October 19th

On Two Fronts, Israel Faces Prospect Of Military Escalation ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Leslie Susser - October 19, 2007 - 8:29pm After months of talk of a "hot summer" with Syria and a long battle of attrition with Palestinian Kassam rocket launchers in Gaza, Israel finds itself facing the prospect of a major military escalation on two fronts. In the North, Syria has warned that it will retaliate at a time of its choosing against the alleged Israeli penetration of its airspace on the night between Sept. 5 and 6. » Read more

Knesset Bill Slammed For Maintaining ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Ben Harris - October 19, 2007 - 8:29pm A proposed Israeli law that would uphold the government's refusal to lease land to Israeli Arabs has generated broad opposition among American Jews concerned about the bill's moral implications and its impact on the Jewish state's international standing. The bill allows the Israel Lands Authority to continue its refusal to lease land owned by the Jewish National Fund to non-Jews. It was endorsed 64-16 earlier this month in its first Knesset reading. » Read more

A Big Victory Against The Wall ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Counterpunch by Uri Avnery - October 19, 2007 - 8:28pm When my friends fall prey to despair, I show them a piece of painted concrete, which I bought in Berlin. It is one of the remnants of the Berlin wall, which are on sale in the city. I tell them that I intend, when the time comes, to apply for a franchise to sell pieces of the Separation Wall. Sometimes, when I give a lecture before a German audience, I ask: "How many of you believed, a week before the fall of the wall, that this would happen in their lifetime?" No one has ever raised their hand. » Read more

Us, Israeli Diplomats Push Mideast Talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Anne Gearan - October 19, 2007 - 8:27pm Top U.S. and Israeli diplomats said Wednesday they would push quickly for a political settlement with the moderate-led West Bank in spite of the bitter internal split among Palestinians there and in Gaza. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said they would not squander what each called a rare chance for progress in the 60-year-old conflict between the Jewish state and the Palestinians. » Read more

What Do Arabs Really Think Of America? Ask Them ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Mohamed Elmenshawy - October 19, 2007 - 8:26pm Despite today marking the sixth anniversary of Sept. 11, US policymakers and pundits continue to use the same misleading approach toward understanding the Arab world. » Read more

U.s. Supports Abbas At Expense Of Hamas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Times by Joshua Mitnick - October 19, 2007 - 8:25pm The U.S. is beginning work on tens of millions of dollars worth of aid projects aimed at boosting the Palestinian economy and President Mahmoud Abbas at the expense of Hamas. Along a mile-long stretch of road leading to Ramallah — the seat of Mr. Abbas' government — bulldozers ripped up a street notorious for its crater-sized potholes and sprawling traffic backups at the Israeli military checkpoint near the Qalandiya refugee camp. » Read more

Teams To Take Up Issues Of Palestinian Statehood ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Scott Wilson - October 19, 2007 - 8:24pm Israeli and Palestinian leaders agreed Monday to form negotiating teams that would begin resolving issues central to the creation of a Palestinian state in advance of a U.S.-sponsored peace conference proposed for later this year. » Read more

Israeli And Palestinian Leaders Meet In Jerusalem To Move Toward Peace Talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Steven Erlanger - October 19, 2007 - 8:23pm Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, met Monday and agreed to set up a team of negotiators to flesh out their understandings of what a permanent, two-state solution would look like and require. » Read more

Saudi Says Israel Future Hangs On Palestinian State ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters October 19, 2007 - 8:22pm Saudi Arabia said on Monday Israel was increasing tensions in the region and its future hinged on recognising Palestinian rights to statehood. The unusually strong comments from the Muslim kingdom, which has traditionally close ties to Washington, come as the region awaits a U.S.-sponsored Middle East peace conference expected to take place in November. » Read more

Why Failure Is Not An Option At Annapolis ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by David Kimche - October 19, 2007 - 4:49pm After the failure of the Annapolis conference two years ago, the two-state solution has finally been buried. The Palestinian Authority has disbanded itself, proclaiming that the official policy of the Palestinians will henceforth be a one-state solution, a democratic state with the right to vote for all its citizens over the age of 18. "The battle of the womb," they call it. "We will win through the womb. There will be a majority of Palestinians in this state." » Read more