January 8th

Bush And The Mid-east Legacy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bbc News by Matthew Price - January 8, 2008 - 6:12pm A year before George W Bush hands over the reins of power in Washington DC to his successor, he is embarking on his first trip as president to Israel and the Palestinian territories.   The question though has to be, why only now? After all, this is a president who has made much during his time in power of his commitment to the creation of an independent Palestinian state living alongside Israel. Is the timing just a simple case of an unpopular president desperately seeking a legacy? » Read more

Adulation, Gratitude Await Bush In Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Financial Times by Tobias Buck - January 8, 2008 - 6:11pm George W. Bush arrives in Israel on Wednesday in the ­twilight of his presidency, with his international clout diminished by the war in Iraq and his popular support eroded both at home and abroad. In Israel, however, the US president will be greeted with nothing but adulation and gratitude. From the prime minister downwards, Israelis continue to hold Mr Bush in high esteem, thanks to his unwavering support for the country in its struggle with Arab neighbours and militant Palestinian forces. » Read more

Israel Hiding Settlement Facts To Protect Image ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Sydney Morning Herald by Ed O\'loughlin - January 8, 2008 - 6:11pm THE Israeli Government has told a court that it does not want to reveal the true extent of Jewish settlement in the occupied Palestinian territories because the information would damage its image abroad, a local newspaper has reported. The news comes on the eve of the arrival of the US President, George Bush, for a three-day state visit in which the settlement issue is likely to figure. » Read more

Ahead Of Visit, Bush Talks Israel Ties -- And Pressure ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Ron Kampeas - January 8, 2008 - 6:09pm The message from the White House on the eve of President Bush's first presidential visit to Israel is that his staunch support for the Jewish state has set the stage for peace -- and given him room to exert some pressure on Jerusalem. Bush launches an eight-day tour of the region on Wednesday, beginning with three days in Israel and the West Bank and continuing to Persian Gulf states, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. » Read more

Baby Steps ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New Republic by Dennis Ross - (Commentary) January 8, 2008 - 6:08pm To: President George W. Bush From: Dennis Ross Subject: This week's visit with the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority Mr. President, no doubt you have received many briefings on this topic, but having negotiated with everybody you will be seeing this week and having just returned from the area, I would like to convey a few impressions that I hope will be of use to you. » Read more

Politics & Policies: Mideast More Unstable ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Middle East Times by Claude Salhani - (Opinion) January 8, 2008 - 6:07pm It is under a cloud of heavy pessimism that U.S. President George W. Bush leaves for the Middle East, a region that one former administration official described as today being more dangerous, unstable and problematical for the United States than since before the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the former high-ranking member of the Bush administration said that most of the trends are bad and are not likely to get better anytime soon. "That's the context under which the president departs," he said. » Read more

Bush To Visit An Ambivalent Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Richard Bourdreaux - January 8, 2008 - 6:06pm For seven years, President Bush has been a distant defender of Israel, working from Washington to tilt America's policies in the Middle East more firmly behind its longtime ally. When he arrives here Wednesday on his first presidential visit, however, Bush will find an ambivalent Israeli public. It is appreciative of his efforts, yet critical of U.S. setbacks that have made the region feel more threatening. » Read more

On First Trip To Israel, Bush Hopes To Inject Vigor Into Peace Talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Michael Abramowitz, Jonathan Finer - (Opinion) January 8, 2008 - 6:05pm In the six weeks since Israeli and Palestinian leaders left Annapolis, Md., pledging to end "bloodshed, suffering and decades of conflict between our peoples," violence has escalated over long-standing territorial disputes and security concerns, leaving little optimism here on the eve of President Bush's visit that the fledgling dialogue will bring peace. » Read more

January 7, 2008 - Vol. 9, Issue 18 ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Americans For Peace Now by Middle East Peace Report - January 8, 2008 - 6:04pm NO OUTPOST CRACKDOWN, PART I: On the eve of President George W. Bush’s visit to Israel, Peace Now held a demonstration at the site of the largest unauthorized West Bank settlement outpost. This outpost, known as Migron, was constructed on privately-owned Palestinian land and the Israeli government has repeatedly expressed to the High Court of Justice its intention to remove it. At the rally, former Knesset Member and Peace Now leader Mossi Raz said that all illegal outposts “must be evacuated now, and the settlements as well. » Read more

Bush Takes Altered Goals To Mideast ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Howard Lafranchi - January 8, 2008 - 6:04pm Since the terrorist attacks of 9/11, President Bush has vowed to transform the Middle East for the sake of American security. This week, Mr. Bush sets off on a nine-day tour of a region that, if anything, has transformed him. » Read more