February 4th

The Fate Of The Two-state Solution Hangs On Jerusalem
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons
by Mousa Qous - (Opinion) February 4, 2008 - 7:53pm

Immediately after last November's Annapolis conference, Israel declared its intention to construct 307 new housing units in the Har Homa settlement in occupied East Jerusalem, in addition to building new settlements in the Almatar and Sheikh Jarrah areas of the city. Thus, Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert--who announced before the conference that he had ordered a freeze on all construction in West Bank settlements--started a battle even before negotiations had got under way.

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An Oppurtunity For An Arab Role To Restore The Lost Balance In The Region
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Raghidadergham.com
by Raghida Dergham - (Opinion) February 4, 2008 - 7:52pm

The opportunity is ripe now for a distinguished Arab role in Iraq, Palestine and Lebanon and with both the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran. There is also an urgent need to formulate and develop this role both for defensive and offensive purposes. Arabs have no more excuses to be absent or to abstain from assuming this role because hiding behind pretexts, such as weakness, helplessness or impatience today will earn them nothing but deep regrets in the future.

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Trust Obama On Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Martin Peretz - (Opinion) February 4, 2008 - 7:50pm

Florida, of course, was a different story, but back in Iowa there was no need for Barack Obama or any other candidate to worry about the Jewish vote. There are 7,000 Jews in the entire state, including 100 hassidim, who work a kosher meat-packing plant in Pottsville.

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Obama's Israel Shuffle
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Mother Jones
by Justin Elliott - (Opinion) February 4, 2008 - 7:49pm

Last week, when Barack Obama became the first major candidate to break the silence on the situation in Gaza, he didn't criticize Israel, whose blockade of a civilian population has been roundly condemned by human rights organizations, nor did he call for restraint from the United States' top ally in the Mideast. Instead, he fired off a letter to U.N. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad with a resounding message—one that could have been mistaken for words straight from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's (AIPAC) website.

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Hamas Continues To Breach Gaza Border
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
February 4, 2008 - 7:46pm

Rafah: Hamas breached the Gaza-Egypt border again, despite attempts by Egyptian troops to seal it, and said they would not allow the border to be closed again. Hundreds of Hamas supporters protested on the breached Gaza-Egypt border yesterday, demanding that it remain open, while Egyptian troops poured cement and laid down metal spikes in a new attempt to halt the influx of Gazans.

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Palestinians Urge For Early Presidential Ballot
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Angus Reid Global Monitor
February 4, 2008 - 7:45pm

The vast majority of people in the Gaza Strip and West Bank believe a change of government is necessary, according to a poll by An-Najah National University. 65.1 per cent of respondents support conducting an early presidential election, and 52.4 per cent would dissolve the Palestinian Legislative Council.

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Israeli Defense Minister To Stay In Olmert Coalition
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Isabel Kershner - February 4, 2008 - 7:44pm

Ehud Barak, Israel’s defense minister and the leader of the Labor Party, announced Sunday that he would remain in the government, stabilizing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s coalition despite last week’s harsh report on the political and military leaders’ handling of the Lebanon war in 2006.

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Shikaki: Hamas’ Popularity On Rise In Gaza After Tearing Down Wall With Egypt
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Council on Foreign Relations
by Bernard Gwertzman - (Interview) February 4, 2008 - 7:44pm

Khalil Shikaki, a leading Palestinian political scientist and polling expert based in the West Bank, says that Hamas, the radical Palestinian group opposed to Israel, has been losing popularity among Palestinians since it took over Gaza by force last June. But more recently, Israeli sanctions against Gaza in retaliation for the rocket attacks on Israel, and Hamas tearing down the wall separating Gaza from Egypt, have probably boosted Hamas’ popularity again, making it difficult for Hamas’ rival, Fatah, to contemplate defeating Hamas in another election.

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February 3rd

Isabel Kershner of the New York Times discusses the impact of Ehud Barak, Israeli Defense Minister, remaining in Ehud Olmert's coalition in the wake of the Winograd report.(2) In Mother Jones, Justin Elliott touches on Barack Obama's recent statements about the border crisis in Gaza. (5) Mousa Qous suggests that the continued Israeli settlement building in East Jerusalem could compromise future negotiations of a two state solution in BitterLemons. (Israel/Palestine) (8) An Arab News editorial petitions Mahmoud Abbas to make a deal with Hamas over the recent border crisis. (9) An Haaretz article ranks the U.S. presidential candidates positions on the Israel/Palestine debate. (11) Also in Haaretz, Amos Harel updates on the first suicide bombing in Israel in over a year. (13)

February 1st

Brotherhood Sought
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al- Ahram
by Serene Assir - February 1, 2008 - 6:42pm

One week on from the mass act of popular refusal among Palestinians that broke the siege of Gaza, movement in and out of the occupied territory has being radically cut down as Egyptian Central Security forces were deployed in thousands to block the entry of Palestinians into the Sinai Peninsula via Rafah and Arish. Meanwhile, calls to Egyptian authorities for a greater show of solidarity -- indeed, sovereignty from the will of Israel -- to break the siege imposed seven months ago on Gaza intensified over the course of the week.

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