Ex-U.S. envoy: Livni told Palestinians to reject Olmert peace offer ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz October 22, 2009 - 12:00am uring her tenure as foreign minister, Tzipi Livni advised the Palestinian Authority to reject then-prime minister Ehud Olmert's proposals for a peace agreement, former U.S. ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk said on Thursday. "The prime minister was about to have an indictment filed against him and the foreign minister herself specifically told both the Americans and the Palestinians: Don't you dare sign the agreement," Indyk said, during a panel discussion at President Shimon Peres' Presidential Conference in Jerusalem. » Read more

Wexler’s Move May Lead to More Active Role for Think Tanks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Nathan Guttman - October 21, 2009 - 12:00am Florida Democrat Robert Wexler’s recent decision to leave Congress and join a Washington policy center dealing with Middle East peace left many in this status-crazed city baffled. It is not every day that a successful politician chooses to resign midterm. An aftershock was also felt in the smaller think-tank community, where the entry of a new player could scramble the hierarchy of those struggling to shape American policy toward the region. » Read more

Israeli warplanes strike Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from October 22, 2009 - 12:00am Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Israeli military said its warplanes bombed two smuggling tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip and a building that it alleged was used to produce weapons near Gaza City early on Thursday morning. No injuries were reported in the strikes. The Israeli military spokesperson also said that it verified that the targets were accurately hit. » Read more

Israel joins US for defence drill ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News October 22, 2009 - 12:00am The exercise will focus on providing a joint defence against a simulated co-ordinated missile attack on Israel. Up to 2,000 joint military personnel are believed to be taking part, along with at least 15 American ships. The Israeli army said the exercise was not a "response to any world events" but had been planned for a while. It is thought that a highly sophisticated new American radar, based in the Israeli desert, will be central to the exercise. Two-fold significance » Read more

US envoy: Lip service for Mideast peace not enough ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Josef Federman - October 22, 2009 - 12:00am JERUSALEM — The Obama administration's ambassador to the United Nations told Israelis on Wednesday that it is not enough just to pay "lip service" to peace and urged the government to immediately relaunch negotiations, without preconditions, aimed at creating an independent Palestinian state. Ambassador Susan Rice, in an address at a high-powered conference hosted by Israeli President Shimon Peres, assured Israelis — many of whom are wary of Obama's Mideast agenda — that her government is committed to their security. » Read more

No way home: The tragedy of the Palestinian diaspora ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Independent by Judith Miller, David Samuels - October 22, 2009 - 12:00am It is a cynical but time-honoured practice in Middle Eastern politics: the statesmen who decry the political and humanitarian crisis of the approximately 3.9 million Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and in Gaza ignore the plight of an estimated 4.6 million Palestinians who live in Arab countries. For decades, Arab governments have justified their decision to maintain millions of stateless Palestinians as refugees in squalid camps as a means of applying pressure to Israel. » Read more

Goods Flood Gaza’s Tunnels, Turning Border Area Into a Shopping Mecca ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Rafah Journal by Taghreed El-Khodary - October 21, 2009 - 12:00am RAFAH, Gaza — Dusty sacks filled with cans of Coca-Cola were being loaded onto trucks by young boys, headed for supermarkets in Gaza City. Thousands of motorcycles were lined up on display in a nearby stadium, ranging in price from $2,000 to $10,000. » Read more

Press Release: The PLO, the Hijab, the Government, Security and Elections. ATFP World Press Roundup Article from AWRAD by Nader Said - (Analysis) October 17, 2009 - 12:00am Margin of error: +3 % Field work dates: September 31 – October 3, 2009 Publication Date: Saturday - October 17, 2009 (1200 questionnaire in the West Bank and Gaza) » Read more