June 26th

The Brass Ring ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New Yorker by Connie Bruck - June 26, 2008 - 4:16pm Last October, Sheldon Adelson, the gaming multibillionaire, accompanied a group of Republican donors to the White House to meet with George W. Bush. They wanted to talk to the President about Israel. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was organizing a major conference in the United States, in an effort to re-start the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and her initiative had provoked consternation among many rightward-leaning American Jews and their Christian evangelical allies. » Read more

Movement On Both Sides ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Huffington Post by Fadi Elsalameen - (Opinion) June 26, 2008 - 4:13pm After many years of deepening suspicion and estrangement, dramatic political developments in both the Middle East and the United States are starting to improve the perceptions Arabs and Americans have of each other. Arab states are beginning to rethink their national interests, especially regarding Israel. At the same time, across the Atlantic, our own country stands on the brink of a parallel transformation, one that bodes well for the Middle East and its future. » Read more

Another Wedge Issue ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Salam Al-marayati & Steven B. Jacobs - (Opinion) June 26, 2008 - 4:07pm There's a disturbing trend in this 2008 election. We are witnessing the manipulation and exploitation of Muslim-Jewish differences by political candidates in pursuit of votes. As advocates for our respective communities, we believe it's in America's interest that it stop. » Read more

Hamas: Qassam Fire Is Harming Palestinian Interests ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Avi Issacharoff, Barak Ravid, Yossi Melman, & Jack Khoury - June 26, 2008 - 4:05pm The Hamas government in the Gaza Strip voiced its rage on Thursday after Gaza militants fired two rockets into southern Israel Thursday, causing no injuries but further straining a shaky, week-old truce between Israel and the Gaza rulers. » Read more

June 25th

Prc: Shalit Will Not See Light Of Day Unless Our Demands Are Met ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Ali Waked - June 25, 2008 - 5:44pm Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) spokesman Abu Mujahid told Ynet Wednesday that the demands posed by the groups holding IDF soldier Gilad Shalit will not change and that "Israel must comply with our demands otherwise Shalit will not see the light of day. "We demand Israel comply with all of our demands. We demand the release of the prisoners who were sentenced to long jail terms. Without their release, Shalit will remain in our hands for many years to come," said Abu Mujahid. » Read more

Sarkozy Moves To Boost Palestinian Economy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Khaled Abu Toameh - June 25, 2008 - 5:40pm French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas signed an agreement on Tuesday to establish an industrial zone in the Bethlehem area to boost the Palestinian economy. The agreement was signed during Sarkozy's visit to Bethlehem, where he met with Abbas and other PA leaders. Abbas thanked Sarkozy for agreeing to fund the $21 million project, which is expected to provide thousands of jobs. Abbas also called on the European Union to play a more active role in solving the Israeli-Arab conflict. » Read more

Hope Thrives Amid Israeli-palestinian Violence ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Middle East Times by Mel Frykberg - June 25, 2008 - 5:38pm "Islamic Jihad has just fired several rockets into Israel," the U.N. World Health Organization representative told the Middle East Times at the Gaza-Israel border crossing as a convoy of U.N. vehicles and a delegation from the humanitarian organization Oxfam were waiting for Israeli security clearance to cross back into Israel yesterday. The tentative ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, which began at the end of last week, was already looking shaky with seasoned analysts questioning just how committed both sides were to ensuring its success. » Read more

Bolton: Israel To Attack Iran After Us Elections ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News June 25, 2008 - 5:37pm John Bolton, the former American ambassador to the United Nations, has predicted that Israel could attack Iran after the US presidential election in November, but before George W. Bush's successor was sworn in. The Arab world would be "pleased" by Israeli strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities, he said in an interview with The Daily Telegraph. "It [the reaction] will be positive privately. I think there'll be public denunciations but no action," he said. Israel had a determination to prevent a nuclear Iran, he said. » Read more

Ayoon Wa Azan (he Never Says That He Guarantees Peace) ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al Hayat by Jihad El-khazen - (Opinion) June 25, 2008 - 5:34pm President Mahmoud Abbas and Khaled Meshaal have at least one point in common. They do not want reconciliation to be solely restricted to Fatah and Hamas. Instead, they seek a Palestinian reconciliation with the participation of all Palestinian sides and an Arab blessing. » Read more

French Contribution To Mideast Peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News (Editorial) June 25, 2008 - 5:32pm French President Nicolas Sarkozy laid it on the line to his hosts when he addressed the Israeli Knesset on Monday. The building of illegal settlements on the West Bank has to stop. Without this there could be no viable two-state solution and no peace. Sarkozy further urged Israeli legislators to backup legislation to encourage settlers to quit Palestinian territory and relocate to Israel in return for compensation. » Read more