Who Wants A Jewish State
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
(Editorial) November 15, 2007 - 6:34pm

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has been speaking enthusiastically about "two states, two nations" ever since her conversion from the Greater Israel ideology. She can easily convince people why Israel must have a right of return only for Jews, while an independent Palestine would grant the same right only to Palestinians.

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Annapolis At The Crossroads
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News
by George S. Hishmeh - (Opinion) November 15, 2007 - 6:29pm

This is not the best of months, it seems, for Palestinians to undertake major steps because the record to date has not been very promising. If nothing else, there has been the deadly events in the Gaza Strip when about 250,000 Gazans were commemorating the third death anniversary of Yasser Arafat, last Monday. Seven supporters of Arafat's party, Fatah, were killed when surprisingly the police of its rival party, Hamas which is now in control of Gaza, opened fire on the rally. More than 100 were injured and about 400 Fatah supporters were arrested in this ugly encounter.

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Palestinians Aim For Agreement With Israel Within Year
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian
by Rory Mccarthy - November 15, 2007 - 6:28pm

Palestinian negotiators want to set a timetable to secure a peace agreement with Israel within a year, according to Yasser Abed Rabbo, a senior Palestinian official, who yesterday stressed that the bold agenda was "realistic". Abed Rabbo, a senior figure within the Palestine Liberation Organisation and a leading negotiator, said the peace conference expected to be held in Annapolis, Maryland, within a fortnight, was aiming at a renewed peace process based on a fresh approach to the US "road map" of 2003.

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Israelis Press Plan To Block The Division Of Jerusalem
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Isabel Kershner - November 15, 2007 - 6:13pm

The Israeli Parliament gave preliminary approval on Wednesday to a bill intended to hinder any division of Jerusalem in a future deal with the Palestinians. The vote came as Israel’s rightist and religious parties started positioning themselves before an American-sponsored peace gathering expected to take place in Annapolis, Md., this month. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said he plans to negotiate with the Palestinians after Annapolis on the core issues relating to a two-state solution, including security issues, borders, refugees and the status of Jerusalem.

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Asharq Al-awsat Interviews Mahmud Abbas
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat
by Ali El-saleh - (Interview) November 14, 2007 - 1:12pm

[Asharq Al-Awsat] Following your meeting with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, you spoke with a sign of optimism. Was there a breakthrough that you did not disclose?

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The Prime Minister Vs. Public Opinion
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Miftah
by Caelum Moffatt - (Opinion) November 13, 2007 - 3:54pm

Most commentaries inundating the press at the moment meticulously analyze the consequences of a failed summit and center on the probable break out of another Intifada, as highlighted by Ahmad Qurei. This may well be the case but it is important to recognize that a successful summit could also cause uproar amongst Israelis which in turn could affect the Palestinians and hinder any positive steps taken.

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Hamas Cracks Down On Fatah After Gaza Rally Bloodshed
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Nidal Al-mughrabi - November 13, 2007 - 3:41pm

Hamas rounded up dozens of Fatah activists in the Islamist-ruled Gaza Strip after its secular rival drew more than 200,000 supporters to a rally that ended in gunfire that killed seven people, officials said on Tuesday. The assembly on Monday, marking the third anniversary of the death of iconic Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, was the biggest held by President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah group in Gaza since Hamas Islamists seized the territory by force in June.

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Mideast: All Not Quite Aboard For Annapolis
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Inter Press Service (IPS)
by Peter Hirschberg - November 12, 2007 - 1:37pm

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has again paid a visit to the Middle East, held meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, spoken about the seriousness of the two sides in their efforts to revive the peace process, but has again left the region without issuing invitations to a planned U.S.-led peace summit in Annapolis, Maryland.

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The Jewish Lobby Israel Needs
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
by Akiva Eldar - (Opinion) November 9, 2007 - 5:51pm

The next few weeks may determine the future of Zionism. This is not an exaggeration. If the upcoming Annapolis peace conference ends the same way as the Camp David summit of 2000, the future of the Jewish state will be in jeopardy.

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Gaza And West Bank Viewpoints
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bbc News
November 8, 2007 - 3:39pm

Palestinians describe how they think divisions between the separate administrations of Fatah in the West Bank and Hamas in Gaza are becoming more entrenched. SHAIMA, 22, GAZA CITY We are running out of lots of materials because Israel is blocking the borders. Food, every day materials, medicine - it's very hard to find what you want. And it's all much more expensive. Things which used to cost one or two shekels now cost five or six.

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