One way out for the Palestinians ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times by George S. Hishmeh - (Opinion) December 17, 2010 - 1:00am President Barack Obama described the Republican takeover of the House of Representatives in the mid-term elections last month as a “shellacking”; he was praised for his outright admission of his shocking defeat. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave him (and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton) an unprecedented slap in the face by refusing to freeze his colonial expansion into occupied Palestinian territory, which now houses some 500,000 Israelis; the American head of state remained speechless, seemingly bowing his head down. » Read more

US mediation faces its biggest test ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times by Rami Khouri - (Opinion) December 17, 2010 - 1:00am The American government’s decision to change its approach to mediating an Arab-Israeli comprehensive peace agreement, by dropping its insistence on an Israeli freeze in settlement construction as a prerequisite for moving ahead, confirms several important things. It proves that the US can be decisive, persistent, realistic, patient, pragmatic and humble - all admirable and important qualities in a mediator. The problem is that the US has proved again that the most important attribute for a mediator is the one it has never mastered in recent years: success. » Read more

The Illusion of Peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Dar Al-Hayat by Hassan Haidar - (Opinion) December 17, 2010 - 1:00am Ever since Obama arrived at the White House, Israel has exerted every effort possible to convince him that the priority of his foreign policy should be the Iranian issue and preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons, either through intensified sanctions or through military action, and that he would easily find solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict if the nuclear threat from Iran were to cease and Tehran’s influence in Gaza, Lebanon and other places were to be reduced. » Read more

Dropping Goal of Direct Talks, U.S. Will Now Test Both Sides on Core Issues ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Nathan Guttman - December 15, 2010 - 1:00am Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly promised that he will “surprise the critics and the skeptics” with his willingness to demonstrate flexibility and to compromise in order to reach an agreement with the Palestinians. Now, with Washington adopting a new approach toward Middle East peacemaking, Netanyahu’s willingness is about to be put to the test. » Read more

AIPAC viewed U.S. gov’t as targeting pro-Israel groups during espionage probe ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Ron Kampeas - December 16, 2010 - 1:00am It was a case that transfixed the pro-Israel community: the arrest in August 2005 on espionage charges of two senior officials at the most influential pro-Israel group in Washington, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Before the government dropped the case in May 2009 amid questions of whether the officials actually committed a crime by talking to Israeli officials about classified information one of them had received alleging an Iranian plot against Israelis stationed in Iraq, AIPAC fired the two men: foreign policy chief Steve Rosen and Iran analyst Keith Weissman. » Read more

These concrete constraints have quashed any hope of peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian by Hussein Agha, Robert Malley - (Opinion) December 17, 2010 - 1:00am After weeks of fruitless endeavour, the United States has finally – and wisely – given up on its efforts to secure a renewed freeze on Israeli settlement construction in order to relaunch direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Yet, amid speculation over how Israelis and Palestinians might now resume their talks, a reality is taking hold: the point is fast approaching where negotiations between the two will be, for all practical purposes and for the foreseeable future, over. As emissaries are dispatched and ideas explored, discussions could well carry on. » Read more

Rattling The Cage: Goodbye Obama, hello world ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Larry Derfner - (Opinion) December 15, 2010 - 1:00am Recognition by Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay is a welcome gesture of impatience at Israel’s denial of Palestinians’ right to statehood in pre-1967 borders. Thank you, Argentina. Thank you, Brazil. Thank you, Uruguay. No, these countries didn’t help fight the Carmel Forest fire, but they just aided Israel in another way by recognizing the state of Palestine. Of course, not all Israelis see it like this. Most, rather, see these countries’ recognition of Palestine as a hostile, anti-Israeli, “delegitimizing” act. » Read more

WikaLikes: US ME policy recalibration, Dec. 2010 ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by David Horovitz - (Opinion) December 17, 2010 - 1:00am Secretary of state: This cable sets out amended assessments, priorities for relevant interactions on Israeli-Palestinian Issues. Friday, 10 December 2010, 15:25 S E C R E T STATE NOFORN DECL: 11/18/2035 SUBJECT: (S) REORIENTATION OF POLICY PRIORITIES: ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT 1. (S/NF) SUMMARY: This cable sets out amended assessments, priorities for relevant interactions on Israeli-Palestinian Issues (paragraph 2-end) by Department personnel and other Country Team members. » Read more

Forget the negotiating table ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Steven Klein - (Opinion) December 17, 2010 - 1:00am U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, frustrated perhaps by the lack of progress in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, declared last week that it is time to grapple with the "core issues of the conflict," adding that the United States recognizes "that a Palestinian state achieved through negotiations is inevitable." How do I break this to you, Ms. Secretary of State? If you haven't heard the news, the settling of ethno-political conflicts by negotiations is anything but inevitable. » Read more

PA suspects former Fatah strongman in Gaza recruiting for new armed militia ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Avi Issacharoff - December 17, 2010 - 1:00am Palestinian Authority security forces recently questioned Fatah activists on suspicion they had been recruited to form an armed militia, sources in the Fatah movement said. The PA indicated Fatah Central Committee member Mohammed Dahlan had done the recruiting for the militia, which he also intended to command. The suspects were summoned for questioning about their ties to Dahlan and whether they received instructions or funds from him in connection with the purchase of weapons. They were then released. » Read more