Envoy: Israel threatened by efforts to delegitimize it
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Times
by Eli Lake - July 21, 2010 - 12:00am

Israel's outgoing ambassador to the United Nations said Monday that the most significant threat to the Jewish state is not Iran, but efforts to delegitimize Israel and its leaders. "Israel is the most isolated, lonely country in the world," Gabriela Shalev told reporters in Washington at a luncheon sponsored by the Israel project.

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Palestinians, Israelis set to start secret direct talks: analysts
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
by Emad Al-Azrak, Wael Naguib - July 19, 2010 - 12:00am

The Middle East region on Sunday witnessed unprecedented meetings focused on promoting the direct Palestinian-Israeli negotiations as Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak held separate talks with Israeli, Palestinian leaders and U.S. Middle East peace envoy George Mitchell. Analysts believe that through these extensive meetings, the two sides will be set to start direct talks, maybe secretly, although the indirect negotiations have not been so fruitful.

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'Basis for direct talks lacking'
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Herb Keinon - July 19, 2010 - 12:00am

Israeli officials continued to express optimism on Sunday that direct talks with the Palestinians were imminent, even as Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said that more needed to be done to bridge the gaps between the two sides. Aboul Gheit’s comments followed a meeting in Cairo between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and President Hosni Mubarak that were aimed at securing Arab League approval for moving from proximity to direct talks.

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The deceptive promise of direct talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
by Rami Khouri - July 17, 2010 - 12:00am

I am not privy to the discussions that took place privately between US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this month in the White House. From the noise and chatter that has followed this meeting, I believe we should start pondering the consequences of the likelihood that there will be no resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict during this generation. I base this pessimistic short-term outlook on several premises:

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Mitchell arrives to push direct talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Herb Keinon - July 15, 2010 - 12:00am

US special envoy George Mitchell was scheduled to arrive on Thursday to push for direct Israeli-Palestinian talks, amid Israeli optimism that these talks will begin well before the 10-month settlement moratorium ends on September 26. On the eve of Mitchell’s visit, one senior government official said the talks would begin “soon,” though probably not in the “next few days.”

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Pressure for direct Israeli-Palestinian builds
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Edmund Sanders - July 12, 2010 - 12:00am

Pressure intensified for a resumption of direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority on Sunday, but Palestinian leaders continued to insist that Israel first freeze settlement construction in the West Bank. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would travel to Cairo this week to solicit help from Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in persuading the Palestinian Authority to resume direct talks. Get dispatches from Times correspondents around the globe delivered to your inbox with our daily World newsletter. Sign up »

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ISRAEL: Don't restart negotiations from scratch, former peace-table adversaries agree
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Edmund Sanders - July 12, 2010 - 12:00am

Two years ago Tzipi Livni and Ahmed Qurei had a standing rendezvous at Jerusalem's King David Hotel, at least twice a week, to hash over hotly disputed issues such as borders, refugees and the future of Jerusalem. Back then meetings between the then-Israeli foreign minister and the former Palestinian Authority prime minister hardly drew notice. No reporters, no cameras and no fanfare. But their return engagement on the same stage Sunday caused a mini stir since direct Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been stalled since 2008 and they hadn't seen each other since.

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Abbas: No direct talks until progress on borders, security
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
July 12, 2010 - 12:00am

Direct talks will not be resumed with Israel until progress is made during US-brokered proximity talks on the issues of borders and security, President Mahmoud Abbas said Saturday evening. “We hope to make progress that will enable us to launch serious negotiations leading to a two-state solution before it is too late,” Abbas said during a celebration at the the Cultural Palace in Ramallah, marking the Prophet Mohammad’s Night Journey.

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Senior Palestinian calls Jerusalem a "time bomb"
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
July 12, 2010 - 12:00am

A senior Palestinian figure said on Sunday that rising tension with Israel over settlement building in the Jerusalem area was a "time bomb" that was eroding trust between the two sides. Ahmed Qurei, a former prime minister and negotiator, joined Tsipi Livni, a former Israeli foreign minister and now opposition leader in parliament, in calling on both sides to work harder to achieve a two-state solution.

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Goodwill moves likely upon PM’s return
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Yaakov Katz - July 9, 2010 - 12:00am

The Defense Ministry is drafting a comprehensive list of confidence-building measures that it anticipates it will be asked to implement after Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu returns to Israel on Friday from his meeting with US President Barack Obama, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

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