November 16th

Madam Secretary’s Middle East ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Richard Cohen - (Opinion) November 15, 2010 - 1:00am LONDON — I like the look of President Barack Obama’s new Middle East envoy, a person with broad experience, the trust of Israelis, growing support among West Bank Palestinians and a fierce personal conviction that a peace accord is essential not only for the parties but for United States national security. Damon Winter/The New York Times Roger Cohen Go to Columnist Page » Related Times Topic: Hillary Rodham Clinton Readers' Comments Share your thoughts. Post a Comment » Read All Comments (17) » » Read more

November 15th

Fatah, Hamas accuse each other for failing unity talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua November 14, 2010 - 1:00am GAZA, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- The major Palestinian rival groups Fatah and Hamas on Sunday traded accusations over failure of reaching reconciliation in the second round meeting held in Syria' s capital of Damascus last week, which concentrated on the thorniest security issue. "Hamas is not interested in accomplishing reconciliation," said Jamal Muhissen, a member of Fatah Central Committee. Fatah, which dominates the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), is now controlling the West Bank only after losing power in Gaza in a conflict with Hamas militants in 2007. » Read more

Israeli official: Hamas rockets can reach Tel Aviv ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Statesman by Dan Perry - November 14, 2010 - 1:00am TEL AVIV, ISRAEL — A senior Israeli intelligence official warned Sunday that Hamas rulers in the Gaza Strip have rockets that can travel 80 kilometers (50 miles) — a longer range than previously reported, which would put the coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv within range of its launchers. The official blamed Egypt, saying it was not doing enough to stem smuggling through a network of tunnels along the relatively short border between its Sinai desert and the Palestinian territory. An Egyptian security official reached for comment maintained that Egypt was combating the smuggling successfully. » Read more

The Palestinians are in the driving seat, their time is now ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Zvi Barel - (Opinion) November 15, 2010 - 1:00am "Turkey? Yes," "Russia? Yes," "United Kingdom? Yes," "United States? Abstain," "Israel? No." This is how a vote at the United Nations on the recognition of an independent Palestine may sound. And really, why should the Palestinians not demand international recognition of their state? In such a move it could shake the peace process and extricate it from the strangle hold in which Palestine and Israel are caught. » Read more

US deal would allow Israel some West Bank building ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Statesman by Amy Teibel - November 15, 2010 - 1:00am JERUSALEM — Israel would be allowed to finish hundreds of apartments already under construction in West Bank settlements even if it agrees to a U.S.-drafted deal to renew a freeze on new construction, a diplomat familiar with the details said Monday. The U.S. is pressing Israel to renew a settlement slowdown that expired in September in order to get stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks moving again. In exchange, it is offering Israel military hardware and veto protection against U.N. resolutions critical of its policies. » Read more

US deal would allow Israel some West Bank building ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Statesman by Amy Teibel - November 15, 2010 - 1:00am JERUSALEM — Israel would be allowed to finish hundreds of apartments already under construction in West Bank settlements even if it agrees to a U.S.-drafted deal to renew a freeze on new construction, a diplomat familiar with the details said Monday. The U.S. is pressing Israel to renew a settlement slowdown that expired in September in order to get stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks moving again. In exchange, it is offering Israel military hardware and veto protection against U.N. resolutions critical of its policies. » Read more

Netanyahu poised to win razor-thin support for West Bank freeze ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - November 15, 2010 - 1:00am Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will apparently be able to muster a majority of his diplomatic-security cabinet to approve an additional 90-day freeze on West Bank settlement construction in exchange for an incentive package from the United States. But Netanyahu's majority will be a razor-thin one, made possible only by Shas ministers' agreement to either abstain or absent themselves from the vote. » Read more

What exactly does Obama expect from Netanyahu? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Aluf Benn - (Opinion) November 15, 2010 - 1:00am Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned from his journey to the United States with an American dictate: Freeze settlements for three months, during which time speedy negotiations will be held to determine the future border between Israel and Palestine. To soften the impression that this would be seen as giving in to U.S. pressure and to make it easier to gain cabinet approval for the freeze, the dictate was padded with political and security goodies, which can be summed up as such: stealth military aircraft in exchange for an end to Netanyahu's evasive tactics. » Read more

Fayyad: Security pluralism exhausting us ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency November 15, 2010 - 1:00am BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said Saturday that efforts to reconcile with Hamas should focus on security rather than political issues, the London-based Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported. "Progress is measured according to political pluralism, which is a source of strength if it managed appropriately. What exhausts us is security pluralism not political pluralism," Fayyad was quoted as saying. Security was the most important issue to achieve the main objective, the creation of a Palestinian state, the prime minister said. » Read more

Second squadron of F-35s is ‘an offer hard to refuse’ ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Yaakov Katz - November 15, 2010 - 1:00am Top IDF officers and Defense Ministry officials claimed Sunday that the arrival of a second squadron of F-35 joint strike fighters was of critical importance for the security of the State of Israel. In an effort to convince the Netanyahu government to impose a three-month moratorium on settlement construction in the West Bank, the Obama administration offered Israel last week a long list of security and diplomatic benefits, including 20 F-35s for free. » Read more