October 29th

Jerusalem must be capital of both Israel and Palestine, UN chief says ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua October 29, 2009 - 12:00am UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Jerusalem must be the capital of two States -- Israel and Palestine -- living side-by-side in peace and security, with arrangements for the holy sites acceptable to all, if peace in the Middle East is to be achieved, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned on Wednesday. » Read more

Washington Watch: What's so scary about J Street? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Douglas Bloomfield - (Opinion) October 29, 2009 - 12:00am Bernie Madoff's punim may be the best selling mask this Halloween season, but what scares the stuffing out of many Jewish leaders is the new pro-Israel peace lobby called J Street. What has them quaking in their Guccis is the fear that its message appears to be igniting interest in the community and on Capitol Hill despite a frantic campaign to douse it. » Read more

Israel must end provocative digs ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Boston Globe (Editorial) October 29, 2009 - 12:00am AS A DISPUTE over land and statehood, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is combustible enough. But recent clashes over the site in Jerusalem that Jews call the Temple Mount and Muslims call Haram al-Sharif are injecting religious passions into one of the world’s most dangerous confrontations. Extremists on both sides are playing with fire. But since Israel is the dominant power, the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bears primary responsibility for smothering that fire before it erupts into a much larger conflagration. » Read more

On One Field, Two Goals: Equality and Statehood ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Ram Journal by Isabel Kershner - October 28, 2009 - 12:00am AL RAM, West Bank — Given the sheer exhilaration of the cheering, flag-waving, anthem-singing crowd packed into the soccer stadium in this otherwise drab West Bank town one afternoon this week, one could have been forgiven for thinking that an independent Palestinian state had just been born. The Palestinians were playing the Jordanians. But more significant was that the women’s teams were playing, and for the Palestinian side it was the first international match played outdoors at home. » Read more

October 28th

Obama's welcome approach to Mideast peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The San Francisco Chronicle by Maen Areikat - (Opinion) October 27, 2009 - 12:00am President Obama's election and the shift in the U.S. attitude toward the Arab and Muslim worlds have given new hope to those seeking a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the Middle East. This new approach is a welcome departure from the previous eight years of misguided policies - most notably toward the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. » Read more

Only lack of unity will produce two states ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Ron Pundak - (Opinion) October 26, 2009 - 12:00am The Egyptian-mediated internal Palestinian dialogue between Hamas and Fateh involves a variety of issues, including security and elections, all of which affect the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians. » Read more

Palestinian reconciliation and the peace process ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Walid Salem - (Opinion) October 26, 2009 - 12:00am With the current paralysis in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process--which is due to the Israeli government's refusal to abide by its obligations under previously signed agreements, notably the roadmap--it might at first glance seem strange to ask what are the ramifications of Palestinian unity for Palestinian-Israeli relations. » Read more

To solve the problem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times (Editorial) October 28, 2009 - 12:00am Tension flared up again recently in Al Aqsa Mosque compound, in the Holy City of Jerusalem, when Israeli security forces clashed with Palestinian worshippers, injuring some and forcing scores of others to take refuge in the mosque. News that some ultra-orthodox Jewish groups plan to worship in the Noble Sanctuary that houses one of Islam’s holiest places, in a bid to lay claim to the Islamic holy sites, no doubt angers the Palestinians. » Read more

Jones Signals White House Support for J-Street Cause ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Independent by Spencer Ackerman - October 27, 2009 - 12:00am Granting recognition to a new American Jewish lobby group pressing for peace between Israel and the Arab world, ret. Gen. James Jones, President Obama’s national security adviser, said that resolving the 60-year conflict was the crisis that the Obama administration would prioritize if it could “solve any one problem.” » Read more

J Street confab shows generational divide on Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Eric Fingerhut - October 27, 2009 - 12:00am After all the arguing in recent weeks over J Street, one thing was clear at the inaugural conference of the self-described “pro-Israel, pro-peace” group: Even among the 1,500 delegates who attended the parley, there are crucial disagreements over what’s best for Middle East peace. » Read more