Obama: Endorse the Arab Peace Initiative Now ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Israel Policy Forum by M.J. Rosenberg - (Opinion) April 7, 2009 - 12:00am President Obama returns from his first overseas trip even more popular (i.e., powerful) than when he left. It is not only that his predecessor set the bar so low. Barack Obama (and First Lady Michelle Obama) were the most impressive figures to represent the United States abroad in at least a good half century. » Read more

Wall: A Monologue ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Review Of Books (Editorial) April 10, 2009 - 12:00am All right. Let's be serious, let's think about this. Please, please: consider the state of affairs, consider the desperation, consider the depth of the despair. A country has reached a point at which 84 percent of its people are in favor of building a wall along its borders. » Read more

Elliott Abrams and the Politics of Fait Accompli ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Middle East Times by Reema I. Ali - April 10, 2009 - 12:00am In an open editorial in the Washington Post edition of April 8, Elliott Abrams argues that the proposition that expansion of settlements by Israel on lands which are to constitute the future Palestinian state as an impediment to peace is a fallacy. He claims that such a request is designed only to create tension between the ultra-right government of Israel and the U.S. administration since according to him these settlements are already there and are part of the realities on the ground. Israel has created rightly or wrongly a fait accompli on Palestinian lands. » Read more

American Jews Approve of Obama's Handling of Arab-Israeli Conflict ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Voice of America April 9, 2009 - 12:00am A new survey of American Jews shows strong support for a more assertive American role in Middle East peace efforts, even if that means exerting greater pressure on Israel to reach a compromise with its Arab neighbors. The poll released by J Street - a Jewish-American political action group that describes itself as pro-peace - has some good news for President Barack Obama. » Read more

Arab FMs to discuss Mideast peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews April 9, 2009 - 12:00am Jordan will host a "consultative" meeting of six Arab foreign ministers on Saturday to discuss the Middle East peace process, a senior official said on Thursday. The top diplomats of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Syria, the Palestinian Authority and Lebanon in addition to Jordan and the Arab League will hold talks in Amman ahead of a planned visit to Washington by King Abdullah II, a key US ally. "It will be a consultative meeting to coordinate an Arab position towards peace," the official told AFP. » Read more

'Jerusalem should be capital for the Palestinians and Israel' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz April 9, 2009 - 12:00am Jordan's King Abdullah II pressed on Britain the need for "serious negotiations" between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and the Palestinians over a two-state solution on Thursday, in a meeting with the British Foreign Secretary. David Miliband, speaking at a joint press conference following the meeting, expressed Britain's concerns at Israeli plans to demolish scores of houses in East Jerusalem, leaving around 1,500 Palestinians homeless. » Read more

Abbas to Quartet: Israel must commit for talks to resume ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat April 10, 2009 - 12:00am Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has made peace talks with Israel's new government conditional on it committing to previous agreements and freezing Jewish settlement growth, aides said on Friday. Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said Abbas conveyed that message directly to the so-called Quartet of Middle East mediators -- the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations. » Read more