Desperate plea ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News (Editorial) April 26, 2010 - 12:00am Since Obama has declared that Middle East peace is a strategic priority for the United States, Abbas now wants Obama to put his money where his mouth is and do something about his priorities. » Read more

US is shooting itself in the foot ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by Abdullah Al Shayji - (Opinion) April 26, 2010 - 12:00am When Barack Obama came to power there was optimism that there could be a breakthrough in the stagnant Middle East peace process, especially after his appointment of George Mitchell as his special envoy, his support for a two-state solution and his Cairo speech. » Read more

Will proximity talks bring us closer to peace? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National (Editorial) April 25, 2010 - 12:00am The news that the Obama administration is calling for US-mediated proximity talks between the Palestinian Authority and Israel next month is reason for more of a groan than a cheer. Under current conditions, we fail to see how the much discredited and maligned “peace process” is served by such talks; it seems that they give us more of a process without putting us any closer to peace. » Read more

Top Military Brass Concur: Mideast Conflict Affects All ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Nathan Guttman - April 21, 2010 - 12:00am U.S. Army general David Petraeus might have shocked some pro-Israel activists when he openly spelled out the difficulties caused to American military efforts by the lack of progress in the Middle East, but fellow generals were not taken by surprise. “CENTCOM commanders had always said this was the No. 1 issue that affects everything that goes on in the region,” said Anthony Zinni, who headed the U.S. Central Command, known as CENTCOM, a decade before Petraeus. » Read more

White House says Schumer attacks unfounded ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) April 25, 2010 - 12:00am Sen. Charles Schumer's criticism of the Obama administration's Israeli policy drew a rebuke from the White House. In a radio interview last week on the "Nachum Segal Show" in New Jersey, Schumer (D-N.Y.) called the administration's Israeli-Palestinian policy "counterproductive." » Read more

Israel-Palestine conflict: Imposing solutions ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian (Editorial) April 26, 2010 - 12:00am Peace talks in the Middle East could be about to resume this week after a gap of 16 months. The optimism, if such a concept applies to this moribund lifeform, is contained in hints last week that Palestinian negotiators were considering inducements to start talking: the release of 1,000 prisoners, the lifting of some roadblocks, the easing of the Gaza blockade. » Read more

Foxman: US shift in Israel policy "deeply distressing" ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Rebecca Anna Stoil - April 26, 2010 - 12:00am The Anti-Defamation League’s National Director Abe Foxman over the weekend joined the growing tide of American Jewish leaders criticizing US President Barack Obama’s policy toward Israel. In a statement, Foxman described as “deeply distressing,” the “significant shift in US policy toward Israel and the peace process, which has been evident in comments from various members of the Obama Administration and has now been confirmed by the president himself in his press conference at the Nuclear Security Summit.” » Read more

Erekat: Abbas to meet with Obama soon ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press April 25, 2010 - 12:00am Aides to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas say the Palestinian leader could meet with US President Barack Obama soon. Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told Al-Sharq Al-Awsat that the Palestinians requested such a meeting and were told by Obama's envoy that the US leader would see Abbas in the near future. Erekat said Sunday that no date was set. Another aide, Yasser Abed Rabbo, told Palestinian radio that "there is talk about an invitation for President Abbas to visit Washington," possibly next month. » Read more

Netanyahu must stop East Jerusalem construction if he wants peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Editorial) April 25, 2010 - 12:00am After the latest round of talks with Special U.S. Envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell, a cautious hope is emerging that indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinians, with American mediation, will begin in the first half of May. As reported by Haaretz on Sunday, U.S. President Barack Obama has invited Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to the talks, although he has not been able to secure from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a public and explicit commitment to a total freeze on construction for Jews in East Jerusalem for the duration of the negotiations. » Read more

News Analysis: U.S. ups Mideast diplomatic activity ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua by David Harris - April 26, 2010 - 12:00am U.S. special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell was making his way back to Washington on Sunday after three days of meetings with Palestinian and Israeli leaders. The veteran American diplomat is expected back in the region next week as part of a serious American push to reboot the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Meeting Mitchell on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's face was turned towards peace. » Read more