Middle East Envoy Dennis Ross: Symbol of a Failed Policy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Atlantic by Michael Hirsch - (Opinion) November 11, 2011 - 1:00am Dennis Ross, during his tenure as a highly respected Mideast envoy back in the then-hopeful 1990s, was a visible if soft-spoken presence in Washington and around the world. He looked in control and held fairly regular news conferences, as public officials are wont to do when they have some progress to report. He talked regularly to reporters. This time around, serving first in Hillary Rodham Clinton's State Department and then as President Obama's adviser in the White House, Ross was the invisible man. » Read more

The Departure of Dennis Ross ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Council On Foreign Relations by Elliott Abrams - (Analysis) November 11, 2011 - 1:00am The announcement that Dennis Ross is leaving his post creates a serious problem for the Obama administration. » Read more

Israel-Palestinian Negotiations: Peace Process Faltered Over Domestic Politics ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Huffington Post by Joshua Hersh - (Blog) November 10, 2011 - 1:00am WASHINGTON -- Last August, Dennis Ross, President Obama's top Middle East peace negotiator, paid a visit to a pro-Israel think tank in Washington. Speaking privately before a small gathering of experts and analysts at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, he offered a dire prognosis for the state of peace talks between Palestinians and Israelis, according to multiple people in the room. » Read more

Palestinians may push for UN vote they expect to lose ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Harriet Sherwood - (Opinion) November 10, 2011 - 1:00am The Palestinians are resigned to losing their battle for majority backing within the United Nations security council for their application for full UN membership but may still press for a vote next week in an attempt to discomfort countries who abstain or vote against. The security council is to meet in New York on Friday to consider a report on the Palestinian bid. However, the Palestinians have failed to muster the required two-thirds majority among its 15 members, thus sparing the US the need to use its veto to prevent the application being approved. » Read more

Getting it wrong in the Mideast ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asheville Citizen Times by Edwin L. Brown - (Opinion) November 8, 2011 - 1:00am United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has it exactly backward when he criticizes the Palestinians for seeking membership in UNESCO and perhaps other U.N. agencies. Rather than blame the Palestinians for having the temerity to seek their rights and freedom, Ban ought to criticize the U.S. Congress for antiquated 20th-century legislation requiring our country to defund any U.N. » Read more

Captured in international waters en route to Gaza: An eyewitness account ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Masry Al-Youm by Lina Attallah - (Opinion) November 5, 2011 - 12:00am Lina Attalah, Al-Masry Al-Youm English's managing editor, recently took part in the "Freedom Waves" flotilla carrying aid to Gaza. She was captured at sea by Israeli security forces on Friday along with the rest of the passengers, 27 activists and journalists from around the world. She returned to Egypt safely on Saturday. The two boats, one Irish and one Canadian, were an attempt to draw the world's attention to the Israeli blockade imposed on Gaza since 2007. This is her account. » Read more

Destroying Palestinian solar plant ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by Stuart Reigeluth - (Opinion) November 11, 2011 - 1:00am With international attention focusing on the Palestinian UN bid, the prisoner swap and the absurd US response to Unesco accepting Palestine, a much smaller event but no less revealing has been largely overlooked: Israel wants to destroy a Spanish-sponsored solar power plant in the West Bank. The solar plant is not particularly big — as far as solar plants go. This is nothing compared to China's massive solar farms, but it does provide electricity for 40 Palestinian families, a school and a medical centre in a town called Emnaizel, south of Hebron in the West Bank. » Read more

Israeli Disruption ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al-Hayat by Hassan Haidar - (Opinion) November 10, 2011 - 1:00am The report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Iran’s activities could have had a greater impact, despite its highly dangerous nature, had not Israel anticipated its being issued with media and political uproar over its resolve to wage a military attack against Iran. » Read more

Failure to secure UNSC majority a temporary setback for the Palestinians ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua by Adam Gonn - (Analysis) November 11, 2011 - 1:00am JERUSALEM, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian National Authority ( PNA) Foreign Minister Riad al Malki has announced that after recognizing the difficult in gaining a majority in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for their statehood bid, an alternative route would now be pursued instead. PNA President Mahmoud Abbas in September formally submitted an application to the UN, asking the world body to upgrade their current status from an observer entity to full member. » Read more

Freeze settlements now! ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Uri Savir - (Opinion) November 10, 2011 - 1:00am Israel is at a dramatic crossroads for its national security. The threat of Iran going nuclear, the shifting sands of the Arab Spring, the total stalemate in the peace process and the ongoing delegitimization of Israel in the world – all these are not plagues from the heavens, but characterize the region in which we live, technological developments and a world not accepting the occupation of another people. » Read more