Critics aside, Israeli officials see successes in Gaza operation ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Leslie Susser - February 16, 2009 - 1:00am A month after the Gaza war, with Kassam rockets continuing to fall in southern Israel, many skeptical Israelis are questioning whether the war achieved anything. Since the cease-fire on Jan. 18, militiamen have fired nearly 50 rockets and mortars at civilian targets in the Gaza periphery. Israel has retaliated with targeted assassinations and airstrikes against smuggling tunnels along the Gaza-Egyptian border. » Read more

The Cleanser: Lobby Whistles Up Cordesman to "Prove" Israel Waged a Clean War in Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Counterpunch by Norman Finkelstein - February 19, 2009 - 1:00am Anthony H. Cordesman, a leading military analyst from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, has published a “strategic analysis” of the Gaza massacre.(1) He reaches the remarkable conclusion that “Israel did not violate the laws of war.” The report is based on “briefings in Israeli [sic] during and immediately after the fighting made possible by a visit sponsored by Project Interchange, and using day-to-day reporting issued by the Israeli Defense Spokesman.” Cordesman omits mention that Project Interchange is funded by the American Jewish Committee. » Read more

Mitchell could support PA unity gov't ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Counterpunch by Alexander Cockburn, Hilary Leila Krieger - (Editorial) February 19, 2009 - 1:00am US Middle East Envoy George Mitchell expressed support for Egyptian efforts to forge a Palestinian national unity government, indicating that America could take a new tack on Fatah-Hamas reconciliation, during a conference call Thursday with Jewish leaders. » Read more

Egypt's strategy toward Gaza is incremental, long-term ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Common Ground News Service by Gamal A. G. Soltan - February 19, 2009 - 1:00am The Gaza war was seemingly an inevitable conflict. The pre-war reality was unacceptable to any of the concerned parties. Hamas was not satisfied with a ceasefire that kept the tiny Gaza Strip isolated from the world. Palestinian suffering in besieged Gaza challenged Hamas' claim of effectiveness as an elected government capable of providing for the wellbeing of its people. Nor did the terms of the ceasefire allow Hamas to pursue the program of resilient resistance that is so central to the movement's identity. The war was Hamas' way out of this entrapment. » Read more

Israel’s biggest danger ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Common Ground News Service by Fareed Zakaria - February 19, 2009 - 1:00am Even before a new coalition could emerge, Israel’s latest election was historic. It marked the collapse of Labour, the party that can plausibly claim to have founded Israel and produced its most celebrated prime ministers, from David Ben-Gurion (as head of Labour’s predecessor, Mapai), through Golda Meir to Yitzhak Rabin. » Read more

Unlocking Palestinian politics ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Common Ground News Service by Jan Künzl, Michael Meyer-Resende - February 19, 2009 - 1:00am With the world's focus on the recent war, a less-noticed aspect of the current Palestinian malaise is the expiry of President Mahmoud Abbas’ term this January. While the two-state peace solution with Israel is premised on an emerging Palestinian state with functioning institutions, the constitutional legitimacy of the Palestinian Authority is dwindling. Without a political process between Hamas and Fatah, the territories will become two statelets run by de-facto rulers. » Read more

Kerry shuns Hamas during Gaza visit ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Jazeera English February 20, 2009 - 1:00am The US will not change its stance towards Hamas, John Kerry, the former democratic US presidential candidate, has said during a tour of Gaza. His comments came on Thursday during the highest-level visit by a US official to the territory since Hamas seized control two years ago. "I am here to listen with the UN personnel on the ground to hear ... the things we need to do is to improve the situation in the region," he said. » Read more

'Lebanon’s Palestinian refugee camps a time bomb’ ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times February 20, 2009 - 1:00am Lebanon’s 12 Palestinian refugee camps are breeding grounds for extremist groups and constitute a “time bomb” that needs urgent attention, the International Crisis Group think tank said Thursday. Successive Lebanese governments were largely to blame for a “catastrophic” situation in the camps which were set up after the creation of Israel in 1948, the Brussels-based ICG said in a report. » Read more

Livni to Haaretz: I may consider a Likud-Yisrael Beitenu coalition ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Yossi Verter - February 20, 2009 - 1:00am Kadima chairwoman Tzipi Livni will not join a government headed by Benjamin Netanyahu that would include Shas, Habayit Hayehudi and National Union, but she would be willing to consider a Likud-Kadima-Yisrael Beiteinu coalition, she told Haaretz on Thursday. President Shimon Peres is expected to meet separately Friday with Netanyahu and Livni to try to promote a broad coalition that would include Kadima. » Read more

Netanyahu Tapped to Form Israel’s New Government ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Isabel Kershner - February 20, 2009 - 1:00am Benjamin Netanyahu, leader of the conservative Likud Party, was invited by Israel’s president, Shimon Peres, on Friday to take the lead in assembling the next government. Whatever form that government takes, Mr. Netanyahu, 59, is widely expected to return as prime minister a decade after the last government he led fell apart. » Read more