February 7th

Politics Of Illusions ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Middle East Times by Alon Ben-meir - (Opinion) February 7, 2008 - 7:24pm I have just returned from an extended trip to the Middle East, hoping that I would come back feeling recharged by the progress made in the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, especially in the wake of the Annapolis peace conference. To my dismay, not in Israel or in Jordan or in talking to Palestinian and Egyptian officials, have I felt or seen much optimism. Those who still believe that an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement is possible by the end of 2008 – U.S. President George W. Bush's stated desire – are few and far between. » Read more

Gazan Students In Limbo ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Middle East Times by Mel Frykberg - February 7, 2008 - 7:23pm The future of hundreds of Gazan students, trapped in el-Arish in the Egyptian Sinai and in the Gaza Strip, hangs in the balance as they wait in a state of uncertainty for permission to leave Egypt and Gaza to continue their studies abroad. » Read more

Arab Charity Is Blooming – No Thanks To America ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Iam Wilhelm - (Opinion) February 7, 2008 - 7:22pm Oil and conflict. These are the two topics that dominate news coverage of the Middle East. But there are signs that amid headlines that scream of suicide bombings and surging energy costs, a quiet social movement is under way – one that could help alleviate some deep-rooted problems of the Arab world. » Read more

Mideast Envoy Blair Says Pa Starting To Abide By 'road Map' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters February 7, 2008 - 7:21pm The Quartet's Middle East envoy Tony Blair said Thursday that Palestinian security forces had significantly improved and were starting to carry out their part in the long-stalled "road map" peace plan. The former British prime minister, now the envoy for the Quartet of Middle East peace mediators which include the European Union, the United States, Russia and the United Nations, urged Israel to respond by easing travel and trade restrictions imposed on the Palestinians in the West Bank. » Read more

February 6th

Democratic Suspicion ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amira Hass - (Opinion) February 6, 2008 - 8:05pm A Palestinian public sector strike, such as the one that began yesterday and is expected to continue today, is the type of news that here is considered a purely "internal Palestinian matter," lacking any media importance. But beyond the basic fact that the modest wage demands are a direct result of the policy of closure and economic attrition on the part of the true sovereign - Israel - the strike presents a genuine challenge to the stability and strength of Salam Fayyad's government, and demonstrates the erosion of its public credibility. » Read more

Mk Elon: Int'l Body Must Resettle Palestinians ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Etgar Lefkovits - February 6, 2008 - 8:04pm In a novel Israeli approach to one of the prickliest issues facing Israeli and Palestinian negotiators, MK Benny Elon (NU-NRP) is proposing the establishment of an international body in lieu of UNRWA to deal with the resettlement of Palestinian refugees over the next decade. The proposal, part of the hawkish parliamentarian's alternate peace plan known as "The Israeli Initiative," is meant to be "a first step" towards resolving one of the most difficult final status issues. » Read more

Self-defense, Not Occupation ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Sheldon Schreter - (Opinion) February 6, 2008 - 8:03pm In my January 30 op-ed in The Jerusalem Post, I contended that our settlements weaken rather than strengthen us by seriously eroding both our own and the world's belief in the justice of our cause. That cause is asserting the right of the Jewish people to a sovereign state in their ancient homeland. In over 100 "talkbacks" on jpost.com, letters to the editor, and some personal communications, my views were mostly attacked, though occasionally supported. Let me address some of the criticisms of my argument. » Read more

Arab State Power Is On The Defensive ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star by Rami Khouri - February 6, 2008 - 8:02pm The twin issues of the legitimacy and efficacy of power and authority are becoming more clear and urgent throughout the Arab world. This is the big ongoing story of our day, as a region of centrally controlled, mostly autocratic states evolves into a patchwork of different sources of power and authority. If we wish to address problems of violence and instability in many Arab quarters, we must grapple with the issue of the legitimacy of power that remains one of the few enduring taboos in the region. » Read more

The Gaza Fence ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward (Editorial) February 6, 2008 - 8:01pm Gaza’s convulsions have kept much of the world community riveted in horrified fascination for the past month, wondering what it all means and what could possibly happen next. Scenes of Palestinians leveling the barrier wall along the Gaza-Egypt border, flooding across by the tens of thousands and overwhelming Egyptian security forces, have provided some of the strangest news reports in years. » Read more

How About An Obama About-face? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by George S. Hishmeh - (Opinion) February 6, 2008 - 8:00pm he arcane American election process can drive a saint crazy, certainly the average American, "on what could be the most significant night of the 2008 campaign to date." Recognising this, The New York Times, took the unprecedented step of warning its reader in its lead article on the front page to "brace yourself". » Read more