September 1st

You Ain’t Seen This Before ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Thomas L. Friedman - (Opinion) August 31, 2010 - 12:00am President Obama is embarking on something I’ve never seen before — taking on two Missions Impossible at the same time. That is, a simultaneous effort to heal the two most bitter divides in the Middle East: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Shiite-Sunni conflict centered in Iraq. Give him his due. The guy’s got audacity. I’ll provide the hope. But kids, don’t try this at home. » Read more

Killing of Israeli Settlers Rattles Leaders ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Isabel Kershner - August 31, 2010 - 12:00am The killing of four Israeli settlers, including a pregnant woman, in the West Bank on Tuesday evening rattled Israeli and Palestinian leaders on the eve of peace talks in Washington and underscored the disruptive role that the issue of Jewish settlements could play in the already fragile negotiations. The military wing of Hamas, the Islamic group, claimed responsibility for the attack — in which gunmen fired on a vehicle carrying two men and two women at a junction near the city of Hebron — and described it on its Arabic Web site as a “heroic operation.” » Read more

Barak to Haaretz: Israel ready to cede parts of Jerusalem in peace deal ATFP World Press Roundup Article from by Ari Shavit - (Interview) September 1, 2010 - 12:00am Ehud Barak has always vacillated between peace and security, dovishness and hawkishness, left wing and right wing. Even when he left south Lebanon, offered the Golan Heights to Hafez Assad and the Temple Mount to Yasser Arafat, he didn't do this as a bleeding heart. He always spoke forcefully, talked about the importance of sobriety. He always spoke about how Israel must survive in a jungle. It must do so even now, on the eve of the peace summit in Washington. » Read more

Abbas: We're committed to peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency (Interview) September 1, 2010 - 12:00am WASHINGTON (Ma'an) -- The PLO's decision to return to direct negotiations with Israel reflects its commitment to peace, not fear of pressure from the international community, President Mahmoud Abbas said Tuesday. Speaking with Ma'an aboard the presidential jet en route to Washington, Abbas said the Obama administration appeared committed to resolving the Palestinian struggle for self-determination by implementing the two-state solution. » Read more