October 17th

Palestinians Launch First Census In A Decade ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Rebecca Harrison - October 17, 2007 - 10:39am Palestinians launched their first census in a decade on Wednesday, visiting thousands of homes in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the hope of boosting their bid for an independent state. About 1,000 officials spread out across towns in Palestinian territories, drawing blue and red numbers on homes and offices ahead of a head count in December. The colorful markings will be used later to help count communities more easily. » Read more

Rice Draws On 'spiritual Passion' In Push For Peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Michael Abramowitz, Scott Wilson - (Editorial) October 17, 2007 - 10:37am U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice broke away from her diplomatic meetings here to sit down with the top religious leaders -- Christian, Jewish and Muslim -- of this holy city Monday night. According to people present, she heard about the failure of Israeli authorities to recognize the Greek Orthodox patriarch, a top Muslim cleric's lack of access to Jerusalem's al-Aqsa Mosque and other complaints. » Read more

Egypt Helps Bolster Prospect Of Peace Talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Steven Lee Myers - October 17, 2007 - 10:36am Egypt expressed unusually strong support on Tuesday for the Bush administration’s efforts to hold an international conference this fall to begin negotiating peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Egypt’s leaders, including President Hosni Mubarak, have criticized aspects of the effort, but after meetings here with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said he believed that the administration was determined to have meaningful talks. » Read more

Hamas Softening Throws Twist In Talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Ilene Prusher - October 17, 2007 - 10:34am Hamas, the Palestinian movement that months ago battled rival Fatah for control of Gaza, is now beginning to wield a more conciliatory weapon: messages of moderation. A spokesman for Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, deposed as Palestinian prime minister after militant Islamists staged a coup in June, said Tuesday that Hamas does not oppose peace talks with Israel. » Read more

Gop Candidates: Protect Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Libby Quaid - October 17, 2007 - 10:33am Israel's security must be safeguarded in the coming talks between the Israelis and Palestinians, GOP presidential contenders told the Republican Jewish Coalition on Tuesday. Palestinians must acknowledge Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state and make a good-faith effort to stop terrorism, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani said. » Read more

October 16th

A Prelude Of Niceties ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Akiva Eldar - (Opinion) October 16, 2007 - 1:04pm Ahead of Annapolis, Olmert and Abbas have agreed to disagree, while Bush is promising 'real results' Israelis and Palestinians who have met with United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in recent days and have spoken with her staff have gained the impression that she does not really know what on earth her boss wants from her. It isn't that Dr. Rice has a hearing problem. Her problem is that United States President George W. Bush has apparently not yet decided what exactly he wants to achieve at the Annapolis peace conference. » Read more

Rice's Visit / In The Shadow Of Mlk ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Aluf Benn - (Opinion) October 16, 2007 - 1:02pm When Condoleezza Rice talks about the establishment of a Palestinian state next to Israel, she sees in her mind's eye the struggle of African Americans for equal rights, which culminated in the period of her Alabama childhood. Rice is very aware of political sensitivity, and avoids making such comparisons in public speeches and interviews, where she keeps to the official list of talking points. But in private, she talks about the » Read more

No High Hopes For Annapolis ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Tamar Hermann, Ephraim Yaar - (Special Report) October 16, 2007 - 1:00pm Some two-thirds of the Jewish public think that from Israel's standpoint it is impossible to go on indefinitely with the current state of relations between Israel and the Palestinians. A similar amount of Jewish citizens think that among the most urgent issues on Israel's agenda is the government's attempt to reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians. » Read more

U.s. Too Often Follows Israel's Lead In Diplomatic Situations ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arabic Media Internet Network by Paul Findley - (Opinion) October 16, 2007 - 12:53pm   There is an open secret in Washington. I learned it well during my 22-year tenure as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. All members swear to serve the interests of the United States, but there is an unwritten and overwhelming exception: The interests of one small foreign country almost always trump U.S. interests. That nation of course is Israel. » Read more

An Extraordinary Opportunity ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons by Galia Golan - (Opinion) October 16, 2007 - 12:50pm Few are particularly excited by the upcoming Israeli-Palestinian conference; most may believe it will not or should not even take place. Yet this could be the most important and promising opportunity for a genuine peace process since the ill-fated Camp David II conference in July 2000. This optimism derives from both the unique constellation of circumstances in the region and the cumulative effect of developments within the Israeli and Palestinian publics. » Read more