Gloomy Mood Envelops Israel Despite Gaza Truce ATFP World Press Roundup Article from International Herald Tribune by Ethan Bronner - June 23, 2008 - 2:53pm After a year of painful violence - Hamas rockets flying into Israeli communities, soldiers killed and wounded on forays into Gaza - one might have expected the start of a six-month cease-fire with Hamas to be hailed here as good news. Yet what was the front page headline in the Maariv newspaper that day? "Fury and Fear." » Read more

More Goods Entering Gaza Under Israel-hamas Truce ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Boston Globe by Ibrahim Barzak - June 23, 2008 - 2:51pm Israel allowed dozens of trucks to deliver food, diapers and clothes to the Gaza Strip on Sunday, boosting the flow of basic goods as part of a four-day-old truce with Hamas militants. Further increases are expected if the quiet continues, offering the prospect of relief for Gazans after a year of Israeli sanctions against the Hamas regime. The six-month deal is meant to end attacks that have killed more than 400 Palestinians and seven Israelis since the Islamic Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip a year ago, and pave the way toward wider-reaching agreements. » Read more

In Need Of ‘wins On The Ground’ ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Newsweek by Lally Weymouth - June 23, 2008 - 2:49pm King Abdullah of Jordan sat down at Petra with NEWSWEEK's Lally Weymouth last week and reflected on the state of affairs in his part of the world. He emphasized the need for a settlement of the Palestinian issue and claimed that Iran was no longer such a big problem for his country. Indeed, he sounded a bit like Barack Obama in arguing for the need for dialogue with Iran—a country he has in the past described as a major threat. Excerpts: » Read more

The Jenin Model And The Gaza Model ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-ayyam by Hassan Al-battal - June 23, 2008 - 2:42pm Some of you may follow Super Star, or Law and Order, both of which are very exciting television programs. As television, the Berlin Conference episode, supporting the security and law programs of the Palestinians, was less exciting than the Paris Economic Conference show, which followed the Annapolis Political Conference program.   As we all know, the Annapolis Conference fell short of expectations, while the Paris Conference exceeded expectations, and the Bethlehem Conference, which achieved tangible results, was an actual success.   » Read more