Abbas: Meshal approved an agreement recognizing two-state solution
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Barak Ravid - December 13, 2012 - 1:00am

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas came out on Thursday in criticism of Hamas leader Khaled Meshal, who said last week during his visit to Gaza that the organization will never recognize Israel, and called for its destruction. Speaking to Turkish reporters in Ankara, Abbas said that he does not agree with Meshal's statements. "We recognized Israel in 1993," he said. "There is an agreement between Fatah and Hamas that recognizes the two-state solution. Meshal approved this agreement."

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Talk about Reconciliation Following Meshaal’s Visit
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Hayat
by Elias Harfoush - (Opinion) December 11, 2012 - 1:00am

If this is the road to the Palestinian reconciliation, as promised by the head of Hamas’ politburo Khaled Meshaal, then this will most certainly be a difficult road ridden with conflicting positions and campaigns.

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The End Of Abbas's Game
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Beast
by Janine Zacharia - (Opinion) December 10, 2012 - 1:00am

A few days before the November 6 American election, Mahmoud Abbas summoned roughly 15 Israelis, including former pro-peace politicians, ex-generals and ex-diplomats, to his presidential office in Ramallah for a chat about the future. Ophir Pines-Paz, the former Labor Knesset member—who, dismayed with the trajectory of his party, abruptly exited politics three years ago—was among those in attendance. According to Pines-Paz, the 77-year old Abbas told the group he would resign and dismantle the Palestinian Authority if there was no movement toward peace soon.

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Jordan king in West Bank to support Palestinians
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Dalia Nammari - December 6, 2012 - 1:00am

RAMALLAH, West Bank —Jordan's King Abdullah II paid a rare visit to the West Bank on Thursday in a show of support for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' successful bid for U.N. recognition of a Palestinian state. The Jordanians spoke out sharply against Israel's latest plans to build thousands of new settler homes in response to the Palestinian move, including initial plans to revive a contentious project east of Jerusalem.

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Hamas' Al-Zahar urges Fatah members to join armed resistance
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
December 4, 2012 - 1:00am

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Senior Hamas official Mahmoud al-Zahar on Monday urged Fatah members to join the armed resistance. "Come to the program of resistance and stop wasting time and efforts, let’s put our hands together and carry the gun," al-Zahar said at a ceremony to honor the victims of Israel's war on Gaza.

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Mahmoud Abbas to visit Gaza after statehood win
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Khaled Abu Toameh - November 29, 2012 - 1:00am

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is planning to visit the Gaza Strip after the UN General Assembly vote in favor of upgrading the status of the Palestinians to non-member observer state, a senior PLO official announced Thursday. The announcement came shortly before Abbas was asked the GA in New York to vote in favor of the statehood bid.

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Official: Party conference in 2013 to reboot Fatah
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
November 26, 2012 - 1:00am

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party will hold a general conference in the first half of 2013 in order to revitalize the movement, a senior official said Sunday. Fatah is reeling from Israel's eight-day war on Gaza, which was seen locally as victory for Hamas and other factions using armed resistance in Gaza.

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To Bolster Palestinian Moderates, Let Abbas Win at the UN
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bloomberg
(Editorial) November 26, 2012 - 1:00am

A few weeks ago, the U.S. and Israel were painting Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the Palestinian faction Fatah, as an extremist for vowing to ask the United Nations on Nov. 29 to grant Palestine status as a nonmember observer state. In light of the violence just unleashed on Israel by Fatah’s rival, Hamas, it now seems a relatively mild maneuver. Growing popular support for Hamas’s belligerence makes Abbas an increasingly rare moderate, whose legitimacy needs to be bolstered by the international community.

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After the ceasefire
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by David Rohde - (Opinion) November 23, 2012 - 1:00am

For now, the fighting has stopped in Israel and Gaza. But let's be honest, this is the latest round in a long and bitter struggle. In the future, more bloodshed is likely. After eight days of clashes, Hamas' claim that it is the true leader of the Palestinian resistance has gained strength. Long-range rocket attacks on Tel Aviv and Jerusalem have made Israelis increasingly wary of a two-state solution.

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The Israel-Palestine Conflict Won't Go Away
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Yossi Alpher - (Opinion) November 16, 2012 - 1:00am

Tel Aviv THE Israel-Hamas clash in and around the Gaza Strip offers an important reminder to the second Obama administration: You can ignore the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for only so long.

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