who met for the first time since the Israeli leader took office in March. The two appeared reluctant to shake hands, smiling hesitantly and having to be coaxed by Obama. » Read more

Obama calls for Mid-East urgency ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News September 23, 2009 - 12:00am Mr Obama spoke after hosting the first meeting between leaders from both sides since he took office. US Middle-East envoy George Mitchell later said the US did not see any issue as a precondition for talks. The US has been pressuring Israel to comply with Palestinian demands for all building in settlements in the occupied West Bank to end before talks restart. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas shook hands in front of the cameras during what was their first encounter since Mr Netanyahu came to office in March. » Read more

Obama on peace talks: Stop talking about talking, and start talking ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Ron Kampeas - September 23, 2009 - 12:00am The meetings ran overtime, and Mahmoud Abbas wouldn't stop arguing even after he stepped into a room full of cameras. Reporters could not make out exactly what was exercising the Palestinian Authority president in his exchange with President Obama, but fist pounding isn't usually a sign of things going well. » Read more