Obama sets clock ticking on Middle East talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News by Jonathan Marcus - (Analysis) September 3, 2010 - 12:00am For all the diplomatic theatre in the White House, the Middle East peace talks have by no means a full cast. Some key actors like Hamas are not present at all, preferring to mount their own bloody tableau in the West Bank. Others - like the hard-line Israeli settler movement - cast a long shadow over the deliberations. Indeed there is a clear risk that the future of Israel's partial settlement freeze, not the peace process, may dominate the early stages of these discussions. » Read more

Q&A-Settlements loom as Middle East talks resume ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Arshad Mohammed - September 2, 2010 - 12:00am Israeli and Palestinian leaders held their first direct peace talks in 20 months on Thursday and agreed to meet every two weeks to try to settle the six-decade conflict within a year. Among the many obstacles are the deep divisions among the Palestinians and the Israelis themselves and the possibility of violence by hardliners who may wish to disrupt the effort. Here are some questions and answers about the talks. WHAT HAPPENED? The only tangible result was an agreement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud » Read more

Settlers reveal deep disdain for events in Washington ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Independent by Donald MacIntyre - (Analysis) September 3, 2010 - 12:00am Yaniv Mor, 30-year-old father of a one-month-old baby girl, and a settler was blunt: "We don't care about Washington. Nothing will come out of it, like always. This is a war of religions – we want everything, they want everything. There is no way there will ever be agreement. That is the reality." » Read more

Gaza militants vow wave of attacks against Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Joseph Nasr - September 2, 2010 - 12:00am Palestinian militant groups have joined forces to step up attacks against Israel, possibly including suicide bombings, the Hamas Islamist faction said on Thursday, after Palestinian and Israeli leaders launched direct peace negotiations in Washington. A spokesman for Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, said some 13 militant groups had joined forces to launch "more effective attacks" against Israel. Asked if this included suicide bombings, he said: "All options are open."

Middle East peace talks: Why there's hope the bitter divide can be bridged ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Mohammad Dajani, Michael Zakim - (Opinion) September 2, 2010 - 12:00am he Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a misnomer. The real political chasm actually runs down the middle of both societies, dividing them into separate camps of conflict and peace. The camp of conflict, for instance – both in its Israeli and Palestinian versions – is driven by a visionary messianism, the rejection of liberal values, a politics of violence, and the cult of death. This common zealotry has imposed a zero-sum reality of “all or nothing” on everyone else, including those majorities in both countries who would prefer to live together in peace. A common language of peace » Read more

Clinton: only you two can achieve peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Matt Bradley, Sharmila Devi - (Analysis) September 3, 2010 - 12:00am WASHINGTON // Mahmoud Abbas and Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday declared their commitment to arriving at a sustainable peace as they entered their first direct negotiations in 20 months. Both sides have set the deadline of one year to reach a deal, and flanked by the Palestinian and Israeli leaders, Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, reminded both sides that the main responsibility for achieving it would fall on them. » Read more

Pressing Netanyahu is the key to success in Mideast peace talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Ahmad Tibi - (Opinion) September 3, 2010 - 12:00am It is unfortunate that the direct Palestinian-Israeli peace talks that got underway this week are saddled with an Israeli prime minister who has made clear his unwillingness to reach an equitable two-state solution. » Read more

Palestinian strategy towards independence ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times by Daoud Kuttab - (Analysis) September 3, 2010 - 12:00am There is a chance that the Israeli occupation that began in 1967 will soon end and an independent Palestinian state will emerge. The direct peace talks taking place in Washington are a necessary step towards that goal, but this is not the only option the Palestinians have. » Read more

President Obama flexes muscles ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Politico by Ben Smith - September 2, 2010 - 12:00am The launch of new direct talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders Thursday was the result of a rare flexing of U.S. muscle by President Barack Obama, whose extended hand has left him fewer opportunities for foreign policy chest thumping than his predecessor had. The Obama administration was able to force two reluctant adversaries to put tricky domestic politics aside and agree to show up for an unpredictable, unscripted series of meetings every two weeks, the next to be held in Egypt on September 14-15. » Read more

Peace this time? Even a lapsed optimist must hope ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star by Shlomo Avineri - (Opinion) September 3, 2010 - 12:00am The resumption in Washington of direct Israeli-Palestinian peace talks is good news. But whether these talks will lead to an agreement, let alone within one year as US President Barack Obama hopes, is another matter. When Obama, two days into his presidency, appointed former Senator George Mitchell as his special envoy to the Middle East, many hoped that within two years his efforts would lead to an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians – and to a comprehensive peace between Israel and all its Arab neighbors. » Read more