Asali speaks at the University of Oxford about State-Building Program ATFP World Press Roundup Article from by Ziad Asali - February 13, 2011 - 1:00am Click here to see Dr. Asali's remarks in Arabic from Annahar. For decades, the political process simply meant negotiations about the often-repeated final status issues. Hopes were raised and then dashed in extended clusters of negotiations, numerous international conferences, TV appearances and commentaries by politicians and pundits that yielded no meaningful progress toward resolution of the conflict. » Read more 1 attachment

For Palestinian police in West Bank, Israel is still laying down the law ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Amira Hass - February 14, 2011 - 1:00am Last week's column, which in Hebrew was titled "Dispersing a demonstration with a French scent," prompted a visit to the headquarters of EUPOL COPPS, the EU Police Coordination Office for Palestinian Police Support, which trains the civilian police force in the West Bank. The initiative was theirs, and the perfume, it turns out, was Jean Paul Gaultier. » Read more

Top Israeli intellectuals to state: Probe rabbi's alleged link to Rabin assassination ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Jonathan Lis - February 13, 2011 - 1:00am Leading Israeli intellectuals and Israel Prize laureates demanded the immediate firing of a top rabbi accused of supporting a book justifying the killing of non Jews on Saturday, urging the state to investigate him for his alleged role in the assassination of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Last week, police issued a warrant for the arrest of Dov Lior, the head rabbi of Kiryat Arba and a senior figure in religious Zionism, following the rabbi's refusal to appear for questioning on the support he gave for the controversial book "Torat Hamelech." » Read more

Abbas orders Palestinian media not to attack Qatar ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua February 13, 2011 - 1:00am Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday ordered Palestinian media and official spokesmen not to attack Qatar's Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. The order, published by official news agency Wafa, bans official media, spokesmen of Palestine Liberation Organization and Fatah movement from harming Qatar and its Emir. According to the order, the spokesmen can respond to Al-Jazeera 's campaign against the Palestinian leadership "by refuting the lies and claims." » Read more

For Israel, peace with Egypt is not just an asset ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Shlomo Avineri - (Opinion) February 14, 2011 - 1:00am In wake of the upheaval that has swept through Egypt and much of the region, it is important to remind ourselves that peace with Egypt is not only a strategic asset, but a moral value as well. Recently, we here were presented with a rather problematic choice: Do we support democracy, or do we support the Israeli interest in maintaining security and stability? When a moral value (democracy ) is thus posited against realpolitik (stability and security ), it is easy to lapse into the argument that Israel supports despotism. » Read more

Palestinian PM to resign for reshuffle: sources ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua February 13, 2011 - 1:00am Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad will resign Monday to open the door for reshuffling his West Bank-based government, sources said Sunday. The sources told Xinhua that Fayyad would form and lead the new government. Months ago, Abbas declared that the government would be expanded and modified. The news about the new government followed several decisions made by the Palestinian leadership to settle a state of internal split between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, where rival Hamas movement holds sway. » Read more

For valid elections ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post (Editorial) February 13, 2011 - 1:00am The ripple effects of Hosni Mubarak’s ouster over the weekend are being felt all over the region. The message being sent out from Tahrir Square is that Mideast leaders who want to stay in power must garner legitimacy through a fair, democratic election process. » Read more

Abbas asks Fayyad to form new government ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency February 14, 2011 - 1:00am Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad tendered his government's resignation Monday, just months before local and legislative elections are expected to be held. The move, which was announced during an early-morning cabinet meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah, had been discussed since June, with officials saying the latest delay was due to the popular uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, officials said. » Read more

Fayyad: I don't know any country against Palestinian state ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post February 13, 2011 - 1:00am Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad gave an interview to The Washington Post Thursday, before Hosni Mubarak stepped down as Egypt's president, in which he discussed what regime change in Egypt would mean for Palestinians and the Arab world, and his plans for the creation of a Palestinian state. » Read more

Palestinian officials pledge to hold elections by fall ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Edmund Sanders - February 13, 2011 - 1:00am A day after watching Egypt's regime collapse, Palestinian officials promised Saturday they would elect new leadership in presidential and legislative elections by September, and said that their chief peace negotiator had tendered his resignation. The shakeup appeared to reflect an attempt by the Palestine Liberation Organization to navigate the tidal wave of democratic upheaval spreading through the Arab world and, if possible, to use its momentum to draw international attention to the Palestinian bid for self-determination. » Read more