October 24th, 2007

Mideast Agreement Must Pass Israeli Vote
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
by Mark Lavie - October 24, 2007 - 10:29am

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has pledged to seek parliamentary approval for any significant agreement with the Palestinians, including the joint declaration of principles he is trying to reach ahead of a U.S.-sponsored Mideast conference later this year, according to a letter released Monday. Approval would be far from automatic if the declaration commits Israel to giving up parts of Jerusalem or other main concessions sought by the Palestinians. Hawkish parties in Olmert's coalition have threatened to bring his government down if he agrees to such steps.

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October 23rd

A Baltimore Sun opinion by visiting professor of politics at Harvey Mudd College Suheir Daoud urges the delaying of the Mideast fall meeting due to internal Israeli and Palestinian weaknesses and divisions (2.) The Jewish Telegraphic Agency looks at the dual message the U.S. is sending Israel in terms of support against Iran coupled with a determination to facilitate peace with the Palestinians (4.) The BBC (UK) looks at an Amnesty International report on how Palestinian factional fighting has exacerbated human rights abuses (5.) A Guardian (UK) comment by Jonathan Freedland examines the extremely low expectations for the fall meeting, while noting that all sides seem determined to put on paper the outlines of a settlement along the lines of the Taba negotiations (7.) A Haaretz (Israel) by Prince Hassan of Jordan calls on Muslims to diffrentiate between Israeli policies and Judaism with which Islam and Christianity share a common heritage (9.) A Daily Star (Lebanon) opinion by Rami Khouri comments on recent remarks by UNRWA commissioner general Karen Abuzayd about Palestinian loss of faith in the international community's ability to be fair and objective in their treatment of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (10.)

Play On Corrie Takes The Us By Storm
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arabic Media Internet Network
by George S. Hishmeh - (Opinion) October 23, 2007 - 2:31pm

She is described as "the most talked about playwright in America today" but because she had cast her dice in support of the Palestinians her play, My Name is Rachel Corrie, is the target of vicious attacks by pro-Israeli elements in the country. Corrie did not actually write the play. She couldn't because she was crushed to death in March 2003 while blocking a 60-tonne Israeli-driven Caterpillar bulldozer that was planning to demolish a Palestinian home she was protecting in Rafah in the Gaza Strip.

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George W. Bush's Flawed Peace Plan
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
by Shlomo Ben-ami - (Opinion) October 23, 2007 - 2:29pm

That a summit in Damascus of the Middle East's "axis of evil" - Iran, Hizbullah, Syria and Hamas - was convened immediately following President George W. Bush's call for a conference of "moderates" to promote an Israeli-Palestinian peace demonstrated once again how intertwined the region's problems are. The Damascus meeting reflected Iran's view of Israeli-Arab peace as a major strategic threat, because it would condemn Iran to isolation in a hostile Arab environment free of its conflict with Israel.

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Hamas Chief Says Outside Forces Block Reconciliation
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP)
October 23, 2007 - 11:26am

Exiled Hamas supremo Khaled Meshaal on Wednesday accused outside forces of trying to block reconciliation between his Islamist movement and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's secular Fatah party. He made his comments during a visit to Yemen, where he is due to hold talks with President Ali Abdallah Saleh on the situation in the Palestinian territories following Hamas's bloody takeover of the Gaza Strip in June.

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Getting Hamas Strategy Right
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Israel Policy Forum
by David Dreilinger - (Opinion) October 23, 2007 - 11:24am

The contours of the ambitious new Bush administration strategy for dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are beginning to take shape. But not everyone is optimistic about the chances for success. According to supporters of the Bush approach, things are right on schedule. Bilateral consultations between Israelis and Palestinians – like the meeting in Jericho between Abbas and Olmert this past Monday – will start bearing fruit in the coming months, as both parties move past confidence-building steps and start to talk about the outlines of a Palestinian state.

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Inside Gaza: Redemption Games
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Newsweek
by Kevin Peraino - (Special Report) October 23, 2007 - 11:23am

At the Game Zone video arcade in Gaza City, the most popular new attraction, according to its owner, Hamdi Abu Sido, is the "redemption machine." Winning involves using a joystick to successfully direct a mechanical puppet on a surf board—the "Shark Hunter"—to wave-riding glory. If you win, the machine spits out a string of white tickets printed with the word WONDERFUL that can be redeemed at the counter for prizes.

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Israel: Missile Shield Before West Bank Pullout
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
October 23, 2007 - 11:05am

Defense Minister Ehud Barak says Israel must have a missile defense system in place to protect it from Palestinian rocket fire before it could carry out a large-scale pullback in the West Bank, an official said Wednesday. Military experts said it would take between two and a half and seven years to develop a system that would protect Israel from the type of crude rockets that Palestinian militants use.

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Push For Mideast Peace Plan Gains Momentum Ahead Of Upcoming Summit
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
by Nathan Guttman - October 23, 2007 - 11:04am

Israeli officials are giving the first signs that they are preparing for negotiations on a final-status peace agreement with the Palestinians. Both Israelis and Palestinians are readying for an international meeting set to discuss the Middle East conflict in November, but until now the Israelis have been wary of looking at this meeting as an entry point to final-status peace talks.

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Restrictions On Palestinians Decried
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Samuel Sockol - (Special Report) October 23, 2007 - 11:02am

An Israeli human rights group charged Tuesday that Israel has used concrete barricades, fences, checkpoints and other measures to impose restrictions on Palestinian movement in the West Bank that are "unprecedented in scope and duration."

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