January 3rd

Gaza Premier in Turkey, in First Official Trip Abroad ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Sebnem Arsu, Ethan Bronner - January 2, 2012 - 1:00am Ismail Haniya, the Hamas prime minister of Gaza, who is making his first official trip abroad since his Islamist movement took over the Palestinian strip in 2007, sought Monday to strengthen ties with the Arab and Muslim world in the wake of regional uprisings that have produced a rise in Islamist political strength. Here in Turkey, where Mr. Haniya arrived after visiting Egypt and Sudan, he was quoted by the semiofficial Anatolian Agency on Monday as saying that “the Arab Spring is turning into an Islamic spring.” » Read more

Jordan: Chief Israeli, Palestinian envoys meet ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Mohammed Daraghmeh - January 3, 2012 - 1:00am Jordan says the chief Palestinian and Israeli negotiators are meeting for the first time in more than a year. Jordan's Foreign Ministry says Israel's Yitzhak Molcho and Palestinian Saeb Erekat are meeting in the presence of envoys from the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations. The pair will later hold a separate meeting alone to exchange positions on key issues of security and borders between Israel and a future Palestinian state. » Read more

Why US won't be center stage in new Israeli-Palestinian talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Howard Lafranchi - January 2, 2012 - 1:00am The United States won’t take its usual center-stage position when Israeli and Palestinian negotiators meet Tuesday for their first direct talks in more than a year. » Read more

Palestinians and Israelis Will Talk This Week ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Ethan Bronner - January 1, 2012 - 1:00am Palestinian and Israeli negotiators plan to meet for the first time in more than a year in Jordan on Tuesday, in an effort to revive moribund peace talks, although none of the sides involved suggested any reason to view the meeting as a sign of significant progress. The Jordanian Foreign Ministry said the chief Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat, and the chief Israeli negotiator, Yitzhak Molho, would be joined by officials from Jordan as well as the so-called quartet — Russia, the United States, the European Union and the United Nations — and would later hold a separate meeting. » Read more