February 8th

Revitalizing Diplomacy
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Common Ground News Service
(Opinion) February 8, 2008 - 7:50pm

Daniel Kurtzer

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Hamas' Strategic Defeat
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Dror Ze’evi - (Opinion) February 8, 2008 - 7:49pm

Ever since the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections, the Hamas movement has boasted a series of impressive tactical victories. These wins started with the elections victory over Fatah and continued with the rapid takeover of the Gaza Strip, the abduction of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, the “candle operation” aimed at forcing Israel to boost the supply of electricity to the Strip, and finally, the breaching of the Rafah border wall and the lifting of the siege.  

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Usip Report: Ten Pieces Of Advice For #44
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Israel Policy Forum
by M.J. Rosenberg - (Opinion) February 8, 2008 - 7:48pm

The latest news from the region is that once again the Israelis are reducing the supply of electricity to Gaza, in response to increased Hamas attacks in Israel. The cutbacks come despite the fact that the policy of punishing the general population has been repeatedly tried and failed, and despite a strong warning from the Bush administration. 

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Israel Trims Gaza Electricity, Prompting Warning From U.s.
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from International Herald Tribune
by Isabel Kershner - February 8, 2008 - 7:47pm

Israel has begun reducing the amount of electricity it sells to Gaza as part of sanctions against continued rocket fire, Israeli officials said Friday. The move prompted a warning from the United States not to "worsen the humanitarian situation" of civilians in Gaza, and was followed by the firing of yet more rockets at Israel by militants there.

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Palestinian Pm Sees No '08 Israel Accord
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Ed Stoddard - February 8, 2008 - 7:46pm

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said on Thursday a lasting peace accord with Israel was unlikely in 2008 despite renewed diplomatic efforts to resolve the long-running conflict. In an interview with Reuters in the Texas capital, Austin, where he is on a private visit, he highlighted the lack of progress on the issue of Israeli settlements and military incursions into the West Bank as among the chief obstacles in the "road map" to peace and Palestinian statehood.

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Egyptian President Views Gaza Border Crisis, Iran Ties, Mideast
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bbc News
(Interview) February 8, 2008 - 7:43pm

Text of report by Italian leading privately-owned centre-left newspaper La Repubblica, on 31 January [Interview with Egyptian President Husni Mubarak by Nicola Lombardozzi and Alix Van Buren in Cairo on 30 January: "'Israel Will Not Offload Gaza On to Us'"]

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Israel To Intensify Strikes If Rocket Fire Continues
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Ellen Knickmeyer - February 8, 2008 - 7:41pm

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak threatened Thursday to intensify military operations in the Gaza Strip if fighters continue using the Palestinian territory for rocket attacks on southern Israel. Earlier in the day, Israeli troops supported by tanks, artillery and fighter jets raided Gaza, killing six Palestinian gunmen, according to Palestinian and news service accounts.

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February 7th

The Washington Post (1) and BBC (2) monitor ongoing developments in Gaza. Reuters reports on Salam Fayyad’s view of the near future (3). MJ Rosenberg offers advice for future negotiations (5). Daniel Kurtzer discusses America’s role in the negotiations. In domestic news, The Daily Star’s Ghassan Rubiez analyzes Super Tuesday from an Arab-American perspective (8) while Shmuel Rosner discusses John McCain’s Israel policy(10).

Barak Is The Wrong Man
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Israel Harel - (Opinion) February 7, 2008 - 7:34pm

The main reason given by Defense Minister Ehud Barak for remaining in the government is to contend with the state's grave security threats, from both near and far. To be prepared, he said, our operational capabilities must be restored and a moral change must be implemented. Barak is thus telling the public he is the right man in the right place, and if he were to step down now there would be no one to carry out these tasks as well as he can.

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Hamas: Egypt Should Voice Its Anger Against Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
February 7, 2008 - 7:33pm

Egypt has warned Palestinians against trying to break through its resealed Gaza border about two weeks after Hamas militants blew it open to defy an Israeli-led blockade.   After allowing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to cross into the Sinai peninsula last month, Egypt on Sunday closed the border to Palestinians seeking entry.     

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