February 4th, 2008

Palestinians Urge For Early Presidential Ballot
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Angus Reid Global Monitor
February 4, 2008 - 7:45pm

The vast majority of people in the Gaza Strip and West Bank believe a change of government is necessary, according to a poll by An-Najah National University. 65.1 per cent of respondents support conducting an early presidential election, and 52.4 per cent would dissolve the Palestinian Legislative Council.

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Israeli Defense Minister To Stay In Olmert Coalition
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Isabel Kershner - February 4, 2008 - 7:44pm

Ehud Barak, Israel’s defense minister and the leader of the Labor Party, announced Sunday that he would remain in the government, stabilizing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s coalition despite last week’s harsh report on the political and military leaders’ handling of the Lebanon war in 2006.

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Shikaki: Hamas’ Popularity On Rise In Gaza After Tearing Down Wall With Egypt
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Council on Foreign Relations
by Bernard Gwertzman - (Interview) February 4, 2008 - 7:44pm

Khalil Shikaki, a leading Palestinian political scientist and polling expert based in the West Bank, says that Hamas, the radical Palestinian group opposed to Israel, has been losing popularity among Palestinians since it took over Gaza by force last June. But more recently, Israeli sanctions against Gaza in retaliation for the rocket attacks on Israel, and Hamas tearing down the wall separating Gaza from Egypt, have probably boosted Hamas’ popularity again, making it difficult for Hamas’ rival, Fatah, to contemplate defeating Hamas in another election.

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February 3rd

Isabel Kershner of the New York Times discusses the impact of Ehud Barak, Israeli Defense Minister, remaining in Ehud Olmert's coalition in the wake of the Winograd report.(2) In Mother Jones, Justin Elliott touches on Barack Obama's recent statements about the border crisis in Gaza. (5) Mousa Qous suggests that the continued Israeli settlement building in East Jerusalem could compromise future negotiations of a two state solution in BitterLemons. (Israel/Palestine) (8) An Arab News editorial petitions Mahmoud Abbas to make a deal with Hamas over the recent border crisis. (9) An Haaretz article ranks the U.S. presidential candidates positions on the Israel/Palestine debate. (11) Also in Haaretz, Amos Harel updates on the first suicide bombing in Israel in over a year. (13)

February 1st

Brotherhood Sought
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al- Ahram
by Serene Assir - February 1, 2008 - 6:42pm

One week on from the mass act of popular refusal among Palestinians that broke the siege of Gaza, movement in and out of the occupied territory has being radically cut down as Egyptian Central Security forces were deployed in thousands to block the entry of Palestinians into the Sinai Peninsula via Rafah and Arish. Meanwhile, calls to Egyptian authorities for a greater show of solidarity -- indeed, sovereignty from the will of Israel -- to break the siege imposed seven months ago on Gaza intensified over the course of the week.

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Who Is More Pro-palestine?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Middle East Times
(Editorial) February 1, 2008 - 6:41pm

The choice has been whittled down to four candidates in the U.S. presidential race, so their various positions on the outstanding issues of Middle Eastern politics are becoming increasingly important. It is also becoming interesting, because while the staunchly pro-Israeli positions of senators John McCain and Hillary Clinton are well known, Senator Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney are relative newcomers to the international scene.

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The Anti-israel Factor
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Israel Policy Forum
by M.J. Rosenberg - (Opinion) February 1, 2008 - 6:40pm

On Tuesday, millions of voters in 21 states will make their choice for President. Although it is unlikely that the two nominations will be sewed up on February 5, Super Tuesday will mark the end of the preliminary stage of “The Making of the President 2008” and will move us very close to the main event. From a roster of more than a dozen potential Presidents, we are now down to just Senators Clinton and Obama on the Democratic side and Senator McCain and Governors Romney and Huckabee for the Republicans. This early deciding is relatively new.

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Palestinian Majority Opposes Rocket Attacks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Angus Reid Global Monitor
February 1, 2008 - 6:38pm

Many residents of the Palestinian Territories believe a series of rocket attacks launched from the Gaza Strip into Israel should stop, according to a poll by An-Najah National University. 52.7 per cent of respondents share this view.

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Egypt Issues Ultimatum To Pa, Hamas
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Khaled Abu Toameh - February 1, 2008 - 6:38pm

Egypt has threatened to close its border with the Gaza Strip indefinitely unless the Palestinian Authority and Hamas reach an agreement on controlling the Rafah border crossing, Palestinian sources in Ramallah said Wednesday. The threat came as PA and Hamas representatives arrived in Cairo Wednesday for talks with Egyptian leaders on ways of ending the crisis along the Gaza-Egypt border. The PA delegation, headed by Mahmoud Abbas, held talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and other senior government officials in Cairo.

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Fate Of Israeli Coalition In The Balance
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Financial Times
by Tobias Buck - (Opinion) February 1, 2008 - 6:35pm

The future of Israel’s shaky coalition government is set to be decided this weekend, with the centre-left Labor party expected to announce by Monday morning whether to withdraw its support for Ehud Olmert, the embattled prime minister.

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