September 17th

Palestinian official: Olmert, Abbas to meet as long as PM stays in office ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz September 16, 2008 - 8:00pm A Palestinian official says President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will continue to met for peace talks as long as Olmert remains in office. Olmert has pledged to step down over corruption allegations but he could stay in his post until next year if his resignation leads to a new election. He and Abbas met Tuesday and an Israeli official said afterward that the two would meet again after Abbas returns from the UN General Assembly in New York later this month. » Read more

Jordan, Kuwait renew support for PA ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times September 16, 2008 - 8:00pm Jordan and Kuwait on Tuesday renewed their support for the Palestinian Authority?s efforts to unify the Palestinian ranks. During talks in Kuwait City between His Majesty King Abdullah and Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, the two leaders said the current Palestinian rift threatens the interests of the Palestinian people and its aspirations to establish an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza. They also called for intensifying efforts to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinians as a result of the harsh economic conditions they are experiencing. » Read more

Patience frays ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Ahram by Dina Ezzat - September 16, 2008 - 8:00pm The look on the face of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as he exited meetings with Arab foreign ministers at a late evening hour Monday, or earlier in the week after talks with President Hosni Mubarak, was one of despair. Abbas is all but saying that he cannot conclude a final status deal with the Israelis as he had hoped and that he cannot keep on fighting -- or as hard -- his immediate political adversary, Hamas. Abbas is saying this to all Arab, including Egyptian, interlocutors and is not getting much support from either. » Read more

Keep Israel and Syria Talking ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Middle East Times by Bruce Riedel, Bilal Y. Saab - September 16, 2008 - 8:00pm The indirect negotiations between Syria and Israel that began last May have gone as far as they can. Their purpose -- to break the ice between the two states after eight years of not talking, and to test one another's resolve over certain issues -- has been achieved. Now, Syrian President Bashar Assad wants to move forward, as evidenced in his proposal to Israel for direct peace talks at a recent four-way summit in Damascus involving Syria, Turkey, France and Qatar. » Read more

Trade blossoms as Israel eases chokehold on Nablus ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Wafa Amr - September 16, 2008 - 8:00pm Trade is blooming in Nablus after eight years of commercial drought, as Arabs from Israel return to shop in a city declared off-limits in 2000 as a font of Palestinian militancy in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. "I have not set foot in Nablus since the beginning of the Intifada in 2000," said Njeidat, a chef from the Galilee area to the north, home to many of Israel's million Arab citizens. » Read more

The two-state solution is nearly dead. But there's one last chance to save it ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Jonathan Freedland - (Opinion) September 16, 2008 - 8:00pm By tonight, the governing party should have a new leader. After a painful summer limping along with an unpopular prime minister - who never came close to matching the popularity of his predecessor - the party will today have the leadership contest and the fresh start it has yearned for. » Read more

Israeli restrictions leave Palestinians dependent on aid, says World Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Rory McCarthy - September 16, 2008 - 8:00pm The World Bank warned today that continued Israeli economic restrictions are severely limiting the potential of the Palestinian economy and leaving Palestinians more dependent on foreign aid than ever. In a report to be delivered to international donor governments this month, the World Bank acknowledges that Israel has lifted some roadblocks in the occupied West Bank but it says the impact is limited. It says continued discussions about removing individual checkpoints and roadblocks have become a "distraction" from the bigger issues. » Read more

Livni claims win in Israeli vote ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News September 16, 2008 - 8:00pm Tzipi Livni has claimed victory in the contest to lead Israel's ruling Kadima party as exit polls suggest she won by a clear margin. The foreign minister told supporters in a radio broadcast that "the good guys" had won after the ballot by members of the party. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is resigning amid corruption allegations. If she can form a coalition Ms Livni, 50, would become Israel's first woman prime minister in more than 30 years. Two television exit polls suggested Ms Livni had beaten Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz by a margin of 48% to 37%. » Read more

Syria sets basis for Israel talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News September 3, 2008 - 8:00pm Syria has sent a list of proposals to Israel aimed at laying the groundwork for direct peace talks between the two foes, President Bashar al-Assad says. "We are awaiting Israel's response to six points submitted through Turkey," Mr Assad said, promising Syria would respond positively to Israel's answer. Direct talks could happen once a new US administration "which believes in the peace process" takes office, he said. Syria has remained in a state of war with Israel since its 1948 foundation. » Read more

Israel?s Political Situation Dims Hopes for Peace Deal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Helene Cooper - July 31, 2008 - 8:00pm WASHINGTON ? The official line in Washington, Jerusalem and Ramallah is that the decision by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert of Israel to resign will not affect American efforts to negotiate a peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians before the end of the year. Israeli officials said Thursday that Mr. Olmert could still try to reach a peace pact in his remaining time in office. In Tunisia, Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leader, pledged to work with Mr. Olmert and his successor. » Read more