February 15th, 2008

Hopes Are Fading
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arabic Media Internet Network
by George S. Hishmeh - (Opinion) February 15, 2008 - 2:11pm

It is now almost three months since representatives of nearly 50 countries and international organisations attended the historic Middle East peace conference at the Naval Academy in nearby Annapolis which gave many high hopes that a Palestinian-Israeli settlement is around the corner. The event was the first serious action on the Arab-Israeli conference since President George W. Bush assumed the presidency more about seven years ago.

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Palestinian Prime Minister Voices Doubts
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
by Nathan Guttman - February 15, 2008 - 2:09pm

As the situation in Gaza deteriorates, Palestinian and Israeli leaders alike are voicing doubts about the feasibility of realizing President Bush’s goal of a peace agreement by the end the year. Not much optimism was heard this week from Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad during a visit to Washington. Fayyad, who is seen by the Bush administration as an agent of reform in the Palestinian government, stressed to his hosts the lack of progress since the peace process was relaunched last November in Annapolis, Md.

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Death Of A Terrorist
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Boston Globe
(Editorial) February 15, 2008 - 2:08pm

THE CAR-BOMB assassination in Damascus of terrorist mastermind Imad Mughniyeh will mean different things to different parties. But for anyone who cherishes the sunlight of legal justice, Mughniyeh's obscene career and violent end should be emblems of a lawless netherworld where terrorists kill civilians and security services hunt the killers.

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February 14th

An article in the Agence France-Press uses the plight of the flower industry in Gaza to highlight the effects of Israel’s economic lockdown (5). The Boston Globe discuses Imad Mughniyeh’s life and sudden death (2.) The Foreword’s Nathan Guttman covers’ Salam Fayyad’s speech to ATFP (3) and George Hishmeh argues that a lack of action from the Bush administration has led to dwindling hope in the peace process (4.) Steven Erlanger analyzes Israel’s Gaza predicament in the International Herald Times (8).

February 13th

Hezbollah Leader Killed In Syria, Group Blames Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP)
February 13, 2008 - 5:10pm

A senior Hezbollah commander on America's most wanted list was killed in a car bombing in Syria that the Shiite militant group blamed on Israel on Wednesday, an accusation the Jewish state denied. Imad Mughnieh, who headed Hezbollah's special operations unit, died in car bombing in a residential neighbourhood of the Syrian capital late on Tuesday, Hezbollah officials said. Syrian state television reported only that one person had died in the bombing without identifying the victim but Hezbollah confirmed that it was Mughnieh who had died and accused Israel of killing him.

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Israel Seeks International Backing For Gaza Campaign
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Adam Entous - February 13, 2008 - 5:09pm

Israel took nearly 70 foreign ambassadors to its border with the Gaza Strip on Wednesday as part of a diplomatic campaign to enlist international support for tougher action against the enclave's Hamas Islamist rulers. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told the envoys at the Erez crossing with Gaza that cross-border rocket fire by militants had created an "unbearable" situation that would only get worse. "Israel must act in order to reduce these threats," she said.

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Israeli Minister Plans Arab City
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bbc News
February 13, 2008 - 5:07pm

Israel's Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit says he wants to build a new Arab city in the north of Israel. It would be the first city built for Israel's Arabs - who make up nearly 20% of the population - since the country was founded in 1948. Mr Sheetrit said he wanted the plans to be completed and submitted for government approval by the year's end. Meanwhile, Israel announced plans for 1,100 new homes in East Jerusalem - a decision condemned by Palestinians.

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Olmert: Significant Progress Possible On Borders Of Palestinian State
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Barak Ravid Shmuel Rosner - February 13, 2008 - 5:06pm

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says it is possible to advance significantly the resolution of the issue of borders in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, in spite of a shared concern by officials of both sides, and the United States, as to their ability to realistically achieve a detailed agreement by the end of 2008.

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'no Change' From Israel, Fayyad Says
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Glenn Kessler - February 13, 2008 - 5:04pm

Nearly three months after the Middle East peace conference in Annapolis was supposed to usher in new cooperation between Palestinians and Israelis, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad yesterday accused Israel of having "not done a thing materially on the ground to help my government."

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Don’t March Into Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Amos Oz - (Opinion) February 13, 2008 - 5:03pm

The fury, frustration, and inflamed emotions are impairing our judgment. Israel must not fall into the trap that Hamas has laid for it by marching into Gaza. Because the casualty figure in a land invasion into Gaza will be much greater than the number of Qassam casualties in the past seven years. And because in five out of the seven Qassam years we controlled the entire Gaza Strip, and still, hundreds of rockets were fired from it at Sderot, in addition to the repeated bloody attacks against the settlers. Apparently, we forgot that.

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