Obama's Middle East test ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by Patrick Seale - March 12, 2009 - 12:00am Will President Barack Obama manage to resolve the intractable Arab-Israeli conflict, which has held the world hostage for the past 60 years? Or will he be driven by events to revert to the more modest aim of conflict-management, which has characterised the policies of his predecessors in the White House? This question was the underlying theme of a conference at the Nato Defence College in Rome on March 4-5, attended by participants from the Middle East, the United States and Europe. » Read more

Hamas, Fatah differ over attitude to agreements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Nidal Al-Mughrabi - March 13, 2009 - 12:00am Rival Palestinian factions have so far failed to overcome obstacles in reconciliation talks which they hope will lead to a unified governing body for the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, officials said on Friday. President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement has insisted during Egyptian-hosted talks taking place in Cairo that rival Islamist group Hamas must "abide" by existing peace agreements signed with Israel but Hamas has refused to make such a commitment. » Read more

Some hope, much pessimism, on Palestine ATFP World Press Roundup Article from (Editorial) March 13, 2009 - 12:00am There are many reasons to feel more pessimistic than optimistic about the possibility of any major breakthrough in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict this year. The inaction by the international community, especially the United States, over the past few years has made the situation more complicated, with increased violence and hardened public opinions on both sides. » Read more

Sources: Israel agrees to free all 450 Hamas prisoners for Shalit ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Yoav Stern - March 13, 2009 - 12:00am Israel has agreed to free all 450 of the prisoners demanded by Hamas in exchange for kidnapped Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, and the dispute now revolves around Israel's demand that some of these prisoners be deported rather than returned home, Palestinian sources in Cairo said Thursday. Ofer Dekel, Israel's lead negotiator on the issue, was in Cairo Thursday for further talks with Egyptian mediators. » Read more

Parties aiming to increase settlements fight over Housing portfolio ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Mazal Mualem - March 13, 2009 - 12:00am Three factions are fighting over the Housing portfolio, which prime minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu has promised the ultra-Orthodox Shas party. Shas is resolved to appoint the party's MK Ariel Atias - today minister of communications - as housing minister, while United Torah Judaism, the other ultra-Orthodox party, wants the ministry mainly to be in control of the Israel Lands Administration. » Read more