May 12th

US General Builds A Palestinian Army
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Nation
by Robert Dreyfuss - (Blog) May 10, 2009 - 12:00am

Last Thursday, in what was billed as his very first on-the-record address, Lt. Gen. Keith Dayton, U.S. security coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority, spoke to the 2009 Soref Symposium organized by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. WINEP, of course, is the chief thinktank for the Washington-based Israel lobby. And in his talk, Gen. Dayton delivered an important warning.

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An Agenda for Mr. Netanyahu
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
(Editorial) May 11, 2009 - 12:00am

President Obama has set clear and appropriate priorities ahead of the visit to Washington on May 18 by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. Speaking to Jewish-American activists last week, Vice President Joseph Biden conceded, “You’re not going to like my saying this,” and then he laid out the administration’s list.

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On His Tour, Pope Runs Into Politics of Middle East and Holocaust
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Rachel Donadio - May 12, 2009 - 12:00am

Pope Benedict XVI said he came to the Middle East as “a pilgrim of peace,” but on Monday, his first day in Israel seemed to underscore the tensions in the region rather than ease them. After the pope visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and offered the “deep compassion” of the Roman Catholic Church for Hitler’s victims, Jewish leaders expressed disappointment that the pontiff, who is German, had not mentioned Germany or the Nazis.

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Israel Closes Media Center, Upsetting Palestinians
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Isabel Kershner - May 11, 2009 - 12:00am

The Israeli police on Monday closed down an official Palestinian media center that had been set up in East Jerusalem for the visit of Pope Benedict XVI, as Israel and the Palestinians competed to exercise authority in the contested part of the city. As the pope arrived in Jerusalem, each side accused the other of exploiting his visit for political gain. Though the pope’s movements have been carefully choreographed to avoid obvious political minefields, every step and word was bound to be closely scrutinized.

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May 11th

President Obama announces that he will travel to Egypt next month to deliver his address to the world's Muslims (1). The New York Times reports on how Israel is using park development projects to fortify its claims to Jerusalem (2). Pope Benedict XVI continues his Mideast visit, and announces his support for peace based on two states (3) (12) (16). In an interview with the Times of London, Jordan's King Abdullah warns of potential Mideast warfare if movement towards a peace agreement does not begin this year (5). A report by the UN Office for Coordination on Humanitarian Affairs finds that Israeli settlements and outposts have reduced the available land for Palestinians in Bethlehem to 13% (8). The UN Security Council is set to hold talks today on reviving the Mideast peace process (9). In a Damascus press conference exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshal rejects the idea of a peace based on two states (10).

PA says in charge of pope's east J'lem visit
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Erfat Weiss - May 11, 2009 - 12:00am

Several hours before the pope's visit, the question of east Jerusalem's status has been put to the test once again: The Jerusalem Police on Monday morning sealed off a conference hall at the Ambassador Hotel in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood following the Palestinian Authority's plan to hold a briefing for foreign and Palestinian journalists ahead of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Israel. A senior PA official told Ynet in response that "when the pope arrives in east Jerusalem, he and his visit are our responsibility."

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To gain a true affinity for Arab Jerusalem, visit it
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
by Sultan Al Qasemi - (Opinion) May 10, 2009 - 12:00am

This year Jerusalem was chosen as the Unesco Arab capital of culture. What Unesco doesn’t understand is that Arabs only honour Jerusalem in their minds and with their rhetoric, and that there is no real support for the Holy City.

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Barack Obama’s promising push for peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
(Editorial) May 10, 2009 - 12:00am

Quietly, momentum has been building in the long-running Israeli-Palestinian peace process. You could be forgiven for missing it amid the diplomatic flurry that defined Barack Obama’s first 100 days in office. But given the signs, Mr Obama appears to be planning a major push to get peace efforts back onto a productive path. The most encouraging development is that after seven years, the Saudi-authored Arab Peace Initiative appears to be gaining traction in Washington.

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Netanyahu to meet Egyptian leader
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
by Vita Bekker - May 11, 2009 - 12:00am

Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president today, for the first time since being re-elected Israel’s prime minister amid differences between the two countries on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and tensions stirred by Israel’s ultranationalist foreign minister. The Israeli leader will meet Mr Mubarak in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh. The trip marks Mr Netanyahu’s first official visit abroad since being sworn in on March 31, and comes just a week before he holds a key meeting with Barack Obama, the US president, in Washington.

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A Papal Visit and Then It's Over!
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al-Hayat
by Elias Harfoush - (Opinion) May 10, 2009 - 12:00am

I read a comment made by a reporter for an American Catholic newspaper about the visit of Pope Benedict XVI's to Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories, saying: "If he simply manages to get back to Rome without starting a war, some might declare the trip a success!"

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