December 10th

A New York Times editorial urges Israelis and Palestinians to begin the work necessary to break out of old patterns detrimental to peace negotiations (2.) In Israel Policy Forum, MJ Rosenberg takes heart in growing indications that the more conservative American Jewish institutions are adopting the two-state solution paradigm (4.) A Jewish Telegraphic Agency opinion by AMEINU president Kenneth Bob calls on U.S. Jews to support Israeli government decisions on the future of Jerusalem (6.) The New Statesman (UK) reports on the critical shortages affecting Gaza and its civilian population (7.) The Australian (Australia) reports on an open letter from Hamas to Secretary of State Rice asking that the sanctions against Gaza be lifted (8.) In Haaretz (Israel) Amira Haas reports on how the takeover of three institutions in Gaza by Hamas has deepened the Gaza-West Bank split (9.) Also in Haaretz are the results of a survey of the Israeli public post-Annapolis (10.) A Jordan Times (Jordan) editorial is critical of the reported Israeli offer of a provisional Palestinian state made at Annapolis (13.)

Let Them Leave
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Yariv Oppenheimer - (Opinion) December 10, 2007 - 7:16pm

The recent announcement by Labor Party Chairman and Defense Minister Ehud Barak regarding his support for “evacuation-compensation” legislation revived the public debate on the question of isolated settlements located beyond the separation fence.

»

The Har Homa Test
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Akiva Eldar - (Opinion) December 10, 2007 - 7:12pm

t is difficult to think of a place more suitable than Har Homa for holding the first test in the spirit of Annapolis. The comparison between Har Homa Crisis No. 2 and the development of Har Homa Crisis No. 1 can teach us whether the Israeli-Palestinian peace process has indeed started a new track or whether all the players are stuck on the old line.

»

Simply Lies
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News
(Editorial) December 10, 2007 - 7:11pm

It is impossible to announce the beginning of a new settlement at the end of Annapolis and say you truly desire peace. The good intentions of Israel, as it has pronounced them with regards to peace, are simply lies. Just because Israel’s decision to build more homes on occupied land comes on the heels of the Annapolis summit does not make the move any more appalling. Building more settlements on Palestinian land is against the law, pure and simple, regardless of Annapolis.

»

A New Test For Americans And Palestinians
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
by Rami Khouri - December 10, 2007 - 7:11pm

You do get a second chance in most things in life, as the United States and the Palestinian leadership are experiencing now, in the wake of the revived Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations at Annapolis. The second chance to get things right has been triggered by the announcement earlier this week that Israel plans to build over 300 new housing units on occupied Palestinian Arab land in East Jerusalem at the Har Homa settlement - which the Arabs know as Jabal Abu Ghneim.

»

Siege That Spells Slow Death For The Innocents
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Sunday Herald
by Ed Oloughlin - December 10, 2007 - 7:09pm

FOR three weeks, seven-month-old Mohammed Abu Amra has been lying in Gaza's main paediatric hospital, suffering from immune deficiency and suspected cystic fibrosis. His doctors do not have the drug they need to relieve his symptoms, which include fever and distressed breathing, racking his thin ribs at almost twice the healthy rate of breaths per minute.

»

Gaza's Donkeys In Demand As Fuel Crisis Mounts
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Independent
by Donald Macintyre - December 10, 2007 - 7:07pm

It's not surprising the buyers at yesterday's weekly donkey market here were looking over their prospective purchases with care. They opened the jaws of the tolerant beasts to examine their teeth, and test-drove them, harnessed to a cart, out of the crowded yard to gauge their pulling power.

»

Unilateral Military Strike Still An Option, Senior Ministers Insist
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian
by Rory Mccarthy - December 10, 2007 - 7:06pm

Senior Israeli officials warned yesterday that they were still considering a military strike against Iran, despite a fresh US intelligence report that concluded Tehran was no longer developing nuclear weapons. Although Israel says it wants strong diplomatic pressure put on Iran, it is reluctant to rule out the threat of a unilateral attack. Matan Vilnai, Israel's deputy defence minister, told Army Radio yesterday: "No option needs to be off the table."

»

Annapolis Outcome "proves Arab Failure"
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Inter Press Service (IPS)
by Khaled Moussa Al-omrani, Adam Morrow - December 10, 2007 - 7:05pm

n the wake of last month's Annapolis conference, some quarters of Arab officialdom express optimism that the talks might yet lead to a settlement of the perennial Israel-Palestine conflict. Many independent analysts, however, saw the event as little more than an exercise in submission. "Annapolis was proof of total Arab failure," Gamal Zahran, political science professor at the Suez Canal University and independent parliamentarian, told IPS. "It confirmed the ability of the Zionist U.S. administration to force its will on Arab capitals."

»

An Insult To Intelligence
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New Republic
by Yossi Klein Halevi - (Opinion) December 10, 2007 - 7:04pm

Since the early 1990s, when Israel first began preparing for a possible military strike against Iran's nuclear program, its security establishment has been divided not about the threat Iran posed--which was almost universally agreed upon to be grave--but about whether America and the international community would have the will to stop Tehran. Optimists noted the near-total Western acceptance of the Israeli intelligence assessment that the goal of the Iranian nuclear program was a bomb.

»


American Task Force on Palestine - 1634 Eye St. NW, Suite 725, Washington DC 20006 - Telephone: 202-262-0017