February 11th

Ramon: Agreement Of Principles, Not Full Peace Deal, Likely In 2008 ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press February 11, 2008 - 9:18pm Vice Premier Haim Ramon on Monday appeared to scale back expectations for reaching a peace deal with the Palestinians this year, saying instead that Israel hoped the two sides would reach a declaration of principles and not necessarily a final agreement. On a January visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority, President George Bush said that an Israeli-Palestinian "peace agreement should happen, and can happen, by the end of this year." » Read more

Israel’s Secret Success ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Daniel Gavron - (Opinion) February 11, 2008 - 9:16pm SOMETHING strange is happening to us Zionists in the 60th year of the state of Israel: we are repudiating our astonishing success. If in the 1880s (the start of Zionist settlement in what is now Israel) or in 1948 (the War of Independence) or even in 1967 (the Six-Day War) somebody had said that one day virtually the entire world, including all the Arab nations, would accept the existence of the State of Israel in 78 percent of the land of Israel, he would have been regarded as either idiotically optimistic or clinically insane. That, however, is where we are today. » Read more

February 8th

Open The Rafah Crossing ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Editorial) February 8, 2008 - 7:55pm Following a brief and sporadic hiatus, the cycle of violence recently resumed on both sides in the Gaza Strip. During the past three days, Israel killed at least 16 Palestinians, and heavy barrages of rockets slammed into Sderot and other communities bordering Gaza in response to Israel's retaliation for the suicide bombing in Dimona. The Israel Defense Forces used ground and air forces in the northern and southern Gaza Strip. » Read more

Mccain Found A Tool With Which To Woo Conservative Republicans: Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Shmuel Rosner - (Opinion) February 8, 2008 - 7:54pm There's been a lot of talk lately about John McCain's problem with the more conservative (and religious) right wing of the Republican Party. In Super Tuesday McCain won among self-identified conservatives in only three of the nine states that were covered by the exit polls I looked at. His real strength is among moderates. » Read more

Ticking Bomb ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amos Harel And Avi Issacharoff - February 8, 2008 - 7:53pm Despite the closing of the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt yesterday, it seems that the next attack, kidnapping or suicide bombing carried out by a Palestinian group against Israelis, in Sinai or the southern Negev, is just a matter of time. With the border remaining completely open for 12 days, it is difficult to estimate the amount of arms and munitions that were brought into the Strip. » Read more

Opportunity In Sight For A Peaceful Offensive On Defiant Sides ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Raghidadergham.com by Raghida Dergham - (Opinion) February 8, 2008 - 7:52pm On the Lebanese and Palestinian fronts surface indicators of a new and beneficial impetus, one that requires responsible assessment of the available opportunities and courage to adopt peaceful offensive strategies. The UN Undersecretary Nicholas Michel spoke about the impossibility of using Lebanon's international tribunal - aimed at punishing the parties involved in political assassinations in Lebanon - in any political tradeoff. These are extremely important words as they coincide with the UN commitment to end the era of impunity. » Read more

Arab-american Thoughts On Super Tuesday ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star by Ghassan Rubeiz - (Opinion) February 8, 2008 - 7:52pm American politics have become intimately tied to Arab politics since 9/11 and the start of the war in Iraq. According to a 2007 Zoghby poll, 61 percent of Arab-American voters mentioned Iraq as the top issue in the current presidential election contest. The same number of Arab-Americans also ranked "Palestine" as being very important for them as an election issue. » Read more

Revitalizing Diplomacy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Common Ground News Service (Opinion) February 8, 2008 - 7:50pm Daniel Kurtzer » Read more

Hamas' Strategic Defeat ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Dror Ze’evi - (Opinion) February 8, 2008 - 7:49pm Ever since the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections, the Hamas movement has boasted a series of impressive tactical victories. These wins started with the elections victory over Fatah and continued with the rapid takeover of the Gaza Strip, the abduction of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, the “candle operation” aimed at forcing Israel to boost the supply of electricity to the Strip, and finally, the breaching of the Rafah border wall and the lifting of the siege.   » Read more

Usip Report: Ten Pieces Of Advice For #44 ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Israel Policy Forum by M.J. Rosenberg - (Opinion) February 8, 2008 - 7:48pm The latest news from the region is that once again the Israelis are reducing the supply of electricity to Gaza, in response to increased Hamas attacks in Israel. The cutbacks come despite the fact that the policy of punishing the general population has been repeatedly tried and failed, and despite a strong warning from the Bush administration.  » Read more