March 17th

Israel, Palestinians Resume Suspended Peace Talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
March 17, 2008 - 6:41pm

Occupied Jerusalem: Israeli and Palestinian negotiators held undisclosed peace talks after a deadly Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip led to their brief suspension and are to meet again on Monday, Israeli officials said. Despite growing tensions over colony expansion on occupied land, Israeli Prime Ehud Olmert said the construction would continue in occupied Jerusalem and in colony blocs the Jewish state wants to keep as part of any deal with the Palestinians.

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Diplomatic 'surge' To Boost Middle East Peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Times
by James Hider - March 17, 2008 - 6:39pm

With the Middle East peace process at its lowest ebb since being revived last year, a diplomatic “surge” is to take place in the coming months, culminating in President Bush's return for a second visit to join the May celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel.

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What The Middle East Needs Most
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
by John Cooley - (Opinion) March 17, 2008 - 6:38pm

Torn by perennial conflicts, the Middle East has long been on the receiving end of great pessimism. But today, buoyed by cash from $100-plus a barrel oil prices and stirred by the region's tech-savvy and politically impatient young residents, it's also the subject of a spirit of possibility. The big question is this: Is the kind of independent thinking that can breed peace and the gradual spread of democracy likely to grow?

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March 16th

A Christian Science Monitor opinion by John K. Cooley argues for U.S. public diplomacy and education efforts for Arab youth (1). The Times Online discusses the upcoming trip of US President George W. Bush to Israel (2). In The Star, Oakland Ross observes Canada’s shifting policy concerning the Israel-Palestine conflict (5). An opinion in BitterLemons by Ghassan Khatib asserts that the recent actions of the Israeli government have strengthened Hamas and weakened Fatah (6). An editorial in Haaretz calls for American intervention (10).

March 10th

Illegitimate Use Of Mourning
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
(Editorial) March 10, 2008 - 5:49pm

We can assume that the young people who harassed Education Minister Yuli Tamir outside the Mercaz Harav yeshiva as she emerged from there yesterday after consoling the mourners, were not sent to do so by the rabbis who head the yeshiva. And nevertheless, the unbridled incitement shouted by the youths found an echo among the national-religious leadership, its rabbis and its educators.

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Gaza - What's Their Problem?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Middle East Times
(Editorial) March 10, 2008 - 5:46pm

If you want a clear understanding of the explosive situation in Gaza take a look at a most informative report by the American Task Force on Palestine published last week. The report titled, "What Lies Ahead for Gaza?" is a must read.  

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Israeli Intel Report Paints Grim Picture
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Middle East Times
March 10, 2008 - 5:45pm

Israel's intelligence community painted a bleak picture of threats facing the Jewish state. The report – an annual assessment somewhat similar to Washington's National Intelligence Estimate, or NIE, was delivered to the Israeli cabinet on Sunday.   The report singles out Iran and Hamas as the two most pertinent threats to the Jewish State. It comes on the heels of an attack against Jewish religious students in Jerusalem last week, the worst such attack in four years.  

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Fatah Must Reinvent Itself, Or Risk Irrelevance
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
by Mouin Rabbani - (Opinion) March 10, 2008 - 5:43pm

With preparations accelerating, it seems increasingly likely that Fatah, the Palestinian National Liberation Movement, will hold its Sixth General Conference during 2008. Yet given the advanced state of disintegration in which the movement finds itself, it may well be a case of too little too late. Simply put, Fatah's very survival now hangs in the balance.

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In The Name Of The Palestinian Cause
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat
by Mshari Al-zaydi - (Opinion) March 10, 2008 - 5:42pm

  Question: Who is currently in control of Gaza, or rather who has been in control of Gaza until the recent Israeli raids took place? The answer: Hamas.   Next question: Who is in charge of the decision making process within Hamas, its funding and its foreign affairs? The answer: Khalid Mishal, head of the Hamas politburo and he is located in Damascus.   One last question: What or who is the major influence upon Mishal?

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Israel Approves Settlement Growth
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bbc News
March 10, 2008 - 5:41pm

The project was first signed off in 1999, but stopped two years later after Palestinian labourers refused to go on. Israel's housing minister said the construction at Givat Zeev would address "the demographic needs of Jerusalem". But the decision provoked an angry reaction from Palestinian leaders. For the Palestinians there are few issues as contentious as the building of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, says the BBC's Crispin Thorold in Jerusalem. Under the terms of the peace process settlement expansion is supposed to be frozen.

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