The Middle East reacts to the United States’ election of Barack Obama (1) (6) (9). Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice embarks on another trip to the Middle East to secure a working peace process (2). Israeli special forces battle with Hamas militants in Gaza, leaving six dead (3) (4) (5). Palestinian protestors face Israeli police as they attempt to block the demolition of an East Jerusalem home (7).

Israel's dilemma: Obama vs. Qassams
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Aluf Benn - November 4, 2008 - 8:00pm

No declaration of support and no promising statements can diminish the fear many Israelis' have of U.S president - elect Barak Obama. An elderly woman of Iraqi descent tells her daughter: "I saw them dancing. They're like the Arabs." The daughter replies: "I know - he'll support the Palestinians." "This is the end of us. He will take away our military foreign aid grants," another man states. These recent responses to Barak Obama's election are typical of many Israelis.

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Livni slams 'flagrant violation' of truce as Qassams hit western Negev
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Avi Issacharoff - November 4, 2008 - 8:00pm

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said on Wednesday that Israel could not put up with "flagrant violations" of the cease-fire agreement with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, after dozens of Qassam rockets hit Israel on Wednesday. The rocket barrage came a day after an Israel Air Force strike in the southern Strip killed at least five militants and wounded several others. Hamas claimed responsibility for the rockets, but vowed interest in maintaining the five-month old truce.

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Police trying to disperse East Jerusalem rioters in house demolition row
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
November 4, 2008 - 8:00pm

Police said Wednesday they were trying to disperse a violent protest in East Jerusalem, where Palestinian protesters sought to block demolition of a house. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld says authorities went to the area early Wednesday to take down a home that was built illegally. The crowd gathered and began pelting police with stones. He says police are trying to break up the crowd with stun grenades.

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'Few changes likely during transition'
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Herb Keinon - November 4, 2008 - 8:00pm

Change in US Middle East policy as a result of Tuesday's elections is expected to be "evolutionary, not revolutionary," according to diplomatic assessments in Jerusalem. According to these assessments, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Israeli-Syrian talks are not expected to be on the top of the new president's agenda during the transition period, defined roughly as the period starting Wednesday and lasting until the new president's national security team is up and running.

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Israel preparing for Hamas attacks after Gaza operation
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Hanan Greenberg - November 4, 2008 - 8:00pm

Tuesday night's successful Israel Defense Forces operation in Gaza thwarted a concrete and significant terror threat, but military officials admitted Wednesday that the tunnel attacked was only one of many threats which still exist in the Strip. Defense Minister Ehud Barak held a special meeting with security officials Wednesday morning, and one of the issues discussed was the possibility of a complete collapse of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

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Gaza truce in jeopardy after Hamas-Israeli clashes
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
November 4, 2008 - 8:00pm

Hamas militants pounded southern Israel with a barrage of rockets Wednesday, hours after Israeli soldiers killed six gunmen in new violence that threatened a five-month-old truce that has brought relief to both Gaza and southern Israel. The clashes began late Tuesday after Israeli forces burst into Gaza to destroy what the army said was a tunnel being dug near the border to kidnap Israeli troops. Despite the outbreak of violence, both the Israeli authorities and officials with Gaza's Hamas government said they wanted to restore the calm that has largely prevailed for five months.

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Six die in Israeli attack over Hamas 'tunnel under border to kidnap soldier'
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Times
by James Hider - November 4, 2008 - 8:00pm

A five-month truce between Israel and the Islamist rulers of the Gaza Strip was foundering today after Israeli special forces entered the besieged territory and battled with Hamas militants, leaving six Palestinian fighters dead and four Israeli soldiers wounded. The Israeli military described the operation as a “pinpoint” raid to destroy a 250-metre tunnel it said the hardline Palestinian movement was digging under the border to try to kidnap an Israeli soldier, as it did in summer 2006.

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Rice off to Mideast as peace deadline looms
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
by Matthew Lee - November 4, 2008 - 8:00pm

Fighting irrelevance and a ticking clock, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice embarks Wednesday on yet another Middle East peacemaking trip, hoping to secure fragile Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and leave a viable process for the incoming Obama administration. With just 77 days left in office, Rice will be making her eighth trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories since the parties set a year-end goal of reaching a peace deal at last November's Annapolis peace conference. She will also visit Egypt and Jordan to shore up Arab support for the talks.

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Arab League urges Obama to act quickly in Mideast
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
November 4, 2008 - 8:00pm

Arab League head Amr Moussa has urged President-elect Barack Obama to act swiftly to try to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Moussa welcomed the result of the U.S. election and said it marked a watershed for the United States and for efforts to bring peace to the Middle East. Moussa says Obama's call for change is needed in the Middle East to ease tensions between Arabs and Israelis and to resolve the nuclear standoff with Iran.

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