Contested Settlement ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy by Hussein Ibish - (Analysis) September 2, 2010 - 12:00am Israeli settlement construction in the occupied Palestinian territories has proved to be among the most serious irritants in the U.S.-Israel relationship. It is also one of the most significant obstacles to a negotiated settlement. » Read more

The Peace Talks Resume: Prospects for Success ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Institute for Near East Policy by Ghaith Al-Omari, Robert Danin, David Makovsky - (Interview) September 1, 2010 - 12:00am On August 31, 2010, Robert Danin, Ghaith al-Omari, Abdel Monem Said Aly, and David Makovsky addressed a special Policy Forum at The Washington Institute to discuss direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians. Dr. Danin, the Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, previously directed the Jerusalem mission of Quartet envoy Tony Blair. Mr. al-Omari is advocacy director of the American Task Force on Palestine and a former foreign policy advisor to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas. Dr. » Read more

Extremists on both sides have nothing to offer ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National (Editorial) September 1, 2010 - 12:00am The stage has been set: only time will tell whether what transpires in Washington this week was meant for show or to produce something of substance. The talks between Mahmoud Abbas and Benjamin Netanyahu that begin today are the first direct negotiations in two years. There remain, however, legitimate concerns over the timing of the talks. » Read more

The quest for peace begins again ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National by Matt Bradley, Sharmila Devi, Omar Karmi - September 2, 2010 - 12:00am Against a backdrop of almost universal pessimism about its chances of success, and threats by settlers to restart construction in the West Bank, the US president Barack Obama yesterday launched Washington’s third effort in a decade to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The formal resumption of direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations after a 20-month hiatus will take place today at the US state department in Washington. » Read more

Wishing President Abbas Success ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat by Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed - September 2, 2010 - 12:00am During the preparations for the historic [Israeli-Palestinian] negotiations due to commence today, Israeli Rabbi Ovadia Yosef called for the damnation of Mahmoud Abbas, so as to relieve the Israelis of him. And in Gaza, a group of Hamas imams have prayed that the call of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef be answered, and that Mahmoud Abbas and his negotiating team be killed. » Read more

Israeli academics boycott West Bank settlements ATFP World Press Roundup Article from BBC News August 31, 2010 - 12:00am More than 150 Israeli academics say they will no longer lecture or work in Jewish settlements in the West Bank. In a letter, they said they supported the recent decision by a group of actors and others not to take part in cultural activity there. The academics said that acceptance of the settlements caused "critical" damage to Israel's chances of achieving peace with the Palestinians. The actors were criticised for refusing to perform at a new cultural centre. » Read more

PA official vows: 'We'll hit Hamas with an iron fist' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post September 2, 2010 - 12:00am Palestinian Authority security forces have vowed to arrest Hamas members and bring order to the West Bank, according to a Thursday report by London daily Asharq Al-Awsat. "We arrested hundreds of Hamas members, and we'll continue to do so," a high-ranking Palestinian Authority official told Asharq. "We will prevent them, however we can, from bringing anarchy to the West Bank. We will hit them with an iron fist." » Read more

ZAKA headquarters authorized in east Jerusalem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Ronen Medzini - September 1, 2010 - 12:00am As leaders gather in Washington to talk peace, the Jerusalem Municipality is promoting a building plan for the east of the city. Ynet learned on Wednesday that the municipal committee for commemorating terror victims has authorized the construction of a new headquarters for ZAKA, a voluntary rescue organization, in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. The planned headquarters will include facilities for refrigerating and storing thousands of bodies and a museum for commemorating terror victims. » Read more

Abbas has the will, and the way ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Avi Issacharoff - September 2, 2010 - 12:00am In spite of Tuesday's terror attack and its tragic consequences, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas remains a partner for peace. Over the next few days we will, of course, hear the same old slogans bandied about: "There is no Palestinian partner," or better yet, "Yasser Arafat could have made peace but didn't want to; Abbas may or might not want to conclude a peace with Israel, but he cannot." » Read more

Hamas claims responsibility for second West Bank shooting attack in two days ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Anshel Pfeffer - September 2, 2010 - 12:00am Hamas on Thursday claimed responsibility for a shooting attack in which two Israelis were wounded, one of them seriously, in the West Bank. Wednesday's roadside attack, near the Jewish settlement of Kochav Hashachar, occurred on the eve of face-to-face peace negotiations between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington. » Read more