U.S. giving away too much, too early in Mideast peace talks, some say
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Paul Richter - October 7, 2010 - 12:00am

Reporting from Washington Only a month into a new round of peace talks, the Obama administration is drawing criticism from allies and veteran diplomats that it is giving away too much just to keep negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians from collapsing. Administration officials have offered an assortment of inducements to persuade Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to extend a freeze on Jewish construction in the West Bank for two months. Palestinian officials have threatened to break off the talks unless Israel extends the freeze that expired Sept. 26.

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Palestinian Nation-Building Reaches Halfway Point
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Voice of America
October 7, 2010 - 12:00am

Salam Fayyad, Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority speaks in a panel discussion 'Peace and Beyond in the Middle East' as Israeli President Shimon Peres, right, listens during Clinton Global Initiative Meetings in New York, 21 Sep 2010 (file photo) Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad is midway through an ambitious two-year effort to build his government's institutions in order to build a viable Palestinian state if peace negotiations with Israel are successful. Analysts are mixed in their reviews about the results of this nation-building.

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US seeks ways to support Fayyad plan
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
October 7, 2010 - 12:00am

WASHINGTON (Ma'an) -- As American-led efforts to push forward peace talks continue, officials made clear on Wednesday that continued support for the Palestinian Authority was on the agenda. Meetings between US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Middle East Quartet Envoy Tony Blair were used both as a platform for updates on the peace-talk push, but also to review "how to increase support for the Palestinian Authority and the ongoing institutional efforts."

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Palestinian sees no serious talks with Netanyahu
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Tom Perry - October 7, 2010 - 12:00am

RAMALLAH, West Bank, Oct 7 (Reuters) - A senior Palestinian official said on Thursday he saw no hope of a serious peace process with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in some of the darkest comments to date on the U.S.-mediated talks. Yasser Abed Rabbo's remarks signalled deep Palestinian skepticism about the outlook for the talks, which began on Sept. 2 but have been on hold since an Israeli moratorium on new settlement building in the West Bank expired last week. The United States wants the talks to continue and has been trying to find a formula to save the negotiations.

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Partying or Peacemaking?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Forward
by Todd Hasak-Lowy - October 6, 2010 - 12:00am

The tenth anniversary just passed of the start of the Second, or Al-Aqsa, Intifada, which began not long after a breakdown in negotiations between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. It was the week of Ariel Sharon’s provocative visit to the Temple Mount, the week Palestinians renewed their rioting against Israeli forces. This time, the rioting was more violent — as was the Israeli response. These events killed the peace movement inside Israel, and sadly a lot of Israelis and Palestinians as well.

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A key back channel for U.S., Israeli ties
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Glenn Kessler - October 6, 2010 - 12:00am

Dennis Ross, a longtime Middle East expert, has emerged as a crucial, behind-the-scenes conduit between the White House and the Israeli government, working closely with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's private attorney - and also Defense Minister Ehud Barak - to discreetly smooth out differences and disputes between the two governments.

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Netanyahu, Abbas and the legitimacy deficit
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian
by Shlomo Ben-Ami - (Opinion) October 6, 2010 - 12:00am

Since its inception in Oslo almost two decades ago, the Israeli-Palestinian peace process has been stymied by the dysfunctional political systems of both sides. Hostage of an impossible coalition and of a settlement movement of freelance fanatics, Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu's leadership is seriously compromised. His Palestinian counterparts are hardly in a better position.

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ATFP Senior Fellow Joins APN Spokesman at Peace Event at The Washington Center
Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - October 6, 2010 - 12:00am

ATFP Senior Fellow Joins APN Spokesman at Peace Event at The Washington Center On Sept. 20, ATFP Senior Fellow Hussein Ibish joined Ori Nir, the spokesman for Americans for Peace Now, at an event hosted by the Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars entitled “The Two-State Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Why it is a Win-Win for Israelis, Palestinians and the United States.” More than 200 students, interns and others listened to the two explaining why all responsible parties have a vested interest in a two-state peace agreement.


US seeks ways to support Fayyad plan
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
(Analysis) October 6, 2010 - 12:00am

WASHINGTON (Ma'an) -- As American-lead efforts to push forward peace talks continue, officials made clear on Wednesday that continued support for the PA was part of the agenda. Meetings between US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Middle East Quartet Envoy Tony Blair were used both as a platform for updates on the peace-talk push, but also to review "how to increase support for the Palestinian Authority and the ongoing institutional efforts."

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They Need to Talk
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
(Editorial) October 6, 2010 - 12:00am

Peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians are in danger of unraveling unless Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, show more political courage and sense.

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