February 26th

For Israel, defiance comes at the cost of legitimacy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Financial Times by Henry Siegman - (Opinion) February 23, 2010 - 1:00am The Middle East peace process and its quest for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict that got under way nearly 20 years ago with the Oslo accords has undergone two fundamental transformations. It is now on the brink of a third. » Read more

Israel enjoys near record support in US, Gallup finds ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Haviv Rettig Gur - February 25, 2010 - 1:00am Support for Israel among Americans is at a 19-year high, a February Gallup survey of American attitudes toward international affairs has found. According to the telephone survey of 1,025 American adults conducted February 1-3, just 15 percent of Americans side with the Palestinians, while 23% either said they support both sides, neither side or had no opinion. » Read more

Palestinians threaten to adopt one-state solution ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Akiva Eldar - February 26, 2010 - 1:00am The Palestinian Authority has warned that it may abandon its support of the 1993 Oslo Accords, which outlines a two-state solution to the conflict with Israel, and instead pursue the creation of a binational state between the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea, according to a document drafted by the PA's veteran chief negotiator. The paper, entitled "The Political Situation in Light of Developments with the U.S. Administration and Israeli Government and Hamas's Continued Coup d'etat," was written by Saeb Erekat in December 2009. » Read more

Arab source: Mitchell wanted to quit over U.S. bias for Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Jack Khoury - February 26, 2010 - 1:00am An Arab political source said Friday that special U.S. Mideast envoy George Mitchell has requested to resign due to his frustration with the way the Obama administration has been handling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to a Nazareth-based daily. Hadith a-Nass reported that Mitchell's request stemmed partly from to his own failure to advance the resumption of peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians and also from his perception that certain elements within the State Department hold biased favor toward Israel. » Read more

Hamas bars Fatah delegation from visiting Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua February 25, 2010 - 1:00am Islamic Hamas movement, which controls Gaza, told mediators that a delegation from President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party will not be allowed into Gaza, a member of the delegation said Thursday. Amal Hamad, who was supposed to be in Gaza along with six Gaza native colleagues, said Hamas had told mediators that Fatah must stop arresting Hamas supporters in the West Bank before letting any leading member of the movement into Gaza. "Nobody has the right to prevent any Palestinian citizen from visiting Gaza," Hamad told Xinhua. » Read more

PNA denies indirect talks to start next week ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua February 25, 2010 - 1:00am A Palestinian official on Thursday denied reports that indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) were going to start next week. Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, said President Mahmoud Abbas is still in an Arabian and European tour to discuss about the U.S. offer to hold the indirect negotiations. "How can a decision be taken while President Abbas has not yet ended his consultations?" Erekat wondered. Earlier, an Israeli newspaper quoted Palestinian sources as saying the negotiations would start next week. » Read more

Israel, Palestinians likely to receive more time for Gaza inquiries ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua by David Harris - February 25, 2010 - 1:00am The fighting that rocked civilians in and around Gaza 14 months ago will be revisited once again on Friday when the United Nations General Assembly is slated to discuss the roles played by Israel and the Palestinian Islamic resistance movement Hamas. While UN member states are likely to agree to give the two sides more time to conduct investigation, it's doubted that the further probe could get any substantial result. » Read more

Israeli PM tries to ease 'heritage site' tensions ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Tia Goldenberg - February 26, 2010 - 1:00am Israel's prime minister tried Thursday to calm tensions over the addition of two West Bank shrines to a list of national heritage sites, a decision that has sparked clashes with the Palestinians and drawn widespread international criticism. In an interview to Israeli TV, Benjamin Netanyahu called the affair a "misunderstanding," saying there was no intention to infringe on Muslim freedom of worship. He said the intent was to protect and maintain the sites. » Read more

Israel plans more homes for East Jerusalem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Allyn Fisher-Ilan - February 26, 2010 - 1:00am Israel has plans to build another 600 homes in occupied land it considers part of East Jerusalem, the Haaretz daily newspaper reported on Friday. The plan approved by a district planning commission could further stymie U.S.-brokered efforts to renew stalled peace talks as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who has insisted on a total settlement freeze including in Jerusalem. Israeli spokesmen for the Jerusalem municipality and the Interior Ministry that oversees the planning commission were not immediately available for comment. » Read more

Pressure On Israel Increases Over Death ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Wall Street Journal by Chip Cummins, Joshua Mitnick - February 26, 2010 - 1:00am International pressure on Israel mounted as the probe into the alleged murder of a top Hamas leader in Dubai reached American and Australian shores. On Thursday, Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith summoned Israel's ambassador and demanded his help in investigating how three Australian passports ended up linked to the death. That followed Dubai's disclosure Wednesday that it had identified 15 more passports, including the Australian documents, carried by suspects in the case, bringing the total number to 26. » Read more