U.S. turns up heat on Israel over settlements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - March 9, 2009 - 12:00am Israel is under increased pressure from the United States over settlement construction. In the past month, since Barack Obama was sworn in as U.S. president, Israel has received four official complaints from members of the new administration regarding various issues linked to West Bank settlements. » Read more

Bibi has a partner ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Akiva Eldar - (Opinion) March 9, 2009 - 12:00am Shortly after the Annapolis Summit, Nabil Fahmy, former Egyptian ambassador to the U.S., was invited to a farewell meeting at the White House. President George W. Bush was in a jovial mood. "Condi [former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice] and I are very optimistic about the peace process," the president said, "but Elliot [Abrams] is quite pessimistic." The veteran Egyptian diplomat turned to look at Abrams, at the time charged with the Middle East portfolio at the National Security Council. » Read more

World takes dim view of Lieberman in FM post ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Yoav Stern - March 9, 2009 - 12:00am American and European officials have thus far declined to comment publicly on the expected appointment of Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman as foreign minister. Behind the scenes, however, many officials are asking whether this appointment is really necessary - and newspapers on both continents are criticizing the move openly. The official position in Washington is that Barack Obama's administration will work with whatever Israeli government is ultimately established. Beyond that, American officials are keeping mum. » Read more

The New Contenders ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat by Tariq Alhomayed - (Opinion) March 9, 2009 - 12:00am The first comment we heard from Hezbollah with regards to its opening of channels of communication with the British Foreign Office is that this is "a step in the right direction." However Westminster has said that this step is nothing more than floating a trial balloon, yet Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Naim Qasim welcomed the new language! » Read more

Global pressure mounts against Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by Adel Safty - March 8, 2009 - 1:00am Israel is facing unusual pressure for its continued siege of the Gaza population, and for its conduct of the Gaza war. The United States, the European Union (EU) and the United Nations have demanded that Israel allow at least 500 trucks of aid daily into Gaza - Israel has been allowing less than 200. » Read more

Recognizing Two-State Principle Condition for Negotiating With Netanyahu ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat by Huda al Husseini - (Opinion) March 8, 2009 - 1:00am The Gaza aid conference will not divert attention from the internal problems that the Palestinians are facing. PNA head Mahmud Abbas wants a national unity government that accepts the two-state solution and previously signed agreements. As for Hamas, it responds by saying that the required government should be one that embraces the resistance. Accordingly, Hamas refuses to differentiate between its position as a movement and the obligations that a Palestinian government is required to meet. It continues to cling to its victory in the parliamentary election. » Read more

Bulldozer Attack in Jerusalem Linked to Palestinian Evictions ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Middle East Times by Sana Abdallah - March 6, 2009 - 1:00am It has been speculated that the attack by a 26-year-old Palestinian man ramming a bulldozer into an Israeli police car in Jerusalem was linked to Israeli plans to demolish dozens of Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem, widely believed to be part of the Jewish state's strategy to change the face of the holy city by expelling its Arab residents. » Read more

A politician’s sacrifice in the name of peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National (Editorial) March 9, 2009 - 12:00am The resignation of the Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad on Saturday is a reflection of the tragedy of Palestinian politics. Here is a man widely viewed as competent and clean, a technocrat who fought corruption, mismanagement and security disorder, but who, for the sake of Palestinian unity, is ready to fall on his sword – a rare occurrence. Even Hamas, whose bete noire Mr Fayyad has become, will agree with that. » Read more

Decks cleared for Palestine unity ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News (Editorial) March 9, 2009 - 12:00am In tendering his resignation, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has done what few politicians do: He has given up his post for a cause he truly believes in. The resignation, of Fayyad’s own free will, was a noble gesture for righteous goals - that of improving the chances of a possible unity government of Fatah and Hamas, an end to the fractious situation that has paralyzed and polarized Palestinian life, and more hope for the peace process leading to an eventual state for a people living under the yoke of a cruel occupation. » Read more

Clinton rolls out foreign policy approach in trip ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Sue Pleming - March 8, 2009 - 1:00am Six weeks into the job, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is starting to roll out the Obama administration's approach to the most prickly foreign policy challenges from Arab-Israeli peace to Russia. In her second foreign trip which ended early on Sunday, Clinton dipped into Middle East peacemaking and promised to work for a "comprehensive" Arab-Israeli peace. She tried to charm European institutions in Brussels and literally hit the "reset" button in strained U.S.-Russia ties during a dinner with Moscow's foreign minister in Geneva, and then went to Turkey. » Read more