Settlers take control of East Jerusalem home ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency November 3, 2009 - 1:00am Israeli settlers arrogated the home of the Al-Kurd family in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem on Tuesday, residents of the area said. About 30 settlers were seen entering the house and throwing the family's furniture into the street. The settlers have refused to leave the building and Israeli police blocked members of the Al-Kurd family from entering the area. Witnesses also reported heated arguments between police and Palestinian residents. » Read more

A Stalemate Looms in Obama's Mideast Peace Effort ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Time by Tony Karon - (Opinion) November 3, 2009 - 1:00am The Obama Administration's bid to relaunch an Israeli-Palestinian peace process is falling apart faster than you can say settlement freeze — in no small part because President Obama began his effort by saying settlement freeze. On Monday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton found herself struggling to persuade skeptical Arab foreign ministers to see the silver lining in Israel's "No, but ..." answer to the U.S. demand that Israel halt all construction in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. » Read more

Palestinians downbeat despite US backtracking ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Agence France Presse (AFP) November 3, 2009 - 1:00am The Palestinians remained pessimistic about the likelihood of relaunching peace talks with Israel despite US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's attempt to clarify earlier remarks about settlements. During a visit to Morocco, Clinton told Arab leaders that Washington remained opposed to all Israeli settlement activity after she had praised an Israeli offer to ease construction as "unprecedented" during a visit to Jerusalem. » Read more

Palestinian PM criticizes Clinton for letting Israel set peace agenda ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Ilene Prusher - November 2, 2009 - 1:00am Following US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's visit here this weekend, Palestinians are reacting with frustration over what appeared to be a shift in the Obama administration's policy toward Israeli settlement growth in the West Bank. Although Secretary Clinton had previously insisted that the US wanted a total freeze on West Bank settlement expansion, she said during her meetings here this weekend that Palestinians should return to negotiations without preconditions – and lauded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's steps toward limiting settlement growth as "unprecedented." » Read more

Interview: How Salam Fayyad plans to save the Palestinian dream ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Ilene Prusher - (Interview) November 2, 2009 - 1:00am Palestinian elections are scheduled to be held in less than three months, but the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority (PA), Salam Fayyad, isn't concerned about running for office. Rather, he's set his sights on a longer-term platform: establishing a Palestinian state by 2011 – a goal he outlined recently in a clear, well-organized booklet titled "Palestine: Ending the Occupation, Establishing the State." » Read more

In face of Arab anger, Clinton amends view on Israel's offer to curb West Bank growth ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Karen Deyoung - November 3, 2009 - 1:00am Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton tried to soothe Arab uneasiness Monday over weekend statements she made praising the Israeli government's offer to "restrain" growth in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, saying it "falls far short" of the Obama administration's hopes and is "not enough." » Read more

Clinton Denies Easing Pressure on Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Mark Landler - November 2, 2009 - 1:00am Struggling to stem protests from the Arab world, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday reiterated that the Obama administration still wanted Israel to freeze construction of Jewish settlements, even if it regarded Israel’s compromise offer as “unprecedented.” Arab officials expressed alarm that the United States seemed to be easing pressure on Israel after Mrs. Clinton said in Jerusalem on Saturday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposal of restrained settlement building was better than anything previous Israeli governments had offered. » Read more