April 25th

Dreams And Reality
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Israel Policy Forum
by M.J. Rosenberg - (Opinion) April 25, 2008 - 6:17pm

As readers of this column know, I often refer to the organizations which constitute the Israel lobby as the "status quo" lobby. I do that because, frankly, I view it as advocating very little beyond the status quo. Its entire raison d’être seems to be to ensure that everything stays just the way it is.

»

Olmert And Abbas Lose Support Over Stalled Peace Process
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Times
by Sheera Frenkel - April 25, 2008 - 6:16pm

Israeli and Palestinian leaders were pursuing diplomatic initiatives on three fronts yesterday as both fought for their political survival. Ehud Olmert, the Israeli Prime Minister, and Mahmoud Abbas, chairman of the Palestinian Authority, both suffer from discontent in their ranks and low poll ratings that have refused to recover as US-brokered peace talks fail to make significant progress.

»

Israeli Ex-soldiers Expose Abuse Of Palestinians
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
by Ilene Prusher - April 25, 2008 - 6:11pm

Doron Efrati was assigned to the Kfir Brigade, part of an infantry battalion that was especially created to serve in the West Bank following the outbreak of the second intifada. He figured if he was going to be drafted anyway, he would agree to serve in the Israeli-occupied territories, "to see what really happens, and maybe to change things," he says. "But I didn't succeed."

»

Imf Praises Pa For 'bold Reforms,' Strides Toward Fiscal Sustainability
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
April 25, 2008 - 5:58pm

The International Monetary Fund on Friday praised the Palestinian government for what it calls 'bold reforms' and said it was making strides toward fiscal sustainability. The agency's report Friday praises President Mahmoud Abbas' government for freezing public sector hiring and wage increases and reducing utility subsidies. But it says the deficit remains high. The Abbas government has promised international donors to try to reduce spending, and especially the government payroll.

»

Bush Tells Palestinian Leader Peace Is Possible
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Michael Abramowitz - April 25, 2008 - 5:57pm

President Bush sought to assure Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas yesterday that a peace agreement with Israel remains possible, as he began to accelerate his personal diplomacy in advance of his second trip to the Middle East this year. "The thing that I'm focused on, and you are, is how to define a [Palestinian] state that is acceptable to both sides," Bush said. "I'm confident it can get done."

»

U.s. Jews Create New Lobby To Temper Israel Policy
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Neil A. Lewis - April 25, 2008 - 5:55pm

Several prominent American Jews have formed a new pro-Israel lobby as an alternative to traditional organizations that, they assert, often impede progress in the Middle East because of their generally reflexive support of Israel. Officials of the new group, called J Street, say they believe the best way to bring security and peace to Israel is to help political candidates who support that country but will occasionally question some of its policies like maintaining or expanding settlements in disputed territories.

»

Bush Meets Abbas, But Palestinians Criticize Plans For Trip
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Sheryl Gay Stolberg - April 25, 2008 - 5:48pm

As he prepares for his second trip this year to the Middle East, President Bush is facing mounting criticism from some Palestinians who are upset that he will go to Israel for its 60th birthday celebration without marking the flip side of that event: the flight of Palestinians from their homes.

»

Bush Wants A Deal On A Palestinian State By End Of Term
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by James Gerstenzang And Richard Boudreaux - April 25, 2008 - 5:47pm

President Bush said Thursday that he wanted to lock in the outlines of a Palestinian state before he left office, even as Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, said the road was "paved with obstacles." With less than nine months to achieve his goal, Bush is holding a flurry of diplomatic meetings, including a session with Abbas in the Oval Office on Thursday, seeking to pressure Israel, the Palestinians and their Arab allies.

»

April 24th

President Bush wants an outline for a Palestinian State by the end of his term(1). President George W. Bush is drawing fire for his forthcoming trip to Israel (2) while the ongoing negotiations stalemate is negatively affecting both Mahmoud Abbas' and Ehud Olmert's support (7). The IMF praises the Palestinian Authority's moves toward fiscal sustainability(5). Finally, M.J. Rosenberg discusses the necessity of diplomacy in his weekly column for the Israel Policy Forum.

White House: Syria Must 'come Clean' About Nuclear Facility
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Amos Harel, Shmuel Rosner, And Barak Ravid - April 24, 2008 - 5:56pm

The White House on Thursday urged Syria to "come clean" about an alleged nuclear facility, which a senior U.S. official said earlier in the day had been near completion when it was reportedly targeted and destroyed by the Israel Air Force in September 2007. "The Syrian regime must come clean before the world regarding its illicut nuclear activities," White House press secretary Dana Perino said, shortly after U.S. intelligence officials presented members of Congress with evidence that Pyongyang had assisted a secret Syrian nuclear program.

»


American Task Force on Palestine - 1634 Eye St. NW, Suite 725, Washington DC 20006 - Telephone: 202-262-0017