Reuters reports on the latest news from the Rafah crossing (1.) The Economist examines the new power equation following Hamas’ breach of the border (2.) Time Magazine further analyzes the Gaza situation (3.) The Independent’s Donald Macintyre (4) and Financial Time’s Phillip Stevens (5) examine Olmert’s options. The Financial Times discusses how Israel’s coalition government rests on Labor’s upcoming decision (6.) The Time’s Chris Doyle argues continued occupation is the driving force behind continued Qassam rocket attacks and questions punishing the million for the sake of the few (7.) With U.S. elections impending, M.J. Rosenberg offers platform advice to candidates (10) as the Middle East Times ranks their support for Palestine (11.) Finally, Al-Ahram’s Serene Assir argues for permanent long-term cooperation between Egypt and Gaza(12).

For The Cause, The Settlements Must Go
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Sheldon Schreter - January 31, 2008 - 6:11pm

Israelis seem to have lost their belief in the rightness of our cause, as various observers have recently noted with alarm. Whether you attribute this to ideological fatigue, the universal tendency to pursue personal and material goals over collective ones, or loss in the belief of God's promise of this Land to Abraham, there is real cause for concern. Given Israel's challenges and the demands placed on its citizens, a national consensus on war and peace, relations with our Arab neighbors, and over societal priorities is no luxury, but a necessity.

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Worse Than The Partial Report
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
(Editorial) January 31, 2008 - 6:09pm

Because they were so preoccupied with the final 60 hours of the war, and because of the fact that the Winograd Committee exonerated Ehud Olmert from an implied accusation that he decided on a ground operation at the last moment only in order to improve his political position, people seem to have failed to hear the extraordinarily serious remarks read out by Judge Eliyahu Winograd in his summarizing announcement to the public. The blood libel against Olmert was removed from the agenda, but on the other hand, the committee declared him unfit to conduct a war.

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The Aftermath Of The Gaza Tsunami
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News
by George S. Hishmeh - (Opinion) January 31, 2008 - 6:08pm

It was very uplifting to see Palestinian men, women and children, hundreds of thousands of them, climb up the corrugated iron wall that separated their Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip from Egypt and watch them on Al Jazeera run freely to shop for much-needed supplies, visit with relatives and friends they have not seen for years, and play joyfully. The scenes of cows, camels and bicycles carried by cranes across the border will not be easily erased from anyone's fondest memories.

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Hamas Sets Rafah Border Conditions
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al Jazeera English
January 31, 2008 - 6:07pm

A delegation led by Khaled Meshaal, the leader of Hamas, has proposed joint Palestinian-Egyptian control of the Rafah crossing.    They set down these conditions on Thursday on the second day of talks in Cairo geared towards resolving the week-old crisis on the Gaza-Egypt border as Egypt continued its mediating role between Hamas and Fatah.  

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Poll: Palestinian Majority Wants Pro-abbas Forces On Gaza Crossings
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from China View
January 31, 2008 - 6:05pm

Majority of Palestinians support that President Mahmoud Abbas' security forces take control on Gaza Strip crossing points, a poll showed on Wednesday.     According to the poll, conducted two days ago by An-Najah University, 73.9 percent of the surveyed said the pro-Abbas security forces should be deployed on the crossings in order to reopen them.

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Leading Article: A Disastrous War And A Weakened Leader
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Independent
(Editorial) January 31, 2008 - 6:04pm

The Winograd Commission into the 2006 Lebanon war has already drawn blood in the form of the departure of the Israeli Defence minister and Chief-of-Staff who were in office at the time of the operation. But Winograd looks unlikely to force the resignation of the man many Israelis hold responsible above all others for the debacle: Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

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Olmert Survives, For Now
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian
January 31, 2008 - 6:04pm

The retired justice Eliyahu Winograd, who headed the panel investigating Israel's 34-day war in Lebanon in 2006, said yesterday what everybody already knew. The ground offensive launched in the last 60 hours of the war "did not achieve any military objective, nor did it fulfil its potential". A total of 33 Israeli soldiers died, but the offensive did not reduce the number of Katyusha rockets falling on northern Israel, and it was also unclear how it affected the position of the Lebanese government or Hizbullah on a ceasefire.

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Ujc Sees Fund For Israeli Arabs As Fresh Start In Fund Raising
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA)
by Jacob Berkman - January 31, 2008 - 6:03pm

As part of a move to revamp its fund-raising strategy, the United Jewish Communities has started a joint venture fund to raise significant dollars to help Israeli Arabs. The organization, which serves as the umbrella of the North American federation system, is raising $750,000 from 15 private donors, foundations, federations and service organizations to start the UJC Venture Fund for Jewish-Arab Equality and Coexistence.

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Methodist Church Renews Drive For Divestment From Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
by Nathan Guttman - January 31, 2008 - 6:02pm

Tensions are re-emerging between Jewish organizations and some mainline Protestant churches in the wake of a renewed drive for churches to divest from companies doing business with Israel.

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