The Annapolis Talks / Blaming The Other Guy
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Aluf Benn - November 20, 2007 - 1:55pm

Israeli-Palestinian disputes over the anticipated Annapolis declaration resemble theological disputes from the Middle Ages: Negotiators argue over whether the road map's first stage should be implemented sequentially or simultaneously, and whether disagreements should be resolved by a trilateral Israeli-Palestinian-American committee or a single American arbitrator.

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Sidetracked By The Roadmap
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons
by Ghassan Khatib - (Opinion) November 20, 2007 - 1:53pm

The sudden reference by Palestinian and Israeli negotiators to the roadmap, drafted years ago in an attempt to rescue the parties from the quicksand of violence and recriminations, was a bit confusing for analysts on both sides. The shift seemed inconsistent with the major political issues that require sorting out through negotiations, particularly the final status issues. In addition, Palestinians and Israelis have already tried the roadmap--and failed to navigate it.

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High-level Saudi Presence Seen Unlikely At Annapolis
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Andrew Hammond - November 20, 2007 - 1:41pm

Saudi Arabia could keep the United States guessing until the last minute on whether it will attend a Middle East peace conference next week, but analysts and diplomats say a high-level delegation is unlikely. Saudi Arabia -- a key U.S. ally whose presence would give a major boost to the U.S.-sponsored November 26-27 summit in Annapolis, Maryland -- has said it will attend only if core issues are tackled at the latest in a line of high-profile Arab-Israeli meetings dating back to Madrid in 1992.

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Israel Takes Steps To Attract Arab States To Peace Talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Scott Wilson - November 20, 2007 - 1:39pm

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, hoping to draw more Arab countries to a U.S.-sponsored peace conference this month, persuaded his cabinet Monday to endorse the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and restated a pledge to stop building new Jewish settlements in the occupied territories.

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A History Of Nonviolence
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The American Prospect
by Matthew Duss - November 19, 2007 - 4:34pm

Naim Ateek had just turned 11 when forces of the Haganah, the pre-Israel Zionist paramilitary organization, occupied his village of Beisan in Palestine. Days later, the villagers were informed that they were to be "evacuated," forcibly moved off land that Palestine's Jewish minority now claimed for its own state.

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Us Pushes Israel On West Bank Settlers
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
by Josef Federman - November 19, 2007 - 4:30pm

The U.S. is pressuring Israel to meet a long-standing obligation to freeze all West Bank settlement construction ahead of a high-profile Mideast conference, rejecting Israel's stance that it be allowed to continue building in existing communities, Israeli officials said Sunday. The officials said that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Cabinet would discuss the settlement issue on Monday, though it remained unclear whether the ministers would endorse any changes in policy.

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Deserting A Sinking Ship
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Danny Rubenstein - (Opinion) November 16, 2007 - 4:30pm

In the summer of 1971, Prof. Yehoshua Porat of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem published his important book "The Emergence of the Arab- Palestinian National Movement, 1918-1929." In a preface to the book, veteran teacher and researcher Gabriel Baer praised "the pioneering work in the field, in which the scientific approach has been neglected." The best scholars associated with this research field, including Arabs, praised Porat's work.

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Israel Exhibits Its True Colours
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News
(Editorial) November 16, 2007 - 4:28pm

Since 1967, when Israel occupied the eastern part of Jerusalem, there has been a silent movement by Israeli politicians and consecutive prime ministers to ensure that talk on the fate of occupied East Jerusalem is always pushed to "later stages" of any "negotiations" with the Palestinians or even the international community. In fact, the first time occupied Jerusalem was put on the negotiating table was during the Camp David meetings in 2000. Then-Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak received heavy criticism from many Israelis for even discussing it.

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The Palestinian Path To Peace Does Not Go Via Annapolis
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian
by Jonathan Steele - (Opinion) November 16, 2007 - 4:22pm

As the United States-sponsored Israeli-Palestinian meeting in Annapolis, Maryland, approaches, the key question is what follows when it fails. Fiasco is looming, so what do the Palestinians do next? In their decades-long bid for justice, they have already tried everything.

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The Gaza-west Bank Divide
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Israel Policy Forum
(Editorial) November 16, 2007 - 4:10pm

It is now three years since Yassir Arafat’s death on November 11, 2004, and a good time to evaluate the prospects for Palestinian statehood. Perhaps the best evaluation has been provided by Arafat’s successor.

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