Can Mitchell, now in Israel, calm settlement dispute? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Ilene Prusher - June 9, 2009 - 12:00am US special envoy George Mitchell arrived here Tuesday, poised to fast-forward President Barack Obama's plan for change in the Middle East. But due to Israeli resistance to a key facet of that plan – freezing West Bank settlement growth – Mr. Mitchell's trip is looking likely to be a diplomatic marathon, requiring the patient persistence he cultivated in Northern Ireland. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is loath to implement a settlement freeze, and many in his right-wing constituency support settlements or live in them, including Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. » Read more

Minister Yaalon rejects swift peace process ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Yitzhak Benhorin - June 9, 2009 - 12:00am An American plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict within two years may lead to the establishment of "Hamastan in the West Bank," Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Yaalon said during an event at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy in honor of late journalist Ze'ev Schiff. The peace process may take up to five years, Yaalon said, adding that "instant peace" will fail because of realities on the ground. » Read more

Rights group warns of growing settler violence ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Erfat Weiss - June 10, 2009 - 12:00am Palestinian farmers in the West Bank are paying the price for the government's efforts to evacuate illegal outpost in the region, data published by human rights group Yesh Din on Wednesday revealed. According to the organization, in recent weeks there has been an alarming rise in the number of attempts to uproot or damage trees in villages in the area, and the phenomenon is expected to expand if the security forces do not take action against the perpetrators. » Read more

The regional approach might get us there faster ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Avi Dichter - (Editorial) June 9, 2009 - 12:00am We in Israel take pride in leaving "no stone unturned in the search for peace." However, now it seems, we are leaving unturned not a stone, but a large boulder. The Arab peace initiative, calling for comprehensive peace between Israel and the Arab world, has been placed on the table. It is backed by the leaders of all Arab nations and has been deemed "very impressive" by US » Read more

Obama set the right tone in Cairo ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Freep by Terry Ahwal - June 8, 2009 - 12:00am The President’s speech in Cairo was inspiring, unprecedented, truthful and courageous. I have been waiting for this speech most of my life. » Read more

Loving Israel By Hating Obama ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Bradley Burston - (Opinion) June 9, 2009 - 12:00am I've got a home in that rock, just beyond the mountaintop - God gave Noah the rainbow sign No more water - but the fire next time. (Traditional spiritual of African-American slaves) It's become a fashion, here and abroad: Jews who are convinced that they love Israel more than the rest of us - and certainly better than the rest of us - have told anyone who would listen, that one way to express love of the Jewish state, is to revile Barack Obama. » Read more

Mitchell told natural growth won't stop ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Herb Keinon - June 9, 2009 - 12:00am While outwardly, US envoy George Mitchell tried to downplay tensions between Washington and Jerusalem, the settlement construction issue continued to be a central source of contention when Mitchell met with Israel's leaders on Tuesday. Mitchell, during a day of meetings that included four hours with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, was told that Israel would not bring all settlement construction to a complete halt, even though this continues to be the US's stated position. » Read more

Netanyahu failed to build bond of trust with Obama ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Aluf Benn - (Opinion) June 10, 2009 - 12:00am Three weeks after Benjamin Netanyahu returned from his visit to Barack Obama, there is no longer any doubt that the prime minister has failed in his most important mission - to build a bond of trust with the U.S. president. The signs are clear: Israel and the United States are trading messages through speeches and headlines instead of through discrete consultations. » Read more

U.S. Envoy Reassures and Presses a Wary Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Isabel Kershner - June 9, 2009 - 12:00am President Obama’s Middle East envoy sought Tuesday to allay fears here of a fundamental breakdown in Israeli-American relations while alluding to abiding differences over Israeli settlement building in the West Bank and the formula for Israeli-Palestinian peace. » Read more

US envoy Mitchell meets Palestinian leaders ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News June 10, 2009 - 12:00am US Middle East envoy George Mitchell has held talks with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank, as part of renewed US peace efforts. Mr Abbas's top negotiator said the meeting had been "positive" and called on both sides to stick to commitments made under the 2003 "roadmap". On Monday Mr Mitchell met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He reiterated calls for a two-state solution, which the Israeli leader has refused to endorse. Mr Netanyahu is scheduled to give a major foreign-policy speech on Sunday. » Read more