November 22nd

Gaza Government Illegitimate, Say Palestinians ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Angus Reid Global Monitor November 22, 2007 - 10:18pm Many people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank decry the government headed by Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza, according to a poll by An-Najah National University. Only 19.3 per cent of respondents in the Palestinian Territories see Haniyeh’s administration as legitimate. Conversely, 45.4 per cent of respondents think the Palestinian government led by prime minister Salam Fayyad—which failed to win the confidence of the Palestinian Legislative Council—is the legitimate administration. Roughly three-in-ten respondents believe both governments are unlawful. » Read more

Bush Steps Up Diplomatic Effort As Annapolis Talks Draw Nearer ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Robin Wright - November 22, 2007 - 10:15pm In a bit of last-minute diplomacy, President Bush called the leaders of Israel, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority yesterday to discuss details of the U.S. peace conference set to begin in Annapolis next week, as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the goal is to wrap up a peace deal to produce a Palestinian state by the time Bush leaves office. » Read more

Doubts Cloud U.s. Talks Set On Mideast ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Paul Richter - November 22, 2007 - 10:13pm The Bush administration announced Tuesday that it would hold a stripped-down international conference next week to begin negotiating the core issues that divide the Israelis and Palestinians, the first formal attempt to revive peace talks in seven years. » Read more

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. » Read more

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. » Read more

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: » Read more

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. » Read more

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. » Read more

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 » Read more

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. » Read more