February 6th, 2008

Olmert Too Weak To Deliver
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News
by Osama Al-sharif - February 6, 2008 - 7:59pm

n the intricate and volatile workings of Israeli politics a day is a lifetime and the chances of survival are measured not by how many are on one’s side but by the weakness or strength of one’s opponents. Thus Ehud Olmert finds himself relatively stronger after the final findings of the Winograd Commission on the 34-day-war with Lebanon’s Hezbollah in the summer of 2006 were published last week.

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New Revelations On The Opinions Of Youth, Women And Educated Palestinians
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Miftah
by Arab World For Research And Development - February 6, 2008 - 7:59pm

Youth and the Educated Palestinians are Becoming Less Supportive of Hamas and More Supportive of Fateh Women are still more Supportive of Hamas Arab World for Research and Development (AWRAD) had conducted an opinion poll dated 16-18 January 2008 after and during the latest Gaza attacks. A representative sample, of 3200 Palestinians, was interviewed in all West Bank and Gaza districts. The main results were published on January the 23rd showing a decline in the support for Fateh and a slight increase in the support for Hamas.

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West Bank Economy Shows First Signs Of Growth
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line
by Bassem Roomie - February 6, 2008 - 7:57pm

Things feel different these days in Ramallah, the de facto and economic capital of the Palestinian Authority, and its seat of government. The markets are crowded with shoppers. Stores are well-stocked with goods, dozens of brand new cars have appeared on the streets. And all over downtown Ramallah are banners and posters heralding the launching of new businesses—like flowers after rain.

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Blair Calls For ‘urgency’ In Mideast Talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Financial Times
by Tobias Buck - February 6, 2008 - 7:57pm

Tony Blair has warned that the current round of Middle East peace talks must be pursued with ”greater urgency and greater focus” if Israelis and Palestinian are to achieve their goal of a peace agreement by the end of the year.

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Israel Plans Egypt Border Fence
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bbc News
February 6, 2008 - 7:56pm

The measure was agreed by a security cabinet meeting following the temporary breach of the Gaza-Egypt border, when thousands left Gaza unchecked. Plans for a fence were dropped years ago because the multi-million dollar price tag was deemed too expensive. Israel was struck by its first suicide bombing for more than a year on Monday. Initial speculation that the assailants were Gazans who arrived via the largely unguarded 230km (150-mile) Egyptian border was quashed on Tuesday when Hamas movement said the attackers had come from the occupied West Bank.

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Israel Rebuffs Egypt-gaza Border Deployments
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Jeffrey Heller - February 6, 2008 - 7:55pm

Israeli leaders on Wednesday rejected proposals to secure Gaza's frontier with Egypt with additional Egyptian forces or international troops two weeks after militants blasted it open, officials said. Israel's Foreign Ministry had suggested giving the nod to Egypt to double the number of its guards at the border to 1,500. Under an Israeli-Egyptian peace agreement, the number of troops that can be deployed along the frontier is limited.

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February 5th

The BBC reports that Israel has approved the construction of a fence along its border with Egypt (2) while reports issued by The Media Line and MIFTAH detail the growth in the economy of the West Bank (4) and the political opinions of educated, youth and women Palestinians (5) respectively. An editorial in the Jewish Daily Forward wonders why Israel continues not to explore Hamas’ standing offer of a cease-fire (8). In the Daily Star, Rami Khouri comments on the declining power of the Arab state (9). Finally, Amira Hass of Haaretz discusses what the PA can do to increase its support among current Palestinians on strike.

Running In Place From Lebanon To Dimona
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Akiva Eldar - (Opinion) February 5, 2008 - 7:36pm

The suicide bombing in Dimona and the ongoing Qassam rocket fire on Sderot reveal that the "running in place" did not begin and end with the Second Lebanon War. The Winograd Committee asks how it is possible for a war that lasted more than a month to have ended with neither a diplomatic nor military victory. The war against Hamas has been going on for more than seven years, but victory seems about as close as the diplomatic horizon.

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World Bank: Education In The Arab World Is 'lagging Behind'
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
February 5, 2008 - 7:35pm

The World Bank has described the education system in Arab countries as "lagging behind" other regions in the developing world, in a report released on Monday. The report, titled "The Road Not Traveled: Education Reform in the Middle East and North Africa," the World Bank said the region "has not capitalized fully on past investments in education, let alone developed education systems capable of meeting new challenges."

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Looking At Process In The Arab-israeli Negotiations
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
by Daniel Kurtzer - (Opinion) February 5, 2008 - 7:34pm

With the resumption of the Middle East peace process after Annapolis, the focus has turned to the substantive divide between the parties regarding the core issues of territory and boundaries, security, Jerusalem and refugees. Different ways have been suggested to approach these issues: for example, trying to reach agreement on a declaration of principles; trying to reach a full agreement and then putting it on the shelf until the time is ripe for implementation; or trying for a full agreement and implementation in phases, to begin immediately.

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