September 23rd

Abbas Extends a Hand ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Forward (Editorial) September 22, 2010 - 12:00am President Mahmoud Abbas and his Palestinian Authority have opened a new front in the Middle East conflict: a charm offensive. One can wonder why it has taken so long, yet welcome the move just the same. » Read more

Fatah trying to calm tensions in east Jerusalem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Ali Waked - (Analysis) September 23, 2010 - 12:00am Police forces remain on high alert in Jerusalem in view of the riots following the death of Silwan resident Samar Sarchan, as Fatah is trying to curb any further escalation in the situation. Radical elements in the east Jerusalem village threatened to renew the riots, but sources in Fatah said that the group has issued an order to its members in Jerusalem to ensure the riots do not spread further. » Read more

Arab Peace Initiative is now of utmost importance, says Clinton ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Analysis) September 23, 2010 - 12:00am U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lauded Wednesday the Arab Peace Initiative for Israel and the Palestinians, saying its principles are now "more important than ever," the French news agency AFP reported. The 2002 deal offers normalized Arab-Israeli ties in exchange for Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories and the creation of an independent Palestinian state. Clinton sent a message to Saudi King Abdullah to mark the Saudi national day on Thursday, and applauded Abdullah's backing of the initiative, calling it a "far-sighted vision for comprehensive regional peace." » Read more

Arab Peace Initiative is now of utmost importance, says Clinton ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Analysis) September 23, 2010 - 12:00am U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lauded Wednesday the Arab Peace Initiative for Israel and the Palestinians, saying its principles are now "more important than ever," the French news agency AFP reported. The 2002 deal offers normalized Arab-Israeli ties in exchange for Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories and the creation of an independent Palestinian state. Clinton sent a message to Saudi King Abdullah to mark the Saudi national day on Thursday, and applauded Abdullah's backing of the initiative, calling it a "far-sighted vision for comprehensive regional peace." » Read more

September 22nd

Netanyahu’s subtle, insidious, unworkable demand ATFP World Press Roundup Article from NOW Lebanon by Hussein Ibish - (Opinion) September 21, 2010 - 12:00am Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recently been reiterating the demand he has focused on since regaining power that Palestinians and other Arabs recognize Israel as not only a “Jewish state” but specifically as “the nation-state of the Jewish people.” This demand has been flatly rejected not only by the Palestinian leadership, but more recently by the Arab League. » Read more

Time for the Palestinians to regroup ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star by Rami Khouri - (Opinion) September 22, 2010 - 12:00am I was in Amman last week on the same day that US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton passed through for lunch with the king of Jordan and stressed how all the negotiators on the Palestinian-Israeli track were very serious about reaching an agreement. I was also in the Jordan Valley gazing across at some of the Israeli settlements as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas pledged not to negotiate for a moment more if the Israelis continued building settlements after their partial freeze ended this month. » Read more

Hamas and Dialogue ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat by Ali Ibrahim - (Opinion) September 22, 2010 - 12:00am It is not the first time that Hamas has announced its desire to begin dialogue with the United States. The only thing that is new this time is its' insistence. Hamas issued a statement confirming that it has sent a message to Barack Obama, via a US delegation that recently visited Gaza, inviting him to open direct dialogue with the group, and to remove what the group considers to be an American veto on Palestinian reconciliation. » Read more

Israel's unreasonable demand ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Omar Rahman - (Opinion) September 22, 2010 - 12:00am "The Palestinians must recognise Israel as a Jewish state." This is the mantra of the Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who has been promoting this controversial idea as a condition of any peace deal. But is such recognition valid, necessary, or even appropriate? This question will certainly remain at the heart of negotiations with an Israeli leadership that views such recognition as imperative. Although this is not the first time Israel has sought some form of validation, it varies from the past in stark and troubling ways. » Read more

Rumors of Collaboration Leave Gazans Uneasy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line by David Miller - September 21, 2010 - 12:00am The arrest of an unknown number of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and belligerent statements by Hamas officials have sparked rumors that many of the detainees could be charged with collaborating with Israel, a crime punishable by death. Human Rights activists and family members of some of the detained men told The Media Line that these detainees have virtually disappeared and haven’t been heard from in weeks. » Read more

Gov’t prepares ‘contingency plans’ if direct talks blow up ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Herb Keinon - September 22, 2010 - 12:00am With five days left until the settlement construction moratorium ends, talks are continuing in the US between Israeli, Palestinian Authority and American officials to find a “creative” solution to the issue, even as Jerusalem was preparing for the possibility the PA may indeed walk away from direct talks over the matter. » Read more