Date
Type

Israel Looking At Hamas Truce Idea
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
by Laurie Copans - December 21, 2007 - 3:23pm

Israel is examining a Hamas truce proposal delivered by Egypt, defense officials said, but violence persisted Friday as a Hamas militant was killed in what the group said was a clash with Israeli troops near the Israel-Gaza border. Israeli calls for cease-fire talks with the militant group that rules the Gaza Strip grew Friday as an Israeli Cabinet minister said he supported such negotiations under certain conditions.

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A Ceasefire From Hamas?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Boston Globe
(Editorial) December 21, 2007 - 3:22pm

THE ISRAELI government reacted warily at first - and understandably so - to the proposal of a ceasefire in Gaza from Ismael Haniyeh, leader of the group Hamas. But after initially rebuffing the offer, Israeli officials are seriously considering it, according to an Israeli television report yesterday. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government would be wise to explore a ceasefire with Hamas, for it could not only save lives but also prepare the way for a comprehensive peace agreement.

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The Writing On Bethlehem's Wall: British Artist Seeks To Lure Tourists
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
by Joshua Mitnick - December 21, 2007 - 3:21pm

Bethlehem, West Bank A dove dressed in a bulletproof vest raises its wings in surrender. A girl in pigtails and pink frilly dress frisks an Israeli soldier. The nose on a Pinocchio with a star-spangled tie has grown into a missile.

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Underwriting The Conflict In Hebron
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The American Prospect
by Matthew Duss - December 21, 2007 - 3:20pm

On Nov. 18, in the beautifully appointed ballroom of Manhattan's posh Grand Hyatt Hotel at Grand Central Station, the Hebron Fund held its annual fund-raising gala. According to organizers, guests paid upward of $300 a head, with anything above the cost of the dinner considered tax-deductible. The evening began with a reception in an anteroom featuring a buffet of gourmet foods. A chef in a tall hat worked a stir-fry station; another expertly sliced sashimi and rolled sushi. A dessert table overflowed with cakes and chocolate mousse.

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The American Prospect examines how funds raised in the U.S. by groups like the Hebron Fund go beyond their ostensible support for Israel and perpetuate the oppressive reality of life for Palestinians in Hebron (1.) A Boston Globe editorial comes out in favor of an ceasefire between Israel and Hamas as a way to end rocket fire against Israel, and possibly being the transformation of Hamas into a political participant in the two-state solution process (3.) The Forward reports on growing U.N. concerns with the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza (4.) An International Herald Tribune opinion by Eric Alterman uses the figures of the latest survey of American Jewry to point out the paradox between the values of the American Jewish mainstream and the right-wing in the community that frequently speaks for them (7.) The Economist (UK) examines the prospects of success for President Bush's upcoming tour of Middle East countries (10.) A Gulf News (UAE) opinion by former Pakistan foreign secretary Tanvir Khan analyzes the continuing uncertainty regarding Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking in spite of the positive results of the Annapolis meeting and Paris donor conference (13.) A Haaretz (Israel) opinion by Daniel Gavron urges Israel to remove unmanned roadblocks of no security function in the occupied West Bank (14.) Also in Haaretz, an opinion by U.S. ambassador to Israel Richard Jones details how peace education is critical to supporting and reinforcing Israeli-Palestinian political negotiations (16.)

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