Obama opened "window of hope" says Arab League ATFP World Press Roundup Article from by Cynthia Johnston - June 24, 2009 - 12:00am CAIRO (Reuters) - The Arab League said on Wednesday it saw a "window of hope" for Middle East peace and Arab states would respond positively to U.S. President Barack Obama's vision for resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict. But the league likened negotiating with Israel while settlements were continuing to expand as tantamount to surrendering on "matters over which we cannot surrender." » Read more

Israel army to curtail operations in four West Bank cities ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Adam Entous - June 25, 2009 - 12:00am JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel said on Thursday it would curtail its military activities in four West Bank cities to help a U.S.-backed move to bolster Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The announcement, that will give Palestinian security forces a free hand to operate in the cities, coincided with efforts by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ease tensions with U.S. President Barack Obama over stalled peacemaking with the Palestinians. » Read more

Israeli settlements vs.Tuscan towers ATFP World Press Roundup Article from United Press International (UPI) June 25, 2009 - 12:00am JERUSALEM, June 25 (UPI) -- Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu says constructing towers like those in a Tuscan village would solve the natural growth needs in West Bank settlements. A reporter from the Maariv newspaper who accompanied Netanyahu on his European trip, said Thursday Netanyahu revealed his vision to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, citing the Tuscan village of San Geminano as an example. The report said Berlusconi told Netanyahu the towers in the village are empty, to which Netanyahu retorted, "With us they will be full." » Read more

Hillary Is Wrong About the Settlements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Wall Street Journal by Elliott Abrams - June 25, 2009 - 12:00am Despite fervent denials by Obama administration officials, there were indeed agreements between Israel and the United States regarding the growth of Israeli settlements on the West Bank. As the Obama administration has made the settlements issue a major bone of contention between Israel and the U.S., it is necessary that we review the recent history. » Read more

Landmark Fatah leadership conference set for 4 August in Bethlehem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency June 25, 2009 - 12:00am Ramallah – Ma’an - After 37 rounds of talks Fatah leaders pegged 4 August as the date for the sixth Revolutionary Council meeting to be held in Bethlehem. It will be the first Fatah leadership meeting in twenty years. The decision was made at the government headquarters in Ramallah on Wednesday, in a two-day long meeting that set out the final details for the conference. There will be 1,550 active Fatah members attending the conference, and organizers asked Palestinian President and Fatah’s leader Mahmoud Abbas to ensure that members from abroad were included in the conference. » Read more

The Price of Netanyahu ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Common Ground News Service by Carlo Strenger - (Analysis) June 18, 2009 - 12:00am TEL AVIV - Israel has very real reasons to be afraid. But the Netanyahu-Lieberman politics of fear that is supposed to justify occupation of the West Bank has catastrophic consequences, and the world no longer wants to listen to the cries, “The wolf, the wolf.” Here is how the dynamics works: » Read more