May 5th

U.S., Israel Diverge on Palestinian Plan ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Wall Street Journal by Jay Solomon - May 5, 2009 - 12:00am Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged Monday to pursue "without any delay" a peace process with Palestinians based on a new strategy of addressing political, economic and security issues concurrently. But Mr. Netanyahu's overture came as members of his government voiced skepticism toward President Barack Obama's call for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, particularly when the Palestinian Authority's security forces remain weak and its political leadership divided. » Read more

Addressing U.S., Hamas Says It Grounded Rockets ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Ethan Bronner, Taghreed El-Khodary - May 5, 2009 - 12:00am The leader of the militant Palestinian group Hamas said Monday that its fighters had stopped firing rockets at Israel for now. He also reached out in a limited way to the Obama administration and others in the West, saying the movement was seeking a state only in the areas Israel won in 1967. “I promise the American administration and the international community that we will be part of the solution, period,” the leader, Khaled Meshal, said during a five-hour interview with The New York Times spread over two days in his home office here in the Syrian capital. » Read more

May 4th

Israeli-run zones shield West Bank criminals ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press May 4, 2009 - 12:00am When Nasser Qaout went to investigate strange sounds in his sheep pen late at night, a gang of armed thieves shot him in the leg and made off with half his flock. He and Palestinian police know who the thieves are - and even where they are - but a year and half later, they’re still in their homes about five kilometers (three miles) down the road. » Read more

Israel Faces a Hard Sell in Bid to Shift Policy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Ethan Bronner - (Analysis) May 3, 2009 - 12:00am The new government of Israel is seeking to reorient the country’s foreign policy, arguing that to rely purely on the formulas of trading land for peace and promising a Palestinian state fails to grasp what it views as the deeper issues: Muslim rejection of a Jewish state and the rising hegemonic appetite of Iran. » Read more

AIPAC delegates to lobby for two-state solution ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Hilary Leila Krieger - May 4, 2009 - 12:00am While Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is refusing to explicitly endorse a two-state solution to resolve the Palestinian conflict, participants at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee Policy Conference will this week be urging their elected representatives to press President Barack Obama for precisely that. » Read more

Emanuel: This is Israel's moment of truth ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Yitzhak Benhorin - May 4, 2009 - 12:00am US President Barack Obama plans to act firmly and decisively in order to reach durable peace, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said Sunday night in a closed forum attended by 300 of the biggest donors of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). The event was held as part of the pro-Israel's lobby annual conference in Washington. » Read more

The Dangers of the US Submission to the Accomplished Fact with Iran and Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al-Hayat by Raghida Dergham - (Opinion) May 1, 2009 - 12:00am 'Reassurance' could be the title of the current phase of Barack Obama's administration, in anticipation of what strategies it will disclose for the Middle East region, including Iran, Israel, and Pakistan, as well as Iraq, Palestine, and Lebanon. » Read more

Mr Lieberman, eyeless in Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National (Editorial) May 4, 2009 - 12:00am Chutzpah is a Yiddish word that means shameless audacity. Soon, it may have a synonym: to do a Lieberman. Avigdor Lieberman, the right-wing caricature who is foreign minister in the cabinet of Benjamin Netanyahu, is taking his first steps on the international stage with trips to Italy, France, the UK and the Czech Republic, and he is making waves even before landing on European soil. According to one of his senior officials, Europe is in danger of making itself irrelevant and losing its seat at the peace process table if its criticism of Israeli policies continues. » Read more

Lieberman takes first foreign trip as minister ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Vita Bekker - May 4, 2009 - 12:00am vigdor Lieberman embarks today on his first official European tour since becoming Israel’s new foreign minister as his hardline government bids to mitigate escalating tensions with the European Union, prompted by its resistance to the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. The top diplomat, who has drawn fire for controversial statements against Israel’s Arab minority and his opposition to making territorial concessions in exchange for peace, will meet his counterparts in Italy, France, the Czech Republic and Germany this week. » Read more

Israel Will Accept Palestinian State, Rejects Syria Peace Talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bloomberg by Gwen Ackerman, Jonathan Ferziger - May 4, 2009 - 12:00am The new Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu gave the strongest signal yet that it would accept a Palestinian state, while rejecting peace negotiations with Syria. “We do want to see peace and do understand that long-term peace and stability will entail a two-state solution,” Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon said in an interview. » Read more