Kerry and Abbas hold surprise meet in Riyadh to discuss Israeli-Palestinian talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Jack Khoury, Barak Ravid - March 4, 2013 - 1:00am

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met for unplanned talks on Monday afternoon, as part of their coinciding visits to Saudi Arabia. Abbas' own trip to the capital Riyadh to meet King Abdullah was unexpected, and may have been coordinated to overlap with Kerry's. The lunch meeting, which was added to Kerry's schedule at the last-minute on Monday morning, focused on efforts to resume the diplomatic process between Israel and the Palestinians and on U.S. President Barack Obama's upcoming visit to the region.

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White House Announces New Coordinator for the Middle East, North Africa, and the Gulf Region
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from White House Office of the Press Secretary
(Press Release) March 4, 2013 - 1:00am

Today, National Security Advisor Tom Donilon announced that Philip Gordon will be joining the National Security Staff as Special Assistant to the President and White House Coordinator for the Middle East, North Africa, and the Gulf Region. He will take up his duties beginning on March 11.

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'Abbas to Kerry: Push Israel for settlement freeze'
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Khaled Abu Toameh - March 4, 2013 - 1:00am

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met in Saudi Arabia Monday with US Secretary of State John Kerry and discussed the latest regional developments, Palestinian officials in Ramallah said. This was the first meeting of its kind since Kerry replaced Hillary Clinton as secretary of state. “The meeting focused on efforts to revive the peace process,” said a Palestinian official. “They also discussed [US] President Barack Obama’s planned visit to the region later this month.”

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Palestinians reach out with restaurant
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from SFGate
(Interview) March 4, 2013 - 1:00am

After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, anti-Muslim sentiment peaked in the United States. Instead of retreating, Palestinian immigrants Fayza and Naime Ayyad built a bridge.

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Kerry to chide Turkish PM over Zionism comments
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Arshad Mohammed - March 1, 2013 - 1:00am

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will upbraid Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Friday for his description of Zionism as a crime against humanity, comments which could overshadow his first trip to a Muslim nation since taking office. Kerry is meeting Turkish leaders in talks meant to focus on Syria's civil war and bilateral interests from energy security to counter-terrorism. But Erdogan's comment at a U.N. meeting in Vienna this week, condemned by his Israeli counterpart, the White House and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, has clouded his trip.

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Why the Middle East Needs America
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Allen Weiner - (Opinion) February 28, 2013 - 1:00am

Over the years, the contention that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict be solved only through “direct talks” has become almost a mantra, especially from the Israeli government and its allies. But direct talks between implacable foes, without active mediation, may be the worst possible way to try to settle the conflict. Facing one’s adversary directly across the table heightens psychological barriers even to a mutually beneficial deal.

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Exclusive: Hamas Official Predicts Third Intifada
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Monitor
by Abeer Ayyoub - February 28, 2013 - 1:00am

The Palestinian Authority is “dragging its feet” on reconciliation due to US President Barack Obama’s scheduled visit in March, senior Hamas leader and Gaza parliamentarian Salah Bardawil told Al-Monitor in an exclusive interview. Bardawil touched on this along with the latest disputes between Hamas and Fatah and said that little progress is expected until after the Obama trip. 

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It’s Not an Intifada
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy
by Jonathan Schanzer - (Opinion) February 28, 2013 - 1:00am

Don't call it an intifada. Not yet, anyway.

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Majority of Americans Want Equal Treatment for Israel, Palestinians but Sympathize More with Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Real Clear World
by Greg Scoblete - February 28, 2013 - 1:00am

A new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll asked Americans for their thoughts on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (page 20). While 31 percent responded that the U.S. should favor Israel over the Palestinians, 55 percent said that the U.S. should "treat both the same." Only four percent wanted to favor the Palestinians over the Israelis.

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Palestinian clashes set to persist until Obama visit
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP)
February 27, 2013 - 1:00am

Clashes that flared in the West Bank after a Palestinian died in Israeli custody are unlikely to turn into a third intifada, but each side will use them when US President Barack Obama visits, commentators say. After several days of unrest following the death of Arafat Jaradat at the weekend, a measure of calm returned to the West Bank on Tuesday, despite an early-morning rocket from Gaza.

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