November 4th

Israel Shuts Gaza Crossings After Rocket Attack ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Allyn Fisher-Ilan - August 25, 2008 - 8:00pm Israel shut its border crossings with the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, a day after two rockets were fired into the Jewish state, an Israeli official said. The official said Defence Minister Ehud Barak had "ordered the closure of crossings with Gaza" without saying for how long. The Israeli military said two rockets were fired from Gaza at Israel on Monday, causing no damage or casualties. The measure came as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited the region to press ahead with efforts to achieve an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal in the coming months. » Read more

Israel settlement surge draws Rice criticism ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Arshad Mohammed - August 25, 2008 - 8:00pm Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called on Israel on Tuesday not to undermine peace talks with the Palestinians after a report found it had nearly doubled Jewish settlement construction. On her seventh visit this year in a long-shot push for a peace deal by January, Rice said the two sides were "somewhat closer" in their talks despite deep public skepticism about the chances of ending the six-decade conflict. Rice offered no further details, but said: "God willing, and with the goodwill of the parties and the tireless work of the parties, we have a good chance to succeed." » Read more

Rice: 'A lot of work ahead' to reach Mideast peace deal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) August 25, 2008 - 8:00pm US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice admitted on Monday that the Israelis and Palestinians have a lot of work to do if they are to strike a peace deal by the end of the year. At the start of her 18th visit to Israel and the Palestine in the past two years, Rice welcomed Israel's release of 198 Palestinian prisoners.

Abbas greets liberated prisoners with hero's welcome in Occupied West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) August 25, 2008 - 8:00pm Israel freed 198 Palestinian prisoners on Monday in a gesture to President Mahmoud Abbas as US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in the region to spur US-backed peace talks. The prisoners were welcomed by thousands of cheering supporters at an outdoor celebration at Abbas' headquarters in the Occupied.

Bush Struggles with Legacy on Mideast Peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Danna Harman - August 25, 2008 - 8:00pm Nine months since President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice hosted the much touted Annapolis Conference on Middle East peace – at which all sides pledged to work toward a settlement by the end of 2008 – Ms. Rice is once more pushing in person for some kind of deal before the administration leaves office. Her arrival here Sunday marks the 22nd time she's shown up to shuttle between the sides. Yet the main thing Israelis and Palestinians seem to have come any closer on is a shared sense of disappointment. » Read more

Rice meets Olmert in peace push ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News August 25, 2008 - 8:00pm US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has met Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ahead of three-way talks aimed at a Mid-East peace agreement. The visit is her seventh to the region since the Annapolis meeting where the Israelis and Palestinians agreed to push for a deal by the end of 2008. Ms Rice has played down the possibility that details of an interim agreement might be published next month. She said the talks were "intensive" amid heavy doubts a deal can be agreed. » Read more

Israel Group Reports Sharp Increases in Settlement Activity ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Ethan Bronner - August 25, 2008 - 8:00pm Peace Now, the Israeli advocacy group, said in a report released Tuesday that in the last year Israel had nearly doubled its settlement construction in the occupied West Bank, in violation of its obligations under an American-backed peace plan. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in Jerusalem on a short visit to help Israeli and Palestinian leaders in their negotiations, said when asked about the report that she had told Israeli officials that such building did not advance the cause of peace. » Read more

The faulty pleasant approach ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Uzi Benziman - (Opinion) August 26, 2008 - 8:00pm Underwear was among the many things the United States supplied Israel during the Yom Kippur War. This urgent shipment was somewhat ironic: It completely contradicted the dominant ethos of the previous 15 years and found expression in Haim Hefer's song "Cannons instead of socks." Hefer's lyrics, sung by the Nahal troupe, were part empathy and part criticism of the soldier's willingness to give up comfort and clothing for another gun and another tank. » Read more

Israel’s political limbo is just as thorny for Rice ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - December 31, 1969 - 8:00pm U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice may have arrived in Israel with the intention of advancing talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, but her meetings have also dealt with trying to understand Israel's political limbo. An Israeli government source said a key issue Rice's aides discussed with their Israeli counterparts was what happens the day after the Kadima party primary. » Read more

IDF temporarily bans 3 rightists from West Bank ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Erfat Weiss - August 26, 2008 - 8:00pm IDF Central Command chief, Major-General Gadi Shamni, issued three restraining orders against settlers residing in the West Bank settlements of Yitzhar and Adi-Ad, banning them from the area pending the conclusion of the upcoming Palestinian olive harvest. Early Wednesday morning, the men – all known right-wing activists – were presented with the warrants, banning them from the West Bank from several months. » Read more