November 22nd, 2007

Shhhh: Mideast Invitations Are Secret
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
by Matthew Lee - November 22, 2007 - 10:11pm

It's the biggest public event on this season's diplomatic calendar, but the topic is so sensitive that even the invitations are classified. Not that they need to be. The invites to next week's Mideast peace conference in Annapolis, Md., offer few details about the substance of the proceedings aimed at launching the first Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in seven years.

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November 21st

The LA Times looks at continuing uncertainty regarding the Annapolis meeting after the issuing of invitations by the U.S. (2.) Angus Reid Global Monitor reviews the results of the latest survey of Palestinian public opinion by the West Bank An-Najah university, revealing a high degree of support for the Abbas/Fayyad government (4.) The Forward reports on increasing pressure on Israel by the U.S. to effect a serious settlement freeze (7.) An IHT opinion by former U.S. ambassador Kurtzer and USIP fellow Lasensky offer tips to maximize chances of success for the Annapolis meeting (9.) Inter Press Service looks at the opposition to the Annapolis meeting coming from neocon hawks in the U.S. associated with Israel's Likud (10.) The Independent (UK) reports on a Palestinian document prepared for the December Paris donors conference that serves as a blueprint for statehood and outlines projected security, fiscal and political reforms (11.) BBC (UK) analyzes the risks and possibilities for Israeli-Palestinian peace associated with the Annapolis meeting (12.) A Daily Star (Lebanon) opinion by Rami Khouri urges Arab participants at Annapolis to seize the initiative and use the Annapolis meeting to present their issues with clarity and conviction (16.) A Haaretz (Israel) opinion by Akiva Eldar analyzes the obstructionist elements to the Annapolis meeting and to negotiations with the Palestinians (17.)

November 20th

The Annapolis Talks / Blaming The Other Guy
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Aluf Benn - November 20, 2007 - 1:55pm

Israeli-Palestinian disputes over the anticipated Annapolis declaration resemble theological disputes from the Middle Ages: Negotiators argue over whether the road map's first stage should be implemented sequentially or simultaneously, and whether disagreements should be resolved by a trilateral Israeli-Palestinian-American committee or a single American arbitrator.

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Fewer Americans Believe Israel Is Ready To Make Peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Shmuel Rosner - November 20, 2007 - 1:54pm

My New York-based colleague Shlomo Shamir (and other reporters in other news outlets), wrote yesterday about the new Anti Defamation League survey dealing with American attitudes toward Israel. "Majority of Americans are still strong supporters of Israel" was the headline. That is certainly true, and the poll is definitely positive. But not all of it is positive, and the numbers merit another look. So here it is:

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Sidetracked By The Roadmap
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons
by Ghassan Khatib - (Opinion) November 20, 2007 - 1:53pm

The sudden reference by Palestinian and Israeli negotiators to the roadmap, drafted years ago in an attempt to rescue the parties from the quicksand of violence and recriminations, was a bit confusing for analysts on both sides. The shift seemed inconsistent with the major political issues that require sorting out through negotiations, particularly the final status issues. In addition, Palestinians and Israelis have already tried the roadmap--and failed to navigate it.

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Documentary On Carter Offers Insights Into A Great Man
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News
by Ray Hanania - November 20, 2007 - 1:52pm

Even before anyone realized that Jimmy Carter’s book “Palestine: Peace not Apartheid” would stir up controversy and a lively but sometimes vicious debate, filmmaker Jonathan Demme decided to follow the former president during his book tour. Demme has produced a powerful documentary, “Jimmy Carter: A Man from Plains,” now showing in limited distribution in major cities around the country.

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Will Annapolis Fail Like All The Others?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bbc News
by Paul Reynolds - November 20, 2007 - 1:50pm

A veteran reporter on the Middle East asked me the other day: "Is it too late?" We had been discussing the prospects for the meeting in Annapolis in the United States scheduled for next week at which the Israelis and Palestinians are supposed to commit themselves to reaching a peace agreement. My instinct was to agree with him. We had first met in Jerusalem in the mid 1980s and have followed the ups and downs of negotiations since. The experience has not made us optimists. Aims of Annapolis

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Un Aid Chief Attacks New Israeli Checkpoint Plan
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian
by Rory Mccarthy - November 20, 2007 - 1:50pm

The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees launched a scathing attack today on a new Israeli plan for a system of checkpoint terminals across the occupied West Bank. Karen AbuZayd, head of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), said Israeli authorities had told them of plans to install six specially built terminals to check people and cargo, including aid deliveries. She said it would hamper the agency's work and dramatically raise costs.

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Negotiations On A Knife-edge Ahead Of Middle East Summit
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Independent
by Donald Macintyre - November 20, 2007 - 1:49pm

Israeli and moderate Palestinian leaders were last night struggling to agree a joint declaration intended to be the centrepiece of the international United States-convened Middle East summit less than a week away.

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Blair Gives Fillip To Mideast Peace Talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Financial Times
by Tobias Buck - November 20, 2007 - 1:48pm

Tony Blair, in his new role as Middle East envoy, unveiled a package of measures on Monday designed to aid the moribund Palestinian economy and inject fresh momentum into Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. The former British prime minister said the four development projects outlined on Monday had been the subject of debate for some time, and that their significance should not be exaggerated. But he insisted that “without hope of prosperity, rising living standards and an economic stake in the future for ordinary Palestinians, the politics will never succeed”.

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