October 15th, 2008

Rice vows to do best to reach Mideast peace deal
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Natasha Mozgovaya - October 14, 2008 - 8:00pm

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said yesterday that she would leave "no stone unturned" in order to reach an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal before leaving office, but conceded that time is running out. Speaking to a U.S. conference on Palestinian business and investment, Rice said she still hoped to reach the Bush administration's goal of a peace deal by the end of 2008, which was set at the Annapolis summit nearly a year ago.

»

Remarks at the Palestinian Business and Investment Forum
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from
by Condoleezza Rice - October 13, 2008 - 8:00pm

Thank you very much. I’d like to thank Walter for that very kind introduction. I also really want to pay tribute to Jim Jones and the hard work that he has done as Special Envoy for Middle East Peace and Security. In fact, Jim has been tireless in working to help the two of the legs come together in a more integrated way. It is absolutely true that security is clearly very important for the Palestinian people, for the neighborhood that both Israelis and Palestinians can feel secure.

»

October 14th

The Middle East Times reports on the address given by Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad at ATFP's Third Annual Gala (1). Leaders from both Hamas and Fatah call for reconciliation in separate speeches given over the weekend (2). Israel bars entry from the West Bank for the weeklong Sukkot holiday (3). Tzipi Livni continues work towards building a coalition government (4). Shimon Peres appeals for tolerance following four days of clashes in the city of Acre between Arabs and Jews in Israel (7).

ATFP Senior Fellow to Participate in Oct. 20 Panel on McCain, Obama, and the Middle East
Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - October 13, 2008 - 12:00am

ATFP Senior Fellow Hussein Ibish will participate in a panel discussion at the Wilson Center in Washington, DC, Mon., Oct. 20.  The event will also be broadcast on a live webcast via the Wilson Center website. Event Details:McCain, Obama, and the Middle East: The influence of Domestic Politics on U.S. Policy.  October 20, 2008: 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Speakers: Graeme Bannerman,Adjunct Scholar, Middle East Institute and Former Chief of Staff, Senate Foreign Relations Committee


Abbas, Olmert to meet Friday
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
October 13, 2008 - 8:00pm

Outgoing Israeli PRIME Minister Ehud Olmert is to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for a new round of peace talks this week, the Palestinian foreign minister said on Monday. "[Abbas] will meet Prime Minister Olmert on October 17 within the framework of their regular meetings," Riyad Malki said at a news conference in Ramallah. Olmert and Abbas have been meeting about twice a month since the peace process was relaunched at a US conference in November.

»

700 More PA Personnel to Deploy in Hebron
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line
October 12, 2008 - 8:00pm

The Palestinian Authority plans to deploy an additional 700 security personal in the West Bank city Hebron to carry out security operations among the city’s Palestinian population, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported.

»

Palestinians believe Oslo harmed their cause
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News
by HIsham Abu Taha - October 13, 2008 - 8:00pm

A public opinion poll released yesterday showed that Palestinians believed the Oslo peace accord harmed their cause, and half of the respondents preferred simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The poll, conducted by the Jerusalem Media and Communication Center (JMCC) in the first week of October, found that according to 41 percent of those surveyed the Oslo accord harmed the Palestinian national interests, compared to 20.4 who said it served them. Thirty-four percent said the Oslo accord made no difference.

»

Peres visits Acre in wake of clashes, says ‘we are destined to live side by side’
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP)
October 13, 2008 - 8:00pm

Israeli President Shimon Peres traveled on Monday to the northern city of Acre where he appealed for tolerance after four days of clashes between Palestinian-Israeli and Jewish residents. "I was surprised by the extent of appeals for peaceful coexistence issued by leaders from both sides," the Israeli politician told journalists. "We are destined to live side by side, and a bright future awaits Acre," said Peres, who was accompanied by Interior Security Minister Avi Dichter and Israel's two chief rabbis, Yona Metzger and Shlomo Amar.

»

Palestinian brewer still waiting for peace to break out
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP)
December 31, 1969 - 8:00pm

Some Palestinians have taken up arms and others attend peace talks in their decades-long struggle, but Nadim Khoury has found a third route to statehood - the brewing of delicious local beer. The 49-year-old returned to his native Occupied West Bank village of Taybeh from the US in 1994 with the unusual and ambitious idea of distilling the dream of Palestinian independence into a smooth, full-bodied golden lager.

»

Hamas locks out striking Gaza teachers
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
by Ibrahim Barzak - October 13, 2008 - 8:00pm

The Hamas government announced Tuesday that it will not permit thousands of striking teachers to return to their jobs, further heightening tensions with its political rivals in the West Bank. The strike was called Aug. 24 by the West Bank-based teachers' union. It was seen, in part, as an attempt to disrupt life in Gaza and weaken Hamas, which seized control by force in 2007 and defeated troops loyal to moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Most of Gaza's 10,000 public school teachers are still paid by the Abbas government.

»


American Task Force on Palestine - 1634 Eye St. NW, Suite 725, Washington DC 20006 - Telephone: 202-262-0017