May 5th

U.s. Monitors To Study West Bank Roadblocks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Arshad Mohammed - May 5, 2008 - 5:16pm The United States said on Monday it would send monitors to study whether the removal of Israeli roadblocks was making life easier for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Flying home from a two-day trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she was confident the two sides were trying hard to resolve their six-decade conflict. » Read more

Abbas Despairs On Foils To Peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Times by Nicholas Kralev - May 5, 2008 - 5:15pm Aides to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said yesterday that he is "depressed" by the lack of progress in negotiations with Israel and views President Bush's summit with Arab leaders this month as a crucial test for U.S.-brokered peace efforts. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, meanwhile, fought for his political life amid speculation he might be forced to resign. Mr. Olmert, the subject of at least two corruption inquiries, was questioned by police investigators Friday. » Read more

Palestinian Festival Of Dance – And Debate ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Joshua Mitnick - May 5, 2008 - 5:14pm Though they were delayed eight hours at the Israeli border, dancers from Belgium's Les Ballets C. De La. B. company eventually made their way to Ramallah's Al Kasba Theatre where they writhed, staggered, and lunged across the stage. » Read more

War Of The Rockets ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Jackson Diehl - (Opinion) May 5, 2008 - 5:07pm Last Tuesday, Israel faced the fallout from a Palestinian family of five perishing in the Gaza Strip during an Israeli strike against militants firing rockets at an Israeli town. On Wednesday, the Bush administration woke to a front-page picture in The Post of a 2-year-old Iraqi boy killed in a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad aimed at Shiite militiamen launching rockets at the city's Green Zone. The similarity of these tragic and politically costly episodes was anything but a coincidence. » Read more

May 2nd

U.s. Envoy Cuts Short Hebron Trip After Clash With Settlers ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz May 2, 2008 - 5:56pm The American bodyguards of a Bush administration envoy who was dispatched to the region to monitor the implementation of the road map engaged in a violent confrontation with right-wing Israelis who sought to disturb a visit to Hebron on Friday, Israel Radio reported. One of the rightists is reported to have driven his jeep into the convoy accompanying General William Fraser. Subsequently, one of the vehicles in the convoy heavily collided with the jeep, according to Israel Radio. » Read more

The Syrian-palestinian Lie ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Akiva Eldar - (Opinion) May 2, 2008 - 5:55pm Last Friday, a few hours after a terrorist killed two » Read more

The 'nations Test' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Shalom Dichter - (Opinion) May 2, 2008 - 5:54pm A few years ago, I spoke at a conference of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the umbrella organization for the 125 Jewish community relations councils in the United States. My host explained to me that the council's member organizations are tasked with doing all they can to ensure harmonious relations between Jews of their communities and the surrounding non-Jewish communities. America's five to six million Jews, he added, see it as being in their best interests to be on good terms with the country's 300 million non-Jews. » Read more

Hundreds Of Palestinian Policemen To Deploy In Jenin ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Hanan Greenberg - May 2, 2008 - 5:52pm Hundreds of Palestinian police officers will be deployed Saturday across the West Bank city of Jenin following an agreement reached between Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. Some 470 policemen will boost the presence of the Palestinian Authority forces currently securing the area.   The officers will arrive in Jenin from Hebron, Ramallah and Jericho, and will mainly engage in law enforcement.   » Read more

Syria Or Iran: Where Does The Decision Lie? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat by Tariq Alhomayed - (Opinion) May 2, 2008 - 5:51pm Undoubtedly, the first question that springs to mind for anyone following the developments of the Syrian-Israeli negotiations is what are the reactions of Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas? Hezbollah is happy to say “no comment” whilst Hamas has nothing to say and the statements made by its officials indicate confusion. The surprise lies in Iran’s declaration; Tehran announced that it does not object to Syrian-Israeli negotiations as long as there are no preconditions applied to them. » Read more

Israeli Prime Minister Olmert Questioned In Corruption Probe ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News May 2, 2008 - 5:51pm Occupied Jerusalem: Israeli police questioned Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Friday as part of an investigation into suspected corruption. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said Olmert was being questioned in his residence, but declined to provide further details. Olmert is under criminal investigation into accusations he dispensed favours in return for a discount on the 2004 purchase price of a home in Occupied Jerusalem. » Read more