September 3rd

Israel, Palestinians agree to more peace talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Toronto Sun by Jeffrey Heller, Andrew Quinn - September 2, 2010 - 12:00am Israeli and Palestinian leaders agreed to a series of direct talks Thursday, seeking to forge the framework for a U.S.-backed peace deal within a year and end a conflict that has boiled for six decades. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who hosted the first session of talks between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, expressed confidence that this effort could succeed where so many others have failed. » Read more

Palestinian source: U.S. pressuring Abbas to continue talks even if settlements expand ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Avi Issacharoff - (Analysis) September 3, 2010 - 12:00am A senior Palestinian source told Haaretz that the American administration renewed its pressure on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to stay in direct negotiations with Israel, even if some construction in the settlements resumes after the end of the current moratorium. The source warned that Abbas would not be able to agree to a renewal of construction and will be forced to withdraw from the talks. » Read more

Obama sets clock ticking on Middle East talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News by Jonathan Marcus - (Analysis) September 3, 2010 - 12:00am For all the diplomatic theatre in the White House, the Middle East peace talks have by no means a full cast. Some key actors like Hamas are not present at all, preferring to mount their own bloody tableau in the West Bank. Others - like the hard-line Israeli settler movement - cast a long shadow over the deliberations. Indeed there is a clear risk that the future of Israel's partial settlement freeze, not the peace process, may dominate the early stages of these discussions. » Read more

Q&A-Settlements loom as Middle East talks resume ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Arshad Mohammed - September 2, 2010 - 12:00am Israeli and Palestinian leaders held their first direct peace talks in 20 months on Thursday and agreed to meet every two weeks to try to settle the six-decade conflict within a year. Among the many obstacles are the deep divisions among the Palestinians and the Israelis themselves and the possibility of violence by hardliners who may wish to disrupt the effort. Here are some questions and answers about the talks. WHAT HAPPENED? The only tangible result was an agreement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud » Read more

Settlers reveal deep disdain for events in Washington ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Independent by Donald MacIntyre - (Analysis) September 3, 2010 - 12:00am Yaniv Mor, 30-year-old father of a one-month-old baby girl, and a settler was blunt: "We don't care about Washington. Nothing will come out of it, like always. This is a war of religions – we want everything, they want everything. There is no way there will ever be agreement. That is the reality." » Read more

Gaza militants vow wave of attacks against Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Joseph Nasr - September 2, 2010 - 12:00am Palestinian militant groups have joined forces to step up attacks against Israel, possibly including suicide bombings, the Hamas Islamist faction said on Thursday, after Palestinian and Israeli leaders launched direct peace negotiations in Washington. A spokesman for Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, said some 13 militant groups had joined forces to launch "more effective attacks" against Israel. Asked if this included suicide bombings, he said: "All options are open."

Middle East peace talks: Why there's hope the bitter divide can be bridged ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Mohammad Dajani, Michael Zakim - (Opinion) September 2, 2010 - 12:00am he Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a misnomer. The real political chasm actually runs down the middle of both societies, dividing them into separate camps of conflict and peace. The camp of conflict, for instance – both in its Israeli and Palestinian versions – is driven by a visionary messianism, the rejection of liberal values, a politics of violence, and the cult of death. This common zealotry has imposed a zero-sum reality of “all or nothing” on everyone else, including those majorities in both countries who would prefer to live together in peace. A common language of peace » Read more

Clinton: only you two can achieve peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Matt Bradley, Sharmila Devi - (Analysis) September 3, 2010 - 12:00am WASHINGTON // Mahmoud Abbas and Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday declared their commitment to arriving at a sustainable peace as they entered their first direct negotiations in 20 months. Both sides have set the deadline of one year to reach a deal, and flanked by the Palestinian and Israeli leaders, Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, reminded both sides that the main responsibility for achieving it would fall on them. » Read more

Pressing Netanyahu is the key to success in Mideast peace talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Ahmad Tibi - (Opinion) September 3, 2010 - 12:00am It is unfortunate that the direct Palestinian-Israeli peace talks that got underway this week are saddled with an Israeli prime minister who has made clear his unwillingness to reach an equitable two-state solution. » Read more

Palestinian strategy towards independence ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times by Daoud Kuttab - (Analysis) September 3, 2010 - 12:00am There is a chance that the Israeli occupation that began in 1967 will soon end and an independent Palestinian state will emerge. The direct peace talks taking place in Washington are a necessary step towards that goal, but this is not the only option the Palestinians have. » Read more