May 20th

US to push Israel on Palestinian state
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Nation
by Vita Bekker - May 20, 2009 - 12:00am

Israel’s relations with the United States, its chief ally and patron, appeared this week to have entered a new era. Israeli commentators yesterday said that Monday’s White House summit between Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, and Barack Obama, the US president, further signalled that the US’s Middle East approach is significantly shifting from its years-long alignment with Israeli interests.

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Hamas, Fatah object as Abbas swears in new cabinet
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
May 19, 2009 - 12:00am

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas swore in a replacement caretaker government on Tuesday evening, with Salam Fayyad to stay on as prime minister. The parliament bloc of Abbas' own Fatah movement said it would refuse to support the new government, though two Fatah-lawmakers were sworn in Tuesday. Two other Fatah-affiliated lawmakers tapped for the new government, Rabiha Diab and Issa Qaraqe refused Abbas offer to join the government. Fatah Deputy Ashraf Jum'a confirmed his party would boycott Fayyad's government because it was “formed in an illegal way,” and without consulting Fatah.

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Prosecutor: Gaza Probe Goes on Without Israeli OK
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
May 20, 2009 - 12:00am

Former international prosecutor Richard Goldstone said Wednesday he will go ahead with his U.N. investigation into possible war crimes in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict over Gaza even though Israel has withheld its approval. Goldstone said the U.N. investigators would enter Gaza through Egypt if necessary, but they had wanted to visit Israel first to assess what happened there.

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New leaders face old problems in Mid-East
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News
by Jeremy Bowen - May 20, 2009 - 12:00am

When you are dealing with a conflict that has gone on for a very long time, it is wise not to infer too much from a single meeting between two men who are new to their jobs. But new leaders usually have a better chance of changing things than they do after they have been bruised and battered by a few years in office, so it does not do to be too cynical either. Before the meeting between US President Barack Obama and Israel's new prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu there were predictions of a rift between them.

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Israel: 'No need to finish' W Bank barrier
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News
May 19, 2009 - 12:00am

The head of Israel's security service has said there is no security reason for continuing construction of Israel's barrier through the West Bank. Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin told a parliamentary committee that Israel had enough capabilities to prevent attacks from the Palestinian territory. Since building began years ago, Israel has maintained that it is a security measure to keep out attackers. Palestinians reject this, seeing it as a land grab.

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Upping the Ante on Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by David Ignatius - (Opinion) May 20, 2009 - 12:00am

Binyamin Netanyahu's friends liken him to a good poker player. They explain, for example, that before the Israeli prime minister plays the card marked "Palestinian state," he wants an American commitment that this state will be demilitarized.

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Netanyahu's Broader Stance Earns Early U.S. Favor
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Howard Schneider - May 20, 2009 - 12:00am

During his first turn as Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington in 1996 with a chip on his shoulder and a long list of things he said he would not do -- from slowing the expansion of Israeli settlements to meeting with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. It was the start of a famously testy relationship with President Bill Clinton, characterized by public fights, haggling and ultimately a drop in support for Netanyahu in Israel.

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May 19th

In their first meeting yesterday Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu tells President Obama that he wants to restart peace talks, but refrains from endorsing a Palestinian state (1). While President Obama addresses the Prime Minister’s major concern s regarding Iran (2) (4). Palestinian officials voice disappointment in the lack of progress produced by this first meeting (3), and other commentators speculate on the future of the peace process (7) (8) (9) (10). Fatah and Hamas end Egyptian mediated talks in Cairo without an agreement (6).

PM praised, chided after Obama meet
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
May 19, 2009 - 12:00am

A day after Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's meeting with US President Barack Obama, the Israeli political arena was split, with left-wing MKs blasting Netanyahu's insistence on refusing to utter the phrase, "two-state solution," and warning that Israel's relations with Washington were headed for an impasse. The prime minister's colleagues on the Right, however, were pleased that Netanyahu hadn't "capitulated" and expressed optimism regarding bilateral relations with the US.

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Hamas: Obama's statements misleading
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Ali Waked - May 19, 2009 - 12:00am

Hamas announced that it was not encouraged by US President Barack Obama's statements in his meeting Monday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "Obama's statements and messages of hope are meant to mislead global public opinion regarding the continued existence and conduct of the racist and extremist Zionist entity," said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum on Tuesday. Obama informed Netanyahu during their meeting that he intends to promote a new regional peace initiative for the Middle East.

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