November 12th

U.s. And Israel Play Down Hopes For Peace Talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Steven Erlanger - November 12, 2007 - 1:30pm The American-sponsored Middle East peace conference expected by the end of the month looks to be thin on content, mostly serving as a stage to begin formal negotiations on a peace treaty between Israel and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas. Israeli and American officials have been so busy dampening expectations that they are not even calling the event a conference anymore, instead referring to it merely as a “meeting.” » Read more

November 9th

Israel, Pa Agree Future Deals Hinge On Implementing Road Map ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid And Mazal Mualem - November 9, 2007 - 6:33pm Israel and the Palestinian Authority agreed on Thursday that any future agreement between them will be conditional to the implementation of the first stage of the road map, which includes Palestinian counter-terrorism operations and a freeze on construction in the settlements. The agreement, which follows two weeks of stalemate in the negotiations between the two sides, may pave the way to the drafting of a shared declaration that will be presented at an upcoming peace summit in Annapolis, Maryland, that aims to set terms for relaunching peace talks. » Read more

The Skeptic And The Believer ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Aluf Benn - (Opinion) November 9, 2007 - 6:30pm Defense Minister Ehud Barak rose to speak at the annual conference of the Saban Forum in Jerusalem, on Monday of this week. Unlike Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Quartet envoy and former British prime minister Tony Blair and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who had delivered their speeches the previous evening directly into the cameras transmitting directly into the news broadcasts, Barak maintained ambiguity and his remarks were ostensibly intended only for closed discussion. » Read more

Time For Modesty In The Middle East Peace Process ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star by Richard Naass - (Opinion) November 9, 2007 - 6:29pm "Ripeness is all," concludes Edgar in King Lear. I will leave it to Shakespeare scholars to decipher what he had in mind. But for diplomats and historians, understanding the concept of ripeness is central to their jobs: it refers to how ready a negotiation or conflict is to be resolved. » Read more

What’s Good For The Goose... ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times by George Hishmeh - (Opinion) November 9, 2007 - 6:17pm As the expectations for a serious movement towards a Palestinian-Israeli settlement seem to be growing by the day, a little-known group, Justice for Jews from Arab Countries (JJAC), is trying to ride the coattails of the upcoming US-sponsored Mideast peace “meeting” in Annapolis later this month. » Read more

Arab-israeli Dispute Percolates ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Middle East Times (Editorial) November 9, 2007 - 6:06pm For some 60 odd years the Arab-Israeli conflict has been percolating, periodically exploding into open conflict then returning to a simmering position on the back-burner of world politics, usually after intense diplomatic efforts. During those six decades Arabs and Israelis have stopped short of accepting the one piece to this geopolitical jigsaw puzzle needed to bring lasting peace to the region. That is the mutual acceptance by Israel and the Palestinians of each other and recognizing that a two-state solution is the sole avenue leading to peace in the region. » Read more

Olive Branch Blossoms Amid Harvest Of Fear ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Times by James Hider - November 9, 2007 - 6:04pm In an olive grove on the edge of Nablus, Fuad Amr and his sons keep one eye on the branches they are stripping and the other warily on the Jewish settlement that overlooks their land from a hilltop. The settlers could descend at any time to intimidate them or even beat them and steal the fruit of their labour, as happens every year across the West Bank in the olive season. The Palestinian farmers, however, have found unlikely allies - Jewish activists, some of them Orthodox rabbis, who risk violence to protect them. » Read more

Has Hamas Split? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Economist November 9, 2007 - 6:01pm JUST how divided is Hamas? Since the Islamist party took over the Gaza Strip in June, after months of violent clashes with the rival, secular-minded Fatah faction, Israel and the rest of the world have imposed an economic siege on the strip. Many perceive signs that Hamas is splitting under the pressure. That, in turn, has raised the prospect of Hamas becoming a busted flush—or of a moderate wing emerging that could do business with Fatah, rebuild a broader Palestinian front and perhaps even agree to the conditions that would enable it to negotiate with Israel. » Read more

Boosting The Slim Chances For Mideast Breakthrough ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Baltimore Sun by Shibley Telhami - (Opinion) November 9, 2007 - 5:58pm Should the imminent Israeli-Arab meeting in Annapolis inspire optimism? Critics of the Bush administration who have urged active peace diplomacy are hard-pressed to gainsay its seeming turnaround after years of neglect. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has convincingly projected seriousness, and many want to support her new activism. Even if the prospects for peace seem small, most breakthroughs in history come unexpectedly, often through surprising acts of leadership. » Read more

High Stakes For Annapolis Peace Meet ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Inter Press Service (IPS) by Ali Gharib - November 9, 2007 - 5:55pm Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas joined U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Ramallah Monday to express optimism that progress towards a Palestinian state could be made in the upcoming talks sponsored by the George W. Bush administration between Israeli and Palestinian leaders in Annapolis, Maryland. But many critics fear that the hastily thrown-together meeting has greater inherent risks than the participants are willing to acknowledge. » Read more