January 8th

Israeli jets attack targets across Gaza, killing 3
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
(Editorial) January 8, 2010 - 1:00am

Gaza - Ma'an - Israeli warplanes carried out a series of raids on sites throughout the Gaza Strip late Thursday night, witnesses said and Israel's military confirmed. Three citizens were killed and two others injured in the Israeli raids that targeted a tunnel near Rafah crossing south of Gaza. Medical sources in Abu Yousif An-Najjar hospital identified the dead as Barakat Abu Shalouf, Odai Abu Heesh, 15, and Naser Al-Mahmum, 22. Muawiya Hassanein, the Gaza Health Ministry's director of ambulance and emergency services said the jets struck four areas in total.

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Abbas rallies Arab support for position on peace, unity
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
(Editorial) January 8, 2010 - 1:00am

Amman – Ma’an – A strong Arab position on the furtherance of the peace process is essential, President Mahmud Abbas told leaders in Amman, the last stop on his regional tour following visits to Egypt, Qatar, Kuwait and Turkey on Thursday.

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Hamas squeezed between Israel's rocket shield and Egypt's steel tunnel barrier
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
by Karin Laub - (Editorial) January 7, 2010 - 1:00am

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Gaza's Hamas rulers have suffered back-to-back setbacks with Israel's successful test of a rocket shield and Egypt's push to block smuggling tunnels. The Iron Dome rocket defense system, reportedly to be deployed near Gaza in May, would deprive Hamas of its main leverage against Israel — the threat of rocket salvos. Egypt's underground anti-tunnel barrier of steel beams, now under construction, could eventually cut Hamas' supply of cash and weapons.

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Israel Agrees to Pay U.N. $10.5 Million for Gaza War Damage
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Wall Street Journal
by Joe Lauria, Joshua Mitnick - (Analysis) January 8, 2010 - 1:00am

UNITED NATIONS -- Israel agreed to pay the U.N. $10.5 million in compensation for damage to U.N. property and for the life of a U.N. driver during Israel's war last winter in Gaza, according to two U.N. officials. "Agreement has been reached in principle on the terms of an arrangement under which Israel would make a payment to the United Nations," said Martin Nesirky, the U.N. spokesman. "The United Nations is now waiting for a green light from the government of Israel and we anticipate receiving that green light imminently."

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U.S. Seeks a New Path to Peace in Middle East
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Wall Street Journal
by Jay Solomon - (Analysis) January 8, 2010 - 1:00am

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration is taking new steps to restart Arab-Israeli peace talks that broke down last year, and U.S. officials said they hope formal negotiations could resume by February or March. U.S. diplomats said they are talking with Israel and Arab governments about more clearly defining terms for negotiations, which hit an impasse when Israel refused to accept a total freeze on settlements in disputed territories. Arab governments, meanwhile, balked at U.S. calls for them to begin normalizing diplomatic ties with Israel.

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CHARLIE ROSE: George Mitchell is here. He is President Obama’s
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Charlie Rose
(Interview) January 6, 2010 - 1:00am

CHARLIE ROSE: George Mitchell is here. He is President Obama’s special envoy to the Middle East. The former Maine senator and majority leader has a proven record of brokering agreements. He chaired the peace talks in Northern Ireland that lead to the historic Good Friday agreement of 1998. In 2000, he led presidential commission to end cycle of violence between Palestinians and Israelis. His new mission is to advance President Obama’s commitment to comprehensive peace in the Middle East. He has spent the past year trying

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January 7th

An Egyptian soldier is killed and several Palestinians injured as violence erupts at the Gaza border, and Israel reportedly drops leaflets into the Strip. Egypt says it is "losing patience" with Hamas. A convoy of international activists is allowed into Gaza, and a Holocaust survivor explains to the LA Times why she joined the effort. An Israeli human rights group distributes video cameras to Gaza residents. US urges the international community to support new peace talks, and denies that the White House Chief of Staff threatened a suspension of engagement. Special Envoy George Mitchell says peace talks can be concluded in two years. Jeremy Ben-ami of J Street responds to Israel's ambassador to the United States. A report in a leading Israeli newspaper suggests PM Netanyahu may be amenable to a workable peace agreement. Daoud Kuttab analyzes the controversy over ownership of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Growing up in Bethlehem with the Dead Sea Scrolls story
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
by Daoud Kuttab - (Opinion) January 7, 2010 - 1:00am

The latest news about Jordan’s demands that Canada seize the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were on display in Toronto, brings back many childhood memories for me. For perspective this is what has happened. Jordan has requested Canada to take custody of the scrolls, citing the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, to which both Jordan and Canada are signatories. On display at the exhibition were artefacts taken from the Palestine Museum (also called the Rockefeller Museum) in East Jerusalem.

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Dangerous situation
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
(Editorial) January 7, 2010 - 1:00am

The situation at the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt is becoming dangerous. Yesterday, an Egyptian border guard was killed by what officials say was sniper fire from the Palestinian side. The shooting reportedly came after Egyptian guards opened fire at Palestinian demonstrators protesting the delay of an aid convoy, which is being held up in Egypt. The aid convoy follows another multinational popular effort to break the siege on Gaza, which was refused permission to travel to Gaza by the Egyptian authorities.

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Is Bibi Ready for '67 Lines? So Says Maariv Report on New U.S. Peace Bid
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
by J.J. Goldberg - (Opinion) January 5, 2010 - 1:00am

Maariv published a story (in Hebrew – my translation is below) on Monday, January 4, by its top political correspondent, Ben Caspit outlining what is described as a detailed American initiative to reconvene Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and reach a permanent agreement in two years. What is particularly surprising is the clear implication that Washington has Netanyahu’s consent to enter a negotiation that will result in a return virtually to the 1967 borders.

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