October 29th

Orthodox Rabbi Breaks Taboo With Talk Of Dividing Jerusalem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Tom Tugend - October 29, 2007 - 7:01pm A prominent Orthodox rabbi has broken a taboo by publicly advocating that his community consider a possible division of Jerusalem to achieve a lasting peace with the Palestinians. Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky of B’nai David Judea wrote in Friday’s Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles that the “worst-case scenario” of returning the Western Wall and the Temple Mount to Arab control would be horrifying and unfathomable to him. » Read more

Israel Can't Cut Power To Gaza - Attorney General ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Adam Entous - October 29, 2007 - 6:59pm Israel's attorney general told the government on Monday it could not cut electrical power to the Gaza Strip as part of its sanctions against the Hamas controlled territory, although he did approve other measures. Israel began implementing economic sanctions on Sunday in what it said was a response to Palestinian rocket fire on Israeli towns from the Hamas-controlled coastal enclave. » Read more

Rice Looks To History For Peace Effort ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Matthew Lee - October 29, 2007 - 6:49pm Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is looking to the past for lessons on how to make next month's Mideast peace conference a success. As she prepares to host the international meeting in Annapolis, Md., Rice has delved into the history of U.S. attempts to mediate peace in the region, plunging into the diplomatic annals and seeking out the major players responsible for both successes and failures. » Read more

Israel Ready To Negotiate On Jerusalem, Its "third Rail"? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from McClatchy News by Dion Nissenbaum - October 29, 2007 - 6:45pm The last time Israeli leaders sat down for meaningful peace talks with Palestinian negotiators, then-Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert led a march around the Old City's ancient walls to protest any plans to divide his adopted home. "No concessions on Jerusalem," Olmert said on the eve of the 2000 Camp David summit. "For 33 years, Israel has said there will never be a compromise on Jerusalem. Do you think we were joking?" » Read more

October 26th

Squeezing Gaza / Stop Sign Between Abbas And Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amos Harel And Avi Issacharoff - (Opinion) October 26, 2007 - 6:02pm There is an enormous gap between the reasons Israel is giving for the decision to impose significant sanctions against Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip, and the real intentions behind them. Defense Minister Ehud Barak yesterday authorized a plan for disrupting electricity supply to the Gaza Strip, as well as significantly shrinking fuel shipments. This is supposed to reduce the number of Qassam rocket attacks against Sderot and the other border communities. In practice, defense officials believe that the Palestinian militants will intensify their attacks in response to the sanctions. » Read more

To Speak Again In One Voice ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times (Editorial) October 26, 2007 - 5:59pm A new Amnesty International report has condemned both Fateh and Hamas for human rights abuses during their infighting this year, which peaked when Hamas took over the Gaza Strip in June. Both sides were guilty of harming civilians and of extrajudicial executions and physical torture, the report found, and its authors urged both sides to act to prevent any repetition and punish abusers. » Read more

Rebuilding Trust Remains At The Core ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arabic Media Internet Network by Alon Ben-meir - (Opinion) October 26, 2007 - 5:58pm Since President Bush declared his intention a few months ago to convene a Middle East peace conference, experts on the region and government officials have proposed specific agenda items that should be addressed to insure its success. » Read more

The Damascus Conference Versus The Conference Of The Fall Grandstanding At The Expense Of The Palestinians ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al Hayat (Opinion) October 26, 2007 - 5:56pm The secretary general of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, presented an important report to the Security Council this week. The report returns to the forefront the issue of disarming Hizbullah as a cornerstone to enabling the Lebanese state to recover full sovereignty over its territory. Ki-moon called for implementing the commitment to dismantle all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias and disarm the Palestinian militias operating in Lebanon. He asked Syria and Iran to cooperate in this effort and halt all military supplies and support for these militias. » Read more

Prioritizing Palestinian Dignity ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Palestine Chronicle by Sherri Muzher - (Opinion) October 26, 2007 - 5:54pm "I am Mr. Nobody," stated Palestinian Mahmoud Jnaid in an October 19th Reuters article.  Jnaid recently doused himself in fuel and tried to set himself on fire before other Palestinian on-lookers overpowered him.     "When I poured the petrol on my body I felt life was the same as death," the 25-year-old said while he sat next to his wife and children.   » Read more

I Had A Great Sense Of Being At The Very Lowest Point Of My Life ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Times by Alan Johnston - (Special Report) October 26, 2007 - 5:52pm It had begun out in the spring sunshine, on the streets of Gaza City. A saloon car had suddenly surged past mine, and then pulled up, forcing me to stop. A young man emerged from the passenger side and pointed a pistol at me. The figure with the pistol and another gunman forced me into their car, and as we sped off I was made to lie on the back seat. A hood had been shoved over my face, but through it I could see the sun flickering between the tower blocks. I could tell that we were heading south and east, towards the city’s rougher neighbourhoods. » Read more