October 11th, 2007

Us Silent On Israel Grab Of Arab Land
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP)
October 11, 2007 - 2:40pm

The United States refused to immediately comment Wednesday on Israel's decision to confiscate Arab land near Jerusalem, one day before Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was to head to the region. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters that Washington had not yet determined what its official reaction would be. "(I'm) still looking into it," he said. "I want to understand better the facts on the ground from our people in the field." "As soon as I have those, I'll be happy to provide you with a reaction."

»

Palestinians Set To Trade Away Parts Of West Bank
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
by Karin Laub - October 11, 2007 - 2:37pm

The Palestinians are ready to yield parts of the West Bank to Israel if compensated with an equal amount of Israeli territory, the lead Palestinian negotiator said in an interview yesterday. Ahmed Qureia, a former prime minister who has dealt with five Israeli prime ministers during 14 years of failed peacemaking, is trying again with No. 6, Ehud Olmert.

»

A Guide To A Successful November International Conference
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Israel Policy Forum
by Frederic C. Hof - (Special Report) October 11, 2007 - 2:35pm

President Bush has announced an international meeting devoted to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to be held in the fall, presumably mid-November, and likely in Washington, D.C. This is a potentially important step in moving the stalled peace process forward, especially given the recent appointment of former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair as the Quartet’s Middle East envoy.

»

Hamas Seeks Fatah Talks, Hints At Giving Up Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Nidal Al-mughrabi - October 11, 2007 - 2:31pm

Hamas said on Wednesday it would hold reconciliation talks with the Fatah faction of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and hinted it might be ready to cede control of the Gaza Strip, which it seized in June.

»

Talk Grows In Israel About Splitting Jerusalem
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
by Nathan Guttman - October 11, 2007 - 2:30pm

Jerusalem, the perennially divided city, is again becoming a central point of contention as Israelis and Palestinians prepare for the first serious peace discussions in years. Last Monday, one of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s closest allies, Haim Ramon, brought the issue into the open when he suggested in an interview that Israel would be willing to cede some parts of Jerusalem to the Palestinians.

»

Fatah Uses 'morality Police' To Burnish Image
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
by Joshua Mitnick - October 11, 2007 - 2:28pm

With a red armband identifying himself as "morality police," Lt. Ameen Theeti describes his job of the past few weeks as combing the streets of central Ramallah to maintain both "public order" and "tradition." The new Palestinian Authority (PA) outfit\'s mission has been to bust anyone caught violating the fast during Ramadan, the Muslim holy month ending this week. That means potential arrests and jail time for simply chewing gum.

»

Mideast: November Talks Must Be Inclusive, Urge U.s. Graybeards
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Inter Press Service (IPS)
by Jim Lobe - October 11, 2007 - 2:25pm

To succeed, next month's Israeli-Palestinian conference here should establish and endorse the contours of a permanent peace accord and secure the participation of Arab states that do not currently recognise Israel, including Syria, according to a letter sent Wednesday to President George W. Bush from a bipartisan group of eight former top U.S. policy-makers.

»

October 10th

Inter Press Service examines a letter sent to President Bush by eight top former U.S. policy-makers identifying success at the fall Mideast meeting as being the setting of the contours of a final peace agreement and the participation of Arab states (1.) The Forward analyzes the evolution of Israeli statements regarding occupied East Jerusalem in the lead up to the fall meeting and the role of the U.S. in that evolution (3.) Israel Policy Forum presents the full report of a study group it commissioned to produce a guide for a successful fall meeting (5.) The Associated Press looks at comments by the Palestinian lead negotiator on the issue of land swaps with Israel as part of a final peace settlement (6.) The Guardian (UK) reports on statements made by Palestinian president Abbas regarding the amount of occupied territory Palestinians expect to be returned to them in order to establish a Palestinian state (8.) A Gulf News (UAE) opinion by George Hishmeh highlights the importance of an active U.S. role during and after the fall Mideast meeting in offsetting he weakness of the Israeli, Palestinian and U.S. leaderships (10.) Israel's influential Reut Institute think tank examines recent trends in the international community in favor of a 'one state' solution (13.)

The Test Of Leadership
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Gershon Baskin - (Opinion) October 10, 2007 - 2:13pm

The public mood regarding the US sponsored peace summit is quite negative. The leaders of Israel and Palestine are devoting time and energy to reducing expectations out of fear that the summit may not produce the agreement necessary to enable a genuine peace process to ensue. As we get closer to the summit it seems that public opinion on both sides is hardening with regard to concessions that are necessary to enable Israeli-Palestinian agreement.

»

Islam Is The Enemy
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Amir Oren - (Opinion) October 10, 2007 - 2:11pm

Lamb, cucumber and tomato salad, yogurt, baklava. That is what President George W. Bush ate in the White House, or at least read on the menu last Friday at the Iftar meal to break the Ramadan fast, in the company of dozens of guests. In recent years continents have shifted from their positions, Europe has sunk and the Middle East has officially become central to American policy.

»


American Task Force on Palestine - 1634 Eye St. NW, Suite 725, Washington DC 20006 - Telephone: 202-262-0017