Israeli-Palestinian direct talks expected to be announced soon
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Politico
by Laura Rozen - August 16, 2010 - 12:00am

An announcement that Israelis and Palestinians have agreed to go into direct peace talks is expected in the coming days, U.S. officials, Mideast watchers and European diplomats said Monday. “We are close, we are optimistic,” a U.S. official said. “There’s still work to do, details remain.” One western diplomat said the announcement was expected Monday, adding that both parties are essentially agreeing to go into direct talks based on assurances they have received from the United States.

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PLO accuses Israel of imposing preconditions on talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
August 16, 2010 - 12:00am

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Monday accused Israel of setting preconditions which would obstruct efforts to start direct peace negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel. Yasser Abed Rabbo, a member of the PLO's Executive Committee, said Israel "deliberately impose preconditions on the peace negotiations" by announcing its rejection to a statement by the Quartet. The Quartet comprising the United States, European Union, Russia and the United States, plans to issue a statement establishing the principles of peacemaking process between Israel and the Palestinians.

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Op-Ed: Palestinian leaders must foster hope, not hate
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA)
by Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi - August 16, 2010 - 12:00am

With a flurry of diplomatic activity regarding direct Israeli-Palestinian talks, a contingent from The Israel Project (TIP) including pollster Stanley Greenberg met in the West Bank with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat.

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Direct Mideast talks set to resume
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Paul Richter - August 16, 2010 - 12:00am

After months of quiet U.S. diplomacy, Israeli and Palestinian leaders appear poised to announce a resumption of direct peace talks, perhaps as early as this week. Nearly two years after the last round of talks broke off, U.S. and allied officials in recent days cleared the final hurdle by persuading Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to take a seat at the negotiating table, officials say.

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Abbas consults with US on resuming talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
August 16, 2010 - 12:00am

President Mahmoud Abbas will continue consulting with the US administration over resuming direct talks with Israel, a presidential spokesman said after the leader met with US official David Hale in Ramallah on Sunday. Nabil Abu Rudaineh said some progress has been made, but the Palestinian Authority would only announce its stance on direct talks when the Quartet releases its expected statement Monday.

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INTERVIEW-Cash for Palestinians needed to support peace-Norway
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Tom Perry - August 16, 2010 - 12:00am

The Palestinian Authority's budget is in the red and donors should make good on pledges to fill the gap, said Norway's foreign minister, who chairs a donor group that backs the Palestinian government. Jonas Gahr Stoere also said he was optimistic face-to-face Palestinian-Israeli talks would resume soon, restarting the peace process his country helped to launch 17 years ago.

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Palestinians reiterate demand for settlement freeze before direct talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
August 16, 2010 - 12:00am

The Palestinian leadership Sunday stressed anew that Israel must stop all forms of settlement activities before launching direct negotiations with the Palestinians. The demand, long held by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), was a focal point when President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad held separate meetings with Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store in Ramallah late last night.

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Israel and Palestine: Between Alternatives
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Middle East Political and Economic Institute
by Hussein Ibish - August 16, 2010 - 12:00am

Although, a very strong international consensus has emerged, over the past two decades, that the only practicable means of resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a negotiated agreement allowing for two states to live side-by-side, in peace and security, little progress has been made towards that goal. Even the new designation by the United States of resolving the conflict as a national security priority and strategic imperative has yet to provide any grounds for greater optimism.

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Hamas, Palestinian groups say no to direct talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
August 15, 2010 - 12:00am

Hamas and 10 Damascus-based Palestinian organizations declared they oppose the resumption of direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority on Sunday. The Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front – General Command and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine were among the groups represented in the statement.

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Why doesn't Abbas want peace talks?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Jackson Diehl - August 13, 2010 - 12:00am

Give Mahmoud Abbas credit, at least, for consistency. Eighteen months ago, when the then-new Obama administration tried to jump start Middle East peace negotiations, the Palestinian president balked. He said he would not agree even to meet the newly-elected Israeli Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, unless Netanyahu made several big concessions in advance -- including recognition of a Palestinian state on the basis of Israel's 1967 borders and a freeze on all Jewish settlement construction in the West Bank.

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