September 11th

Growing ties between Israeli, PA police ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Yaakov Lappin - September 11, 2009 - 12:00am Away from the media spotlight on efforts to kick-start diplomatic talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, the two parties' police forces together with the IDF's civil administration are increasing their cooperation, and have implemented a series of confidence-building measures over the past two years. The cooperation has taken a number of surprising forms. » Read more

Fatah backs Egypt's plan for 'unity' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Khaled Abu Toameh - September 11, 2009 - 12:00am Fatah welcomes a new Egyptian proposal aimed at solving its dispute with Hamas, a high-ranking Fatah official said on Thursday. The Egyptian proposal has the support of the Hamas as well. "Fatah has welcomed and accepted the latest proposal," said Jibril Rajoub, the newly-elected member of Fatah's Central Committee, who said that the proposal would bring the two rival parties closer to signing a "national unity agreement." » Read more

Rattling the Cage: The mother of all missed opportunities ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Larry Derfner - (Opinion) September 11, 2009 - 12:00am So there's a stalemate in the peace process, so what else is new? Actually, there is something new. What's new is that the Palestinians in the West Bank are doing what we've dreamed the Palestinians would do for more than a century - and we refuse to see it. They've effectively stopped terrorism. They're building up their economy. They're enforcing the law. They're being trained by the Americans and they're cooperating with Israeli military and intelligence. They're arresting Islamic militants by the thousands, and they're not hesitating to shoot it out with them. » Read more

Barak to Left: Tone down criticism ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Atilla Somfalvi - September 10, 2009 - 12:00am Defense Minister Ehud Barak urged Israel's leftist camp to tone down its criticism of his recent decision to approve the construction of hundreds of housing units in the West Bank so as not to hurt the efforts to jumpstart the negotiations with the Palestinians. Ynet learned Thursday that one of Barak's senior advisors told Peace Now Secretary-General Yariv Oppenheimer that the approval of building permits for projects beyond the Green Line was actually meant to advance the peace process. » Read more

Does Birthright-Israel have a hidden agenda? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz September 11, 2009 - 12:00am Many of the young people who pass through the Jewish Enrichment Center in Lower Manhattan view it with great affection. It is often the first time they have come in contact with a Judaism that is engaging and accessible. The rabbis responsible for the center's educational and religious programs are charismatic and approachable people who, participants say, have had a large impact on their lives. » Read more

Abbas refusal to meet Netanyahu could scuttle tripartite talk plan ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Natasha Mozgovaya, Barak Ravid - September 11, 2009 - 12:00am Less than two weeks before the UN General Assembly is to meet, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas remains adamant in his refusal to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, potentially jeopardizing the Obama administration's plans to hold a tripartite meeting in New York on September 23 or 24. Abbas insists there will be no meeting with Netanyahu, nor a resumption of negotiations, unless Israel completely freezes settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. » Read more

Exclusive: Senior Fatah official concerned over Egyptian election plan ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency September 11, 2009 - 12:00am Senior Fatah member and head of the party's parliamentary bloc Azzam Al-Ahmad echoed other members sentiments in his reservations over the Egyptian conciliation plan's treatment of the elections issue, he said in an interview Friday. » Read more

US Envoy to hold three days of talks with Palestinian, Israeli leaders ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency September 11, 2009 - 12:00am US Middle East Envoy George Mitchell is set to start three days of meetings with Israeli and Palestinian Authority leaders Sunday in an effort to prepare the region for potential peace talks, the US State Department said. » Read more

A Peace Process Momentum Plan to Move Quickly to Actual Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Huffington Post by Samuel Lewis, Edward Walker - (Analysis) September 11, 2009 - 12:00am After his major speeches in Turkey and Egypt, President Obama established his ownership of the Arab-Israeli issue. With countries in the region testing whether he has the wherewithal to deliver the goods, his challenge is to keep the momentum going forward on an almost daily basis with practical steps and leadership. The President needs to create a "peace process momentum plan" leading to negotiations by mid-fall, which recent reports suggest he is trying to do through his Mideast envoy, George Mitchell, who is traveling to Israel again at the end of the week. » Read more

What Is Peace? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Yossi Alpher - (Opinion) September 10, 2009 - 12:00am Israelis want peace but don’t believe it’s possible. That is the cumulative finding of a host of opinion polls, and it is critical to any effort by President Barack Obama to create a new momentum toward peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors. For many Israelis, the peace with Egypt and Jordan has not appeared sufficiently beneficial, despite the added security it has brought, to pursue peace with the Palestinians or Syrians. » Read more