February 15th

Revolution in Egypt should prompt peace talks between Syria and Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Bilal Y. Saab - (Opinion) February 14, 2011 - 1:00am The resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and the ensuing political transition in Cairo has created a wave of uncertainty over the strategic politics of the Middle East, carrying both risks and opportunities for US interests and allies in the region. One potential and less-than-obvious opportunity is to relaunch peace talks between Syria and Israel. » Read more

Dennis Ross To Speak at J Street Conference ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) February 14, 2011 - 1:00am Dennis Ross, the senior adviser to President Obama on Middle East issues, will address this year’s J Street conference, the group said. Ross, seen as an administration hard-liner on Iran and as arguing for greater consideration of Israel’s needs in peace negotiations, would be a coup for the group, which consistently has come under fire from the right and from some Democrats for not being sufficiently pro-Israel. The White House did not immediately comment on J Street’s announcement. » Read more

Palestinian cabinet quits as Fayyed is reappointed PM ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) February 15, 2011 - 1:00am The Palestinian cabinet has resigned, months before elections due in the summer, as the leadership sought to reaffirm its legitimacy after the collapse of talks with Israel, and uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia. The move, which has been on the cards since last year, was announced at a cabinet meeting in Ramallah and comes after mass public protests in Tunisia and Egypt calling for democratic reforms. » Read more

The Successes of Palestinian Authority Institution Building ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Huffington Post by Ziad Asali - February 14, 2011 - 1:00am For decades, the political process simply meant negotiations about the often-repeated final status issues. Hopes were raised and then dashed in extended clusters of negotiations, numerous international conferences, TV appearances and commentaries by politicians and pundits that yielded no meaningful progress toward resolution of the conflict. » Read more

More Arab democracy, Palestinian this time ATFP World Press Roundup Article from NOW Lebanon by Hussein Ibish - February 15, 2011 - 1:00am In what is probably a long-overdue move, the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah has called for new local, presidential and parliamentary elections before September. » Read more

February 14th

Asali speaks at the University of Oxford about State-Building Program ATFP World Press Roundup Article from by Ziad Asali - February 13, 2011 - 1:00am Click here to see Dr. Asali's remarks in Arabic from Annahar. For decades, the political process simply meant negotiations about the often-repeated final status issues. Hopes were raised and then dashed in extended clusters of negotiations, numerous international conferences, TV appearances and commentaries by politicians and pundits that yielded no meaningful progress toward resolution of the conflict. » Read more 1 attachment

For Palestinian police in West Bank, Israel is still laying down the law ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amira Hass - February 14, 2011 - 1:00am Last week's column, which in Hebrew was titled "Dispersing a demonstration with a French scent," prompted a visit to the headquarters of EUPOL COPPS, the EU Police Coordination Office for Palestinian Police Support, which trains the civilian police force in the West Bank. The initiative was theirs, and the perfume, it turns out, was Jean Paul Gaultier. » Read more

Top Israeli intellectuals to state: Probe rabbi's alleged link to Rabin assassination ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Jonathan Lis - February 13, 2011 - 1:00am Leading Israeli intellectuals and Israel Prize laureates demanded the immediate firing of a top rabbi accused of supporting a book justifying the killing of non Jews on Saturday, urging the state to investigate him for his alleged role in the assassination of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Last week, police issued a warrant for the arrest of Dov Lior, the head rabbi of Kiryat Arba and a senior figure in religious Zionism, following the rabbi's refusal to appear for questioning on the support he gave for the controversial book "Torat Hamelech." » Read more

Abbas orders Palestinian media not to attack Qatar ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua February 13, 2011 - 1:00am Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday ordered Palestinian media and official spokesmen not to attack Qatar's Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. The order, published by official news agency Wafa, bans official media, spokesmen of Palestine Liberation Organization and Fatah movement from harming Qatar and its Emir. According to the order, the spokesmen can respond to Al-Jazeera 's campaign against the Palestinian leadership "by refuting the lies and claims." » Read more

For Israel, peace with Egypt is not just an asset ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Shlomo Avineri - (Opinion) February 14, 2011 - 1:00am In wake of the upheaval that has swept through Egypt and much of the region, it is important to remind ourselves that peace with Egypt is not only a strategic asset, but a moral value as well. Recently, we here were presented with a rather problematic choice: Do we support democracy, or do we support the Israeli interest in maintaining security and stability? When a moral value (democracy ) is thus posited against realpolitik (stability and security ), it is easy to lapse into the argument that Israel supports despotism. » Read more