Abbas Sees Six-month Timeframe For Peace Talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Mohammed Assadi - October 4, 2007 - 2:38pm

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's government said on Thursday formal negotiations to create a Palestinian state could be completed six months after a U.S.-sponsored Middle East conference. Palestinian Information Minister Riyad al-Malki said the agreement would then be brought before the Palestinian people, both inside the Palestinian territories and abroad, for a referendum.

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Israelis, Palestinians To Draft Declaration
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Scott Wilson - October 4, 2007 - 2:36pm

Israeli and Palestinian leaders agreed Wednesday to begin work on a joint declaration setting out their positions on the core issues of their long conflict before a U.S.-proposed peace conference tentatively scheduled for next month.

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The Right And The Return
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Ruth Gavison - October 3, 2007 - 6:32pm

In his article "The problems are already here" (Haaretz, October 1), Danny Rubinstein reported that the Palestinians will oppose any move - which is said to be at the basis of the talks between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas - toward recognizing not only Israel's right to exist, but also its status as the state of the Jewish people. This opposition stems from both the implications of such recognition for the status of Arab citizens of Israel and the concession of the right of return that it implies.

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Olmert, Abbas To Talk Of Final Deal After Conference
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Adam Entous - October 3, 2007 - 6:04pm

Israeli and Palestinian leaders agreed on Wednesday that formal negotiations on Palestinian statehood would begin after a U.S.-sponsored conference expected next month, officials from both sides said. But Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert balked at Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's call for setting a specific timeframe for resolving final-status issues, including borders and the fate of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees.

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Israel’s Chief Diplomat Meets Arab Counterparts In Backroom Talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
by Nathan Guttman - October 3, 2007 - 6:02pm

While the Iranian president was busy stealing the limelight at this year’s United Nations General Assembly, Israel’s foreign minister was quietly carrying out a new strategy of normalizing relations with Muslim countries in a series of backroom meetings. During her weeklong stay in the United States, Tzipi Livni made her case at the U.N. as well as in a series of meetings with representatives from a host of Middle Eastern and North African countries that currently do not maintain formal ties with Israel.

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More Flexibility Required
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
(Editorial) October 2, 2007 - 12:00am

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is scheduled to host Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas at his sukkah in Jerusalem tomorrow. Next month, senior representatives from both sides are expected to participate in a conference at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. The frequency with which Olmert and Abbas meet and their seriousness in preparing for the meeting in the United States are raising expectations of significant progress in negotiations. However, the degree to which these expectations correspond to reality is still unknown.

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ATFP Carnegie Briefing Explores Issues of Palestinian Unity, Hamas and Fall Mideast Meeting
Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - October 2, 2007 - 12:00am

Washington, D.C., October 3 -- The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) held a briefing today at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The briefing, moderated by Ambassador Samuel Lewis, was titled "Palestinian Unity: The Question of Hamas". ATFP Advocacy Director Mr. Ghaith Al-Omari and Dr.


Only A First Step To Peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Independent
(Editorial) October 2, 2007 - 12:00am

It would be easy to be cynical about Israel's release of 57 Palestinian prisoners yesterday in an attempt to bolster the authority of the man they see as the moderate Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas. The number released is fewer than the average number of Arab militants detained by Israeli forces each month, joining 11,000 Palestinians in Israeli jails, many imprisoned without trial.

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Defining Success: The Fall Mid-East Meeting
Policy Focus by ATFP - October 1, 2007 - 12:00am



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Israeli Press Review
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Americans For Peace Now
(Editorial) October 1, 2007 - 12:00am

ANNAPOLIS UPDATE: The Mideast peace meeting announced by President George W. Bush is expected to be held on November 15th in Annapolis, MD. The list of prospective invitees is expected to include representatives of Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Syria, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and the Quartet – Russia, the EU and the UN.

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