November 30th

Israel to Recruit More Building Inspectors to Enforce a Freeze on West Bank Construction
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Isabel Kershner - November 29, 2009 - 1:00am

Israel’s defense minister, Ehud Barak, instructed his staff on Sunday to recruit dozens of new building inspectors to supervise the government’s temporary construction freeze in West Bank settlements, while some settler leaders vowed to defy the building ban. Mr. Barak’s hurried efforts and the settler threats illustrated both the government’s seriousness and the difficulty it could face in carrying out its decision to halt new housing starts in the settlements over the next 10 months.

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The vision and nightmare
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News
by Uri Avnery - (Opinion) November 30, 2009 - 1:00am

Thomas Friedman, the New York Times columnist, has an idea. That happens to him quite often. One might almost say — too often. It goes like this: The US will turn its back on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The entire world will follow. Everybody is fed up with this conflict. Let the Israelis and the Palestinians sort out their problems by themselves.

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Two alternative paths
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons
by Yossi Alpher - (Opinion) November 23, 2009 - 1:00am

I continue to believe that a bilaterally negotiated two-state solution between Israel and the PLO is the optimal outcome and is possible. But not under the leadership currently in power in all the relevant capitals: Jerusalem, Ramallah, Gaza, Cairo and last but not least (on the basis of its first 10 months' performance) Washington. In the absence of credible hope for a near-term solution, a number of alternative paths to progress present themselves. Two are reflected in evolving realities on the ground, hence appear to be the most pragmatic. They are not mutually exclusive.

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Diplomacy 101
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
(Editorial) November 27, 2009 - 1:00am

We were thrilled when President Obama decided to plunge fully into the Middle East peace effort. He appointed a skilled special envoy, George Mitchell, and demanded that Israel freeze settlements, Palestinians crack down on anti-Israel violence and Arab leaders demonstrate their readiness to reach out to Israel. The Israelis have refused to stop all building. The Palestinians say that they won’t talk to the Israelis until they do, and President Mahmoud Abbas is so despondent he has threatened to quit. Arab states are refusing to do anything.

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November 27th

The New York Times says both Israel and the Palestinians have concluded the other side does not want a peace agreement. Right-wing Israelis express outrage at PM Netanyahu's partial settlement moratorium, but reports suggest that new housing is still being approved and that in reality construction will continue apace. Palestinians also reject the announcement. Reuters looks at the plight of Gaza's homeless. At least one Palestinian is killed in an Israeli airstrike on northern Gaza. Israel is to remove 90 Fatah members from its "wanted list." Speculation continues that any possible prisoner swap between Israel and Hamas will include jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti. Alex Fishman argues that Israel must move quickly to save the collapse of the PA in order to prevent chaos. Israeli Culture and Sports Minister Limor Livnat describes the Obama administration as "awful." The Jerusalem Post analyzes the political crisis facing Pres. Abbas. The National profiles a graffiti campaign between Hamas and Fatah in Gaza.

Why Should Obama Do Anything for the Peace Process?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat
by Tariq Alhomayed - (Opinion) November 27, 2009 - 1:00am

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that the US President "is not doing anything at the present time" to revive the Israeli – Palestinian negotiations for peace, adding that Obama "called for us to resume the peace process…and I hope that he plays a larger role in the future." Abbas also said that the Palestinians "are waiting for America to put pressure on Israel to respect international law and follow the roadmap for peace."

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Prisoner Exchange Deal Expected Next Week – Palestinian Sources
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat
by Saad Jarous - November 26, 2009 - 1:00am

Palestinian sources in Damascus revealed that the Israeli – Hamas prisoner exchange which is being negotiated with the aid of a German mediator will likely be concluded by next week. Palestinian sources close to the Hamas movement informed Asharq Al-Awsat that a Hamas delegation from the Gaza Strip led by Mahmoud al-Zahar, and also including Khalil al-Hayya and Nizar Awdallah met with the German mediator in Cairo.

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Hamas and Fatah wage rivalry on Gaza’s walls
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
by Erin Cunningham - November 26, 2009 - 1:00am

Mohammed Fouad’s eyes darted from place to place on the quiet Gaza City street. Puffing nervously on a cigarette, he began brisk strokes with an aerosol paint can and in just five minutes completed a near-perfect portrait of the late Fatah leader Yasser Arafat. “If they see me, I’ll go to jail,” Mr Fouad said, referring to the Hamas policemen who forbade him from writing or drawing any pro-Fatah graffiti on Gaza’s walls. “I’ve been to jail five times since the Hamas takeover because of my art.”

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Palestinian Affairs: Abbas's angst
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Khaled Abu Toameh - November 26, 2009 - 1:00am

Amid reports of significant progress in mediation efforts to achieve a prisoner exchange agreement between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian Authority convened a conference in Jericho earlier this week to highlight the case of Palestinians held in Israeli jails. Obviously, the PA leadership in the West Bank was hoping that the conference would divert attention from reports about an impending deal between Israel and Hamas. To achieve its goal, the PA dispatched Prime Minister Salam Fayyad to address the conference.

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The mission: Saving Abbas
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Alex Fishman - (Opinion) November 26, 2009 - 1:00am

The construction freeze in the settlements is yet another oxygen tank en route to reviving the “diplomatic horizon,” without which we shall see the Palestinian Authority increasingly disintegrating. This is not about getting sentimental with Abbas or a sudden love story between the Israeli government and the diplomatic process. Even the tough “ideologists” within the cabinet realized Wednesday that there is no other choice, and that every effort must be made in order to preserve regional stability, even for a limited time. The Palestinian Authority must not collapse.

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