February 14th

Palestinian officials pledge to hold elections by fall
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Edmund Sanders - February 13, 2011 - 1:00am

A day after watching Egypt's regime collapse, Palestinian officials promised Saturday they would elect new leadership in presidential and legislative elections by September, and said that their chief peace negotiator had tendered his resignation. The shakeup appeared to reflect an attempt by the Palestine Liberation Organization to navigate the tidal wave of democratic upheaval spreading through the Arab world and, if possible, to use its momentum to draw international attention to the Palestinian bid for self-determination.

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Democracy Is Coming Again to Palestine -- Hamas Permitting
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line
by David Miller - February 13, 2011 - 1:00am

More than five years after the Hamas movement was swept into power in an upset election victory, the Palestinians will going back to the polls again – or not. The Palestinian Authority (PA) said last week it planned to hold municipal elections this summer and on Saturday announced that it would also conduct voting for president and parliament by September. But Hamas immediately said it would refuse to participate, a stance experts said precludes the prospect of elections for now.

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As Egypt tumult spreads, top Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat, resigns
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
by Ben Lynfield - February 13, 2011 - 1:00am

Top Palestinian peace negotiator, Saeb Erekat, has resigned after embarrassing depictions in media leaks of his posture towards Israel, saying he hopes his stepping down will set a model of transparency for the young Palestinian state-in-the-making.

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Future of Israel-Egypt treaty
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News
by Patrick Seale - (Opinion) February 14, 2011 - 1:00am

Israel has been unnerved by Egypt’s Revolution. The reason is simple: it fears for the survival of the 1979 Peace Treaty — a treaty which by neutralising Egypt, guaranteed Israel’s military dominance over the region for the next three decades. By removing Egypt — the strongest and most populous of the Arab countries — from the Arab line-up, the treaty ruled out any possibility of an Arab coalition that might have contained Israel or restrained its freedom of action. As Israel’s Foreign Minister, Moshe Dayan, remarked at that time: ‘If a wheel is removed, the car will not run again.’

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Postcard From Cairo, Part 2
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Thomas L. Friedman - (Opinion) February 13, 2011 - 1:00am

For anyone who spent time in Tahrir Square these last three weeks, one thing was very obvious: Israel was not part of this story at all. This was about Egypt and about the longing of Egyptians for the most basic human rights, which were described to me by opposition Egyptian newspaper editor Ibrahim Essa as “freedom, dignity and justice.’’ It doesn’t get any more primal than that. And when young Egyptians looked around the region and asked: Who is with us in this quest and who is not?, the two big countries they knew were against them were Israel and Saudi Arabia. Sad.

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As Egypt Calms Down, So Do Israeli Nerves
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Isabel Kershner - February 13, 2011 - 1:00am

As Israelis began to adjust to the departure of President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, their staunchest and longest-standing regional ally, the alarm and anxiety that Israel has been projecting seemed to give way on Sunday to more nuanced tones, as well as some hints of admiration for the Egyptian people and sympathy for their cause.

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February 11th

The Forward profiles ATFP. Israeli trade with Egypt may buffer strains. UN officials meet prisoner families in Gaza. Israel demolishes a Bedouin village for the 16th time, and six are wounded in the incident. Unrest in Egypt impacts peace talks. Palestinians deny negotiations are being resumed. Israeli intelligence talks of a security "earthquake" in 2011. Anshel Pfeffer says the Israeli religious right is like the Muslim Brotherhood. Israel is removing a checkpoint between Nablus and Ramallah. Israelis are warned not to travel internationally. Nechama Duek says Arab democracy would be good for Israel. 70 rabbis rally behind an extremist colleague. Deputy PM Meridor says Israel seeks alliances beyond the US. Harriet Sherwood recounts the ordeal of entering Gaza from Israel. George Hishmeh says despite complicating factors, Israel won't find a more forthcoming Palestinian leadership to deal with.

Complicated factors
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
by George S. Hishmeh - February 11, 2011 - 1:00am

Why is Benjamin Netanyahu (and many other Israelis) behaving like an ostrich, digging his head in the sand and wondering why the escalating Egyptian uprising, triggered by the recent Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia, has engulfed the Middle East and posed a threat to Israel?

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Crossing borders: the long, lonely walk to Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian
by Harriet Sherwood - February 10, 2011 - 1:00am

I've been in Gaza this week, and - as always – found the experience of crossing from Israel into the Strip and back again unnerving. The vast Israeli terminal, reminiscent of an international airport, is almost deserted. It was planned at a time when thousands of Palestinians crossed in to Israel each day to work. Now very few Palestinians can leave through Erez, and no Israelis are allowed to enter. So it's pretty much the preserve of journalists and NGO workers.

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Israel Seeks to Widen Strategic Partnerships Beyond the U.S., Meridor Says
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line
by Arieh O'Sullivan - February 10, 2011 - 1:00am

While America remains Israel’s strongest and most important ally, the Jewish state needs to explore widening its strategic partnerships to other countries in the Middle East and with the world’s emerging powers, Israel’s Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor told The Media Line. “The world is changing and moving. China is growing we need to have good relations with them,” Meridor said. “China is beginning to play a more important role in foreign policy. India is an important country. We are no longer enemies with Russia, of course, and Russia is an important.”

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