February 2nd

Hamas: We're in no hurry to talk with Abbas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz February 1, 2009 - 1:00am Hamas will not push for Palestinian reconciliation talks if President Mahmoud Abbas insists on the supremacy of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the Islamist group said Monday. In a statement mocking Abbas and his supporters, a high-level Hamas official accused Abbas of siding with Israel during its recent invasion of Gaza, and seeking to "return on Israeli tanks" to govern the territory. » Read more

Mitchell gets earful from Mideast ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Caryle Murphey - February 2, 2009 - 1:00am Winding up his week-long tour of the region, President Barack Obama's Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, met Saudi officials here over the weekend for an exchange of ideas on ending the volatile Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Mr. Mitchell conferred with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud bin Faisal Saturday night and met with King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Sunday. » Read more

Hamas Leads Largest Suicide Operation ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat by Tariq Alhomayed - (Opinion) February 2, 2009 - 1:00am In Doha [on Wednesday] Khalid Mishal announced his intentions to form a new [alternative representative] authority for the Palestinian people in order to replace the Palestinian Liberation Organization [PLO] in what represents the first practical steps to bury the Arab Peace Initiative, and in the process reverting the Palestinian cause back to square one. » Read more

Bad news from a new neighborhood ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Editorial) February 2, 2009 - 1:00am The news that Israel has invested close to NIS 200 million in Mevasseret Adumim, a new Jewish neighborhood east of Jerusalem where 3,500 housing units are slated to be built, reveals the real intentions of the outgoing government. As Amos Harel reported in Haaretz yesterday, for the past two years, Israel has invested massive amounts of money on infrastructure for the construction of housing units to create a contiguous bloc between Ma'aleh Adumim and East Jerusalem. » Read more

A Wake-Up Call for Arabs and Israelis ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Middle East Times (Analysis) February 2, 2009 - 1:00am There is good news and there is bad news associated with U.S. President Barack Obama's Middle East peace initiative. The good news is that there is a president in the White House who is truly dedicated to forge ahead with the peace process. And for several reasons. » Read more

Abbas attacks Hamas over PLO call ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Jazeera English February 2, 2009 - 1:00am Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, has said he will not talk with any group that fails to recognise the legitimacy of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) after Hamas called for it to be sidelined. The comments in Cairo came before a meeting on Monday with Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, for talks on Palestinian unity and the fragile ceasefire in Gaza. "We say this with utmost clarity - no dialogue with whoever rejects the Palestine Liberation Organisation," Abbas said as he visited Palestinian victims of the Israeli assault on Gaza in a Cairo hospital. » Read more

Hamas leader praises Iran for support over Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News February 2, 2009 - 1:00am Exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal on Monday praised Iran for playing a big role in helping Hamas during Israel's offensive in Gaza. Meshaal met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday during a visit to thank the country for its support. Mashaal told Ahmadinejad that Iran played a role in what he called the "victory of Gaza's people" in the war with Israel, according to Iran's state TV. Ahmadinejad warned Israel could be plotting to launch another invasion of Gaza. On Sunday, Israel threatened a harsh response to more rocket fire from Gaza.

Winners and losers in Gaza: A Palestinian perspective ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Daoud Kuttab - February 1, 2009 - 1:00am Unlike times of tranquility, wartime brings out the best and worse in many people. Wars are also an opportunity for people to shine or to fail. The Israeli war on Gaza certainly has its winners and losers, although the list could change and protagonists can swap from one side to the other. Here is my preliminary list of winners and losers. » Read more

Supporters fete Erdogan for stand at Davos over Israeli massacres in Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) February 2, 2009 - 1:00am Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stood firm Friday of his criticism of Israel's war against the Gaza Strip, in which more than 400 children were killed. Erdogan received a hero's welcome on his return to Istanbul and the Palestinian Hamas movement hailed his "courageous stand" after he walked out of a debate on the Gaza war at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. "We will never allow anyone to show disrespect to the prime minister of Turkey," Erdogan told a cheering crowd as he returned home following his clash with Israeli President Shimon Peres. » Read more

January 30th

Spanish FM: We'll act to prevent war crimes probes against Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - January 30, 2009 - 1:00am Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Moratinos informed Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni on Friday of Spain's plan to amend legislation that granted a Spanish judge the authority to launch a much-publicized war crimes investigation against senior Israeli officials. Judge Fernando Andreu launched an investigation Thursday into seven current or former Israeli officials over a 2002 bombing in Gaza that killed a top Hamas militant, Salah Shehadeh, and 14 other people, including nine children. » Read more