January 14th

The first Hebrew ghetto
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Aviad Kleinberg - January 14, 2010 - 1:00am

“Eventually, there will be no choice but to fence Israel in on all directions,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a closed-door session (which was immediately reported, as is common in Israel.) “The country will have to be fully fenced on all directions." “On all directions.” “Fully.” A fortified island, armed to the teeth, surrounded by minefields and fences, high cement walls, and suspicion.

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Fatah fears Israel to renounce security agreements
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Ali Waked - January 13, 2010 - 1:00am

Fatah activists fear Israel will renounce security agreements signed with the Palestinian Authority, as part of which many Palestinian gunmen were granted amnesty. The concern was raised following the assassination of three organization members involved in the shooting attack that killed Rabbi Avshalom Meir Hai near the West Bank settlement of Shavei Shomron. Two of those killed were gunmen pardoned by the Jewish state.

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No entry for Arabs
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Avirama Golan - (Opinion) January 14, 2010 - 1:00am

Anyone observing Israel these days - and the hazing to which the Turkish ambassador was subjected is only the latest example - sees the neighborhood bully. Anyone who cares about self-preservation will stay away from this hard-hearted, dull-witted madman whose sole guiding principle is "national honor" - or in other words, sowing strife and dissension that undermines the state's interests.

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Israel restricts Palestinian lawyers' access to West Bank detainees
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Amira Hass - January 14, 2010 - 1:00am

Israel is prohibiting Palestinian lawyers and the relatives of Palestinian detainees from reaching a military tribunal via the Beitunia checkpoint west of Ramallah.

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ATFP Original Translation: “Not through a narrow prism!”
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Ayyam
by Hassan Al-Battal - (Opinion) January 9, 2010 - 1:00am

One can excuse the Palestinians for viewing the problems of Middle East and terrorism through their own narrow prism. This is precisely the same prism they are using to view the recent events of Rafah and Al-Arish.

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January 13th

Pres. Abbas says he would return to negotiations if Israel halted settlement activity "for a fixed time." Hamas is seeking to lower tensions with Israel and Egypt, and vows to halt any attacks against Israel from Gaza. PM Fayyad accuses Israel of trying to isolate the PA, and launches a fund aimed at ridding the Palestinian economy of settlement products. More extreme groups challenge Hamas in Gaza. The US expresses support for Egypt's new Gaza border wall. Egypt reiterates its insistence on the creation of a Palestinian state. A Ha'aretz commentary says PM Sharon succeeded in cutting Israelis off from the realities of conflict. A YNet commentary says FM Lieberman's policies are making Israel look ridiculous. A huge majority of Israelis support negotiations with the PLO. The Pope calls for a two state solution. Rami Khouri says he has not lost his faith in the American people, but Osama Al Sharif warns of the dangers of failed negotiations. An ATFP original translation of an article by Hassan Khader critiques the "mass-man" mentality in the contemporary Arab world.

Resumption of Mideast talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News
by Osama Al-Sharif - (Opinion) January 13, 2010 - 1:00am

In normal circumstances — but then what’s normal in the Middle East — one would receive news of recent US efforts to restart peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians with relief, even jubilation. After weeks of deliberate disengagement from mediation, maybe to punish the main parties or as a sign of frustration, anger or all of the above, Washington is once again stepping into the quicksands of the elusive peace process, which it had helped launch and nurture and eventually monopolized for more than 15 years.

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Apply American decency to Mideast policy
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
by Rami Khouri - (Opinion) January 13, 2010 - 1:00am

I am often asked why I maintain the slightly naive expectation that the United States will one day pursue policies in the Middle East that are fair to all in the region, and also comply with international law and core American values. My answer is, in part, Denise Horn’s Globalization and International Affairs class INTL 1101 at Northeastern University in Boston.

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Pope calls for two-state solution
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA)
January 12, 2010 - 1:00am

ROME (JTA) -- Pope Benedict XVI called for "universal recognition" of both Israel's right to exist and the rights of Palestinians to an independent state. In his traditional New Year's address Monday to world diplomats accredited to the Vatican, the pope recalled that during his trip to Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority last May, he had "urgently appealed" for dialogue and respect between Israelis and the Palestinians.

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'Large majority in favor of peace talks'
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Haviv Rettig - January 13, 2010 - 1:00am

Both Jewish and Arab Israelis support peace talks with the Palestinian Authority by a large majority, but also trust the government's handling of Israel's security challenges, according to the latest Tel Aviv University "War and Peace Index" survey. 72.5 percent of Israelis support negotiations toward peace, with just 20.9% opposing it. This support for negotiations, however, did not translate into optimism that the efforts would result in peace in the near term.

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