December 21st

The Palestinian Situation and the Egyptian Fig Leaf ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al-Hayat by Mohammad Salah - (Opinion) December 20, 2009 - 1:00am An Arab official challenged me and affirmed his conviction that no reconciliation will take place between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas. He said that the current situation achieves the interests of the two sides, irrespective of the interest of the Palestinian people. When I asked about the Egyptian mediation efforts and their benefit, and Cairo’s expectation of a response by Hamas to the Egyptian negotiating card, the official said he was certain that Hamas would not agree to it as is. » Read more

Survey finds Abbas would win election ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Omar Karmi - December 19, 2009 - 1:00am In spite of political stalemates on all fronts, it was a relatively good week for Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority and the head of the Palestine Liberation Organisation. » Read more

A Netanyahu Conversion? The Case for Skepticism ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Leonard Fein - (Opinion) December 16, 2009 - 1:00am Too transparent to be a scam, more nearly a farce. I refer to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s 10-month “freeze” in settlement construction on the West Bank, about as gummy a freeze as can be imagined, a freeze meant to change nothing, only to placate the Americans. » Read more

Why Palin and Huckabee Dig Settlements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Noam Neusner - (Opinion) December 16, 2009 - 1:00am The Republican field for 2012 is beginning to stretch its legs. Not surprisingly, presidential hopefuls have started to define themselves by what they are not: Barack Obama. » Read more

The two-wheel guide to a troubled land ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Independent by Lauren Booth - (Opinion) December 20, 2009 - 1:00am Fifteen minutes' ride into the hills above the West Bank city of Nablus, our convoy of European and Palestinian cyclists takes an unplanned breather beside an Israeli army roadblock. Nearby, a Palestinian farming family shelters beneath twisted olive trees, enjoying a simple iftar (breakfast) of bread, water and dates. Visitors to the West Bank soon become familiar with its blend of ancient culture and modern occupation. Welcome to Palestine, 2009. » Read more

Gaza must be rebuilt now ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Jimmy Carter - (Opinion) December 19, 2009 - 1:00am It is generally recognised that the Middle East peace process is in the doldrums, almost moribund. Israeli settlement expansion within Palestine continues, and PLO leaders refuse to join in renewed peace talks without a settlement freeze, knowing that no Arab or Islamic nation will accept any comprehensive agreement while Israel retains control of East Jerusalem. » Read more

The conflict awaits Obama's program ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Ophir Paz-Pines - (Opinion) December 20, 2009 - 1:00am The peace train between Israel and the Palestinians has been derailed for some time. World leaders are at a loss and have perhaps given up altogether; both sides in the conflict are busy explaining why the other is the real peace "refuser," while real negotiations over a peace agreement are replaced by endless internal discussions. » Read more

Despair in Ramallah ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Uri Misgav - (Opinion) December 19, 2009 - 1:00am I recently committed a criminal act. I cannot even plead ignorance. A large red sign at the roadblock near the Qalandiya refugee camp made it clear. Israelis are forbidden from entering Area A in the West Bank. It may be a security constraint, but it also has a symbolic significance. The moderate and quiet capital of the Palestinian Authority is located a few minutes away from Jerusalem, yet visiting it is a crime. » Read more

Talk about 1967 borders, not settlement blocs ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Akiva Eldar - (Opinion) December 21, 2009 - 1:00am These days, it's tough to find a used car with a bumper sticker that reads "Peace is better than a Greater Israel." Nowadays, everyone seems to favor the latest formula: two states for two peoples. A few people on the right-hand margins are sticking to the belief that there's no difference between Yitzhar and Herzliya, but turbulent debates about the "heritage of the fathers" have given way to a consensus over "dividing the land." Instead of talking about the country's "narrow hips," we are erecting a fence that approximates the route of the Green Line. » Read more

Aviva Shalit: Netanyahu said decision would be made in coming hours ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Jack Khoury, Jonathan Lis, Barak Ravid - December 21, 2009 - 1:00am The mother of abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit on Monday said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had told her that ministers would make a decision in the "coming hours" on a deal with Hamas for her son's release. "They hope the decision will be made this evening, and if not ? then tomorrow morning," Aviva Shalit told reporters in Jerusalem, where she was waiting in a protest tent opposite Netanyahu's office. Her comments came as top cabinet members met for a fifth meeting consecutive meeting on the proposed prisoner exchange with Hamas. » Read more