Hopes fade over Palestinian unity ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Jazeera English October 12, 2009 - 12:00am A reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas, the rival Palestinian parties, has been delayed, following a bitter dispute over the Palestinian decision not to back a UN report on alleged Israeli war crimes. The deal was to be signed on October 25, clearing the way for Hamas and Fatah to co-operate in rebuilding war-damaged Gaza by preparing for Palestinian elections in the first half of 2010. » Read more

Too early to villainize Obama in Mideast ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star by Rami Khouri - October 10, 2009 - 12:00am The Obama administration policy in the Middle East vis-à-vis the Arab-Israeli conflict is starting to become clearer, but remains mostly unclear. It is clearer because of recent moves on such matters as the Richard Goldstone report on the Gaza war or the pressure on Israel to freeze settlements, but it would be a mistake to jump to conclusions and assume that the Obama Middle East policy is quickly reverting to the traditional American default position of being in Israel’s pocket. » Read more

Disappointing state of affairs ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times (Editorial) October 12, 2009 - 12:00am George Mitchell, the US Middle East envoy, is dangerously close to going the way of so many others who have tried to mediate between the Palestinians and Israelis. It was hoped that Mitchell would arrive in Ramallah Friday with something to rescue the Palestinian leadership from the doldrums that it has found itself in ever since the PLO accepted the UN to defer a vote on the Goldstone report on alleged war crimes during Israel’s brutal offensive on Gaza earlier this year. » Read more

Postponing Discussion on the Goldstone Report: Many Attackers and Even More Beneficiaries! ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al-Hayat by Raghida Dergham - October 9, 2009 - 12:00am A useful comparison can be made between, on the one had, internal US discourse as well as US-international discourse over the issue of the problem of Afghanistan and the extent to which Islamic extremism affects the interests of nations, and, on the other, the way the international community as well as the Arabs – amongst themselves – is addressing the report of the head of the UN Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza War, Judge Richard Goldstone. This report condemned both Israel and Hamas for committing “war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity”. » Read more

Hamas's PR Campaign Against the Authority ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat by Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed - October 11, 2009 - 12:00am Everyone knows that Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas differs much from his predecessor, the late Yasser Arafat, in his method of managing crises. This prompted President Abbas many times to go into isolation and sometimes threaten to resign because he could bear internal and external pressures. » Read more

Hamas…Procrastination is Not Reconciliation ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat by Tariq Alhomayed - October 11, 2009 - 12:00am The Palestinian Authority made the mistake of participating in the postponement of the Goldstone report which deals with Israeli war crimes committed in Gaza without revealing and clarifying the reasons for this. However does this mistake necessitate the hard-line positions taken by the Hamas movement which is now calling for the Egyptians to postpone inter-Palestinian reconciliation? The answer is most certainly no. » Read more