White Elephants ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arabic Media Internet Network by Uri Avnery - (Opinion) October 22, 2007 - 2:33pm THE KING of Siam knew how to deal with domestic opponents: he would present them with a white elephant. White elephants are rare in nature, and therefore sacred. Being sacred, they may not be put to work. But even a sacred elephant does eat, and eat a lot. Enough to turn a rich man into a pauper. My late friend, General Matti Peled, one time Quartermaster General of the army, pointed out the similarity between this elephant and many of our gifts from the President of the United States. » Read more

While Olmert Was Talking ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Akiva Eldar - (Opinion) October 22, 2007 - 1:29pm Veteran activists of the left who have met Ehud Olmert recently report that the prime minister is determined to pull out from the territories and bring the conflict to an end. They say Olmert recognizes that a failure of the Israeli-Palestinian-American summit in Annapolis means a victory for the extremists of the settlements, Hamas and Iran. They say that were it only up to him, the prime minister would make a deal with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. » Read more

Back To The Iranian Arena ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Aluf Benn, Shmuel Rosner - (Opinion) October 22, 2007 - 1:28pm Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona began his remarks with a joke about erstwhile movie star Zsa Zsa Gabor. After her wedding to her fifth husband, the guests had gone home and the husband was perplexed. I know what I am supposed to do now, he said to her, but as husband No. 5, I'm not certain I can do it in an interesting way. » Read more

Lower Expectations ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Ghassan Khatib - (Opinion) October 22, 2007 - 1:25pm On one level, the American initiative to convene a peace meeting at Annapolis marks a positive transformation in the American approach to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. But on another, it reflects a continuation of the past. » Read more

The New Center Of Gravity Of Arab Stability ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star by Rami Khouri - (Opinion) October 22, 2007 - 1:24pm   Some things move slowly in life, including transitions to democracy and getting governments to treat their citizens decently. I mention these two because they cropped up again and again this week during a working visit to Jordan, where, among other things, I had to twice engage the menacing Ottoman-era bureaucracy - to renew my driver's license and complete a power of attorney procedure with my brother. » Read more

Quartet In The Dock ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News (Editorial) October 22, 2007 - 1:23pm If the UN withdraws from it, the damage done to the Quartet might not be extensive, seeing how insipid the group’s members have been thus far in their attempts to break ground in the Palestinian-Israeli impasse. Still, a dropout would be considered a serious blow to peace efforts. The possible UN departure from the Quartet makes the outlook for the major US-sponsored peace conference between the Palestinians and Israel, expected next month, even bleaker than at present. » Read more

School Crosses Religious Divide To Teach Children A Lesson In Unity ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Times by James Hider - October 22, 2007 - 1:22pm When she told her cousin that her 12-year-old Jewish schoolfriend had slept over at her house one night, Aeen, an Arab-Israeli schoolgirl, was shocked at the response. » Read more

Israel Shaken By Troops' Tales Of Brutality Against Palestinians ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian (Special Report) October 22, 2007 - 1:20pm A study by an Israeli psychologist into the violent behaviour of the country's soldiers is provoking bitter controversy and has awakened urgent questions about the way the army conducts itself in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. » Read more

Annapolis Summit Requires Commitment ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Middle East Progress by Ziad Asali - (Opinion) October 22, 2007 - 1:14pm Condoleezza Rice met with Middle East leaders this week to prepare the Annapolis meeting that has become ever more critical to illustrating the administration’s renewed focus on resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict. Measures of success for the Annapolis summit are important, not simply for “grading” the session, but for setting up a framework to analyze progress moving forward. » Read more

Skepticism, Anger On Both Sides Of Mideast Conflict ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Rebecca Harrison - October 22, 2007 - 1:10pm Israeli cable technician Elram Weitzman thinks the Palestinians deserve a state of their own. But he doesn't spend too much time thinking about it. "They should have their own country -- as long as it's not ours," said the 22-year-old from Jerusalem between drags on a cigarette. "To be honest I don't really watch the news." » Read more