Gaza's Christian Population Wanes ATFP World Press Roundup Article from World Peace Herald by Erica Silverman - January 15, 2008 - 5:42pm A small group of Palestinian Christians stands outside Gaza City's Baptist Church on a Sunday morning, waiting for the generator to power up. The church is cold and dark in the dead of winter, Israel having reduced fuel supplies to Gaza in an effort to pressure Hamas to halt rocket fire into Israel. » Read more

Bush's Arab World Tour Is Significant For Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Leslie Susser - January 15, 2008 - 5:40pm With its focus on strengthening the moderate Arab coalition against Iran, President Bush’s tour of the Persian Gulf countries, Saudi Arabia and Egypt could prove extremely significant for Israel. From an Israeli perspective, the three key elements were isolating Iran, coaxing moderate Arab countries into moving toward normalization with Israel and getting oil-rich Arab states to honor their financial pledges to the Palestinians. Progress on all or some of these issues would significantly boost Israeli foreign policy goals. » Read more

Threat To Cut U.s. Aid Opens Rift With Egypt ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Nathan Guttman - January 15, 2008 - 5:39pm Pro-Israel advocates in Washington refrained from contesting a congressional decision last month to withhold part of American military aid to Egypt, in what appears to be a departure from a 30-year-old unwritten understanding that Israel would help Cairo fight off any efforts to cut American assistance to Egypt. » Read more

Mideast Peace Talks Get Underway ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Richard Bourdreaux - January 15, 2008 - 5:39pm Israeli and Palestinian negotiators began addressing the most difficult issues of their decades-old conflict Monday, keeping a promise to President Bush but putting Israel's coalition government under strain. Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and former Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ahmed Korei emerged from a two-hour session at a Jerusalem hotel with little to say about what they had discussed. Israeli officials said the two lead negotiators planned to meet at least once a week. » Read more

Olmert Is Cautious As Talks With Palestinians Begin ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Isabel Kershner - January 15, 2008 - 5:38pm Top Israeli and Palestinian negotiators began talks on core issues on Monday, as Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel sought to lower expectations of reaching a final peace agreement within a year. “I’m not sure we can reach an agreement, and I’m not sure we can reach its implementation,” Mr. Olmert told Parliament’s foreign affairs and defense committee on Monday, an official who had attended the meeting said. » Read more