May 4th

PM Netanyahu’s tank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Eitan Haber - (Opinion) May 4, 2009 - 12:00am There is no doubt that someone at the White House’s protocol department suffered a stroke recently, or at the very least was overcome by consternation: Shimon Peres, the State of Israel’s president, is the first one to arrive for a meeting with President Obama? » Read more

Suspect Arrested in Ramat Gan Bus Stabbing ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews May 4, 2009 - 12:00am The security forces on Sunday night arrested a Palestinian suspected of stabbing an Israel Defense Forces soldier on a bus in Ramat Gan. The man, whose identity has been placed under a gag order, was turned over to the Shin Bet for questioning. The suspect was seized near the place where the soldier was stabbed. » Read more

Understandings before a clash ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Ephraim Sneh - May 4, 2009 - 12:00am Glimmers of concern have recently crept into conversations with various American officials about a possible clash between the Obama administration and the Netanyahu government. On the one hand, the U.S. president has reiterated his intention to implement an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement based on the existence of two independent states. On the other hand, official voices in the Israeli government are heralding an attempt to evade, thwart or at least delay such a move. » Read more

Livni: Iran threat opens door to peace with Arabs ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Natasha Mozgovaya - May 4, 2009 - 12:00am Opposition leader and Kadima party head Tzipi Livni on Sunday said that Israel must view the threat posed by Iran as an opportunity to further peace with other neighbors in the region. "Let me be clear: On the issue of Iran, there is no opposition party in Israel," Livni told an audience at the annual AIPAC conference in Washington. Livni continued: "The threat from Iran has created new possibilities for alliances between Israel and the pragmatic states in the region - countries that realize that Israel is not the source of the problems in the Middle East." » Read more

Spain okays Gaza war crimes probe against Israeli officials ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz May 4, 2009 - 12:00am Spanish National Court judge Fernando Andreu announced Monday that he will pursue his investigation into a 2002 Israeli bombing in the Gaza Strip, despite contrary advice by prosecutors at the court. Defense Minister Ehud Barak said he would call on the Spanish government to prevent the investigation, reiterating Israel's stance that the Israel Defense Forces is the most "moral" army in the world. » Read more

UN experts discuss Gaza mission ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC World News by Imogen Foulkes - May 4, 2009 - 12:00am UN investigators are beginning a week-long meeting in Geneva, ahead of a mission to Israel and the Gaza Strip. The team is mandated to investigate possible war crimes committed by Israel and Hamas during Israel's incursion into Gaza last December and January. But it remains unclear whether Israel will grant the investigators access to the former conflict zone. The team, which is led by South African judge Richard Goldstone, was appointed by the UN's Human Rights Council. Other team members include a military specialist and a human rights lawyer. 'Impartial' » Read more

PA minister: Ending Hamas rule is a national, moral and religious duty ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency May 3, 2009 - 12:00am The Palestinian Authority minister of Agriculture and Social Welfare on Sunday told an Israeli radio station that "ending Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip is a national, moral and religious duty." The minister, Mahmoud Al-Habbash, added that removing Hamas from power in the Gaza Strip "should be accomplished as soon as possible." » Read more

May 1st

Is peace a means or an end for Obama? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by Marwan Al Kabalan - April 30, 2009 - 12:00am On Tuesday, Barack Obama celebrated his 100-day mark as the president of the US. Analysts from around the world have since tried to reflect on whether he has done enough to tackle the enormous challenges facing America and the world. For Middle Easterners, progress towards achieving just and comprehensive peace is the yardstick to measure Obama's success. » Read more

Abbas to name new Palestinian govt leader soon ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) April 30, 2009 - 12:00am RAMALLAH, West Bank (AFP) — Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas will soon name a prime minister to form a new government to replace the outgoing cabinet of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, his spokesman said Thursday. "President Abbas intends to form soon a broad government," Nabil Abu Rudeina said in a statement. He denied media reports that Abbas had decided to ask Fayyad, who stepped down on March 7, to form a government that would exclude any member of the Islamist Hamas movement that rules the Gaza Strip. "It is not true," he said. » Read more

Confidence building and human trust ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Naomi Chazan - April 30, 2009 - 12:00am The Obama administration is vigorously advocating the revival of confidence-building measures to invigorate diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict in a comprehensive regional context. To date, the focus has been entirely on the formal level. The most obvious, the most elementary and the most sorely needed step is ignored: nurturing human contacts between Israelis and Palestinians. » Read more