Abbas: Obama doing nothing for peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post November 25, 2009 - 1:00am Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday accused US President Barack Obama of doing "nothing" to achieve peace in the Middle East. Speaking to Argentinian newspaper Clarin, Abbas said he hoped that Obama would "take a more important role in the future." He went on to say that the Palestinian people were awaiting US pressure on Israel, "so that it respects international law and takes up the Road Map," stressing that the peace process could not be restarted without a halt to settlement construction. » Read more

Israel's pro-settlement soldiers worry leaders ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News November 25, 2009 - 1:00am In Israel, most men and women do military service. As a result, the public's attitude towards their military is rather familial and criticism is mostly expressed in private. But, suddenly, an increasing number of soldiers are openly protesting against their involvement in the evacuation of Jewish settlement outposts in the West Bank, reports the BBC's Katya Adler. » Read more

Netanyahu's Syrian distraction ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Chris Phillips - November 24, 2009 - 1:00am A glimmer of hope in the moribund Middle East peace process surfaced in Paris recently when Nicolas Sarkozy separately hosted both the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, and the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad. Reports suggested that Netanyahu passed on a message to his Syrian counterpart about reopening peace negotiations. Though both leaders were quick to play down any talk of detente, recent announcements in both Tel Aviv and Damascus suggest that talks "without preconditions" may not be far off. » Read more

Obama still has leverage over Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Financial Times by David Gardner - (Analysis) November 23, 2009 - 1:00am Has Barack Obama made a hash of his Middle East peace diplomacy? That seems to be the verdict of international commentators and – more to the point – of Palestinian leaders in despair at ever getting their own state and an Israeli government exulting that it made the US president blink first. Yet, it is worth stepping outside the hothouse for a minute to examine whether it is that simple: whether Mr Obama will be content to see his ambitious strategy of reconciliation with the Arab and Muslim worlds held hostage by the obdurate obstruction of the government of Benjamin Netanyahu. » Read more

Inside Israeli jails, the real victims of a cry for justice ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Jesse Rosenfeld - (Opinion) November 24, 2009 - 1:00am Amid the growing media fever over a possible prisoner swap involving the release of Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier held by Hamas, another young captive has a less visible public profile – but personifies Israel’s chokehold on Palestinian self-expression. » Read more

As the enemy sees us ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Ayyam by Hassan Al-Battal - November 24, 2009 - 1:00am Who is this man, this “dour official leading a revolutionary cultural change?” Salam Fayyad is not always formal, though mostly to be seen wearing a necktie. He did, however, wear shorts and ran in the handicap marathon in Nablus. And what are these “revolutionary cultural changes” as perceived by certain deep Israeli analyses, but dismissed as irrelevant by other Israeli analysts? According to Dr. Einat Wilf of the Jewish People Policy Planning Institute, Israel would do itself a favor if it took Mr. Fayyad seriously. Why? » Read more

Prisoner Swap Deal Stalled Over One Detainee ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat by Saleh Al-Naeimi, Nazar Majli - November 24, 2009 - 1:00am The prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel hinges upon one prisoner that Hamas insists is added to the hundreds of other Palestinian prisoners who will be released in exchange for the release of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, Asharq Al Awsat has learned. » Read more

Hamas leaders in Syria for '24 critical hours' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews November 25, 2009 - 1:00am The next 24 hours will be critical in terms of the prisoner exchange deal with Israel, senior Hamas sources told Arab media on Wednesday morning. The organization's leaders, who left Cairo on Tuesday evening, are meeting in the offices of Hamas' political bureau in Damascus to decide whether to accept Jerusalem's latest offer. » Read more

Libya urges UN to take up Israeli settlements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) November 25, 2009 - 1:00am Libya indicated on Tuesday that it would introduce a fresh draft resolution before the United Nations Security Council demanding that Israel end its settlement activity in Palestinian territory. "We are discussing it with the Palestinians and other members of the Security Council. We are going to do that, yes," Libya's UN Ambassador Mohamed Shalgham told reporters about the plans. Arab countries could quickly reach an agreement on the principles and terms of the text, perhaps before the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday on Friday, he said. » Read more

Barghouti: Shalit abduction achieved what no dialogue could ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amos Harel, Avi Issacharoff - November 25, 2009 - 1:00am Fatah strongman Marwan Barghouti said in an interview on Wednesday that he intends to run in the next Palestinian presidential election, and remarked that the abduction of Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit by Gaza militants achieved what no negotiations could ever achieve. » Read more