February 9th

Broader Gaza deal possible next week - Mubarak
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
February 9, 2009 - 1:00am

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said on Monday a broader truce would "maybe" be agreed next week for the Gaza Strip, where a fragile ceasefire has been in place since Israel ended a military offensive on Jan. 18. "We have discussed the date when the situation could calm down, maybe from next week," said Mubarak, speaking through an interpreter and referring to attempts to reach a "consolidated" deal to stabilise the Hamas-ruled Strip.

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Israeli election battle seen too close to call
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Ari Rabinovitch - February 9, 2009 - 1:00am

Israel's national election is likely to be a cliff-hanger, pollsters said on Monday, on the eve of a vote right-winger Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party had been forecast to win. "The trend we've seen the last few days indicates a very close battle," said pollster Rafi Smith of the Smith Research Center. "No one has jumped ahead and it's tough to call."

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A Promise of War
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Jackson Diehl - (Opinion) February 9, 2009 - 1:00am

The past four Israeli elections have been won by a candidate who promised to end Israel's conflict with the Palestinians. Tomorrow, for the first time in decades, Israelis may choose a prime minister who is promising to wage war.

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After Gaza War, Daunting Curbs On Rebuilding
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Griff Witte - February 8, 2009 - 1:00am

Mohammed Irhaiem's former home was a spacious 1,500 square feet and was built from solid concrete blocks. It had views of the Mediterranean and fruit trees in the yard. His new home, which he surveyed for the first time this week, measures 12 by 6 feet and is made of sheets of canvas held aloft by three wooden poles. His is one of 90 bright white tents that have sprouted in neat rows amid a sea of gray rubble, the wreckage from homes -- including Irhaiem's -- that were destroyed during the 22-day Gaza war between Israel and Hamas.

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Survey: Only one in four Gazans supports Hamas
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
February 9, 2009 - 1:00am

Only a quarter of the Palestinians in Gaza support Hamas, Army Radio reported Monday. According to the findings of a new poll conducted in Gaza by the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion, support in the ruling Hamas government has drastically gone down following the Israel Defense Forces offensive in the coastal strip. Only 28% of the Palestinians now say they support Hamas, compared to 51% who voiced their support for Hamas in November 2008.

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PA: Hamas rockets are bid to sway Israeli election
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
February 9, 2009 - 1:00am

The Palestinian Authority foreign minister on Monday accused Hamas of trying to influence the outcome of Tuesday's general election in Israel by keeping up the rocket fire on southern Israel. Riad Malki said Hamas did not want to see a pro-peace government elected in Israel during the parliamentary vote because it would pursue a political deal with the PA, dominated by its rival Fatah movement. On Sunday, two rockets struck southern Israel, violating an informal Israel-Hamas truce.

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February 6th

The director of operations for the UN's refugee agency in Gaza criticizes both Israel's blockade and Hamas' leadership (1). The Christian Science Monitor examines how Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan's angry remarks at the Davos conference may have damaged his credibility as a go-between (2). After accusing the Hamas government of stealing hundreds of tons of food supplies intended for civilians, the United Nations suspends all shipments of aid into Gaza (3). With Israeli elections set to take place next Tuesday, speculation about outcomes continues to grow as the gap between the parties appears to have narrowed considerably (4) (11). Recently released poll results show that Israel's Gaza offensive has boosted Palestinian support for Hamas (6), as the political divide between Hamas and Fatah continues to grow (10). The National looks at Egypt's role as regional mediator (9). A commentary article in the Daily Star by ATFP Senior Fellow Hussein Ibish examines the rise in Arab political discourse of the myth of "the martyrs versus the traitors." (13).

The myth of Martyrs versus Traitors
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from
by Hussein Ibish - (Opinion) February 6, 2009 - 1:00am

The recent conflict in Gaza has the potential of becoming a transformative political event in the Middle East that allows Islamists to capture the Arab political imagination for at least a generation. Along with their familiar appeals to religious and cultural "authenticity," and dubious claims regarding good governance and democracy, Islamists are beginning to consolidate an exclusive claim to the most powerful Arab political symbols: Palestine and nationalism.

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UN to probe Hamas for use of children
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Ruth Eglash - February 6, 2009 - 1:00am

The United Nations is ready to address Hamas's use of children as human shields during last month's IDF offensive in Gaza, the UN special representative for children and armed conflict told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday. "We have not yet dealt directly with the human shield issue, but we will now mention it in our reports," Radhika Coomaraswamy said in an exclusive interview following a four-day visit to the region.

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Gaza aftermath: IDF bides its time, Hamas leaders hide out, everyone awaits truce
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Amos Harel, Avi Issacharoff - February 6, 2009 - 1:00am

Just days before the Knesset elections, the decision on whether to continue the confrontation in the south lies in the hands of Hamas. If the organization accepts the Egyptian cease-fire initiative, this will likely restore calm to the region along the border with the Gaza Strip, at least for a few months; a negative reply will set Israel back on the road of assassinating Hamas leaders, eventually leading to a new round of hostilities.

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