Bush Urges Peace As Part Of Broader Mideast Vision
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA)
by Ron Kampeas - January 10, 2008 - 4:43pm

The thorny question of Israel's West Bank settlements has dogged President Bush's overarching message during his eight-day tour of the Middle East: Democracies must unite to confront terrorism. In language that is unusually blunt considering his warm relations with Israel, Bush has made clear his frustration with Israel's failure so far to deal with outposts, or unauthorized new settlements.

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Dangerous Talk
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
(Editorial) January 10, 2008 - 4:41pm

srael got a rude reminder last week of just how deeply it is divided on the question of what to do with the West Bank. A popular rabbi, Shalom Dov Wolpe, declared publicly January 2 that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and his top ministers ought to be hanged for considering withdrawal.

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On Mideast Trip, Bush Hopes To Propel Historic Israeli-palestinian Peacemaking
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
by Ilene Prusher - January 10, 2008 - 4:40pm

The patriotic tunes that greeted President Bush as he arrived in Israel Wednesday for the first time in his presidency set the tone for a historic visit. But given the laudatory remarks of Mr. Bush and his Israeli counterparts on the airport tarmac, the visit seemed focused on celebrating and strengthening the US-Israel relationship, throwing into question whether Bush would be equally welcomed Thursday in the West Bank.

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Bush Urges End To Israeli Occupation
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Jeffrey Heller, Matt Spetalnick - January 10, 2008 - 4:24pm

U.S. President George W. Bush, hardening his tone towards Israel on Thursday, urged an end to "the occupation" of the West Bank and pushed for a peace treaty to be signed within a year to create a Palestinian state. The United States rarely uses the politically charged word "occupation" to describe Israel's hold on lands captured in a 1967 war. It is a term Palestinians seeking a state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip employ frequently to describe their plight.

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Bush Predicts Completion Of Mideast Treaty
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Michael Abramowitz - January 10, 2008 - 4:22pm

President Bush said Thursday that a Palestinian-Israeli peace treaty could be signed within a year, but that the subsequent creation of a Palestinian state will take longer and require both sides to make "painful political concessions." Those include, he said, an end to the Israeli "occupation" of Arab land seized in a 1967 war, a recognition by the Palestinians that some disputed territory will remain with Israel, and compromise over the status of Jerusalem, a city which both sides claim as important to their identity and faith.

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Bush Begins Peace Effort Bonded With Olmert
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Steven Erlanger, Steven Lee Myers - January 10, 2008 - 4:21pm

They share an enthusiasm for sports, fitness and the occasional cigar. They are both unpopular leaders, scarred by terrorism and zealous in their warnings about the threat of Islamic extremism. And yet they profess grand ambitions to accomplish what other leaders have failed to do for decades: make peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.

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The Washington Post reports on the trip by President Bush to Israel/Palestine and statements he made regarding progress towards Israeli-Palestinian peace in 2008 (2.) The Christian Science Monitor reviews reaction in Israel to the Bush visit (5.) The Jewish Telegraphic Agency examines statements made by President Bush to the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships regarding a Palestinian state, settlements and security (7.) The Financial Times (UK) reports on the words of caution President Bush offered the Israelis regarding undermining Palestinian security measures and West Bank checkpoints (9.) The Guardian (UK) looks at how the issue of Israeli settlement expansion in parts of the occupied territories continues to create difficulties with the Palestinians and with American policy (10.) The Times (UK) examines statements by President Bush regarding the issue of the contiguity of a future Palestinian state (12.) A Haaretz (Israel) editorial is critical of Israeli policies in Gaza preventing humanitarian and medical cases from seeking treatment outside the territory (14.) A Gulf News (UAE) opinion by George Hishmeh analyzes the motivations behind the Bush Mideast visit (17.)

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