Middle East Modesty
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Korean Times
by Richard N. Haass - (Opinion) October 24, 2007 - 10:41am

"Ripeness is all," concludes Edgar in King Lear. I will leave it to Shakespeare scholars to decipher what he had in mind. But for diplomats and historians, understanding the concept of ripeness is central to their jobs: it refers to how ready a negotiation or conflict is to be resolved.

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George W. Bush's Flawed Peace Plan
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
by Shlomo Ben-ami - (Opinion) October 23, 2007 - 2:29pm

That a summit in Damascus of the Middle East's "axis of evil" - Iran, Hizbullah, Syria and Hamas - was convened immediately following President George W. Bush's call for a conference of "moderates" to promote an Israeli-Palestinian peace demonstrated once again how intertwined the region's problems are. The Damascus meeting reflected Iran's view of Israeli-Arab peace as a major strategic threat, because it would condemn Iran to isolation in a hostile Arab environment free of its conflict with Israel.

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Inside Gaza: Redemption Games
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Newsweek
by Kevin Peraino - (Special Report) October 23, 2007 - 11:23am

At the Game Zone video arcade in Gaza City, the most popular new attraction, according to its owner, Hamdi Abu Sido, is the "redemption machine." Winning involves using a joystick to successfully direct a mechanical puppet on a surf board—the "Shark Hunter"—to wave-riding glory. If you win, the machine spits out a string of white tickets printed with the word WONDERFUL that can be redeemed at the counter for prizes.

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Don't Miss This Opportunity
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
(Editorial) October 23, 2007 - 11:01am

After seven bad years - years of terror, a diplomatic freeze, Hamas' victory in the Palestinian parliamentary elections and its takeover of Gaza - empty words about a "diplomatic horizon" and barren meetings between representatives of the parties are giving way to genuine diplomatic processes and practical plans for solving the conflict.

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Fatah: The 'moderate' Alternative?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Miftah
by Caelum Moffatt - (Opinion) October 23, 2007 - 10:57am

Recently, President Mahmoud Abbas urged the PLO Central Council to support his decision to call early elections. The usually composed Fatah leader showed signs of agitation in his address, directing his words towards his rivals Hamas, the victors of the bloody battle for Gaza over a month ago. ‘We will not wait for approval from those sitting over there in Gaza or from those sitting abroad…Hamas dug their own grave with their own nails as a result of the crimes they carried out in Gaza.’

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Lower Expectations
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons
by Ghassan Khatib - (Opinion) October 22, 2007 - 1:25pm

On one level, the American initiative to convene a peace meeting at Annapolis marks a positive transformation in the American approach to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. But on another, it reflects a continuation of the past.

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Quartet In The Dock
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News
(Editorial) October 22, 2007 - 1:23pm

If the UN withdraws from it, the damage done to the Quartet might not be extensive, seeing how insipid the group’s members have been thus far in their attempts to break ground in the Palestinian-Israeli impasse. Still, a dropout would be considered a serious blow to peace efforts. The possible UN departure from the Quartet makes the outlook for the major US-sponsored peace conference between the Palestinians and Israel, expected next month, even bleaker than at present.

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Annapolis Summit Requires Commitment
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Middle East Progress
by Ziad Asali - (Opinion) October 22, 2007 - 1:14pm

Condoleezza Rice met with Middle East leaders this week to prepare the Annapolis meeting that has become ever more critical to illustrating the administration’s renewed focus on resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict. Measures of success for the Annapolis summit are important, not simply for “grading” the session, but for setting up a framework to analyze progress moving forward.

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Us Evangelicals At Odds On Embracing Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Antiwar
by Bill Berkowitz - (Opinion) October 22, 2007 - 10:25am

It was business as usual during Christians United for Israel's recent "Israel Summit," its highly-publicized second summer sojourn to Washington. There were thousands of supporters in attendance, including an impressive array of Republican Party elected officials and political leaders. There were a series of seminars and workshops aimed at solidifying pro-Israel talking points, and growing the organization's political effectiveness.

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Executive Summary And Recommendations
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from International Crisis Group
(Special Report) October 22, 2007 - 10:19am

Hamas’s takeover of Gaza and President Abbas’s dismissal of the national unity government and appointment of one led by Salam Fayyad amount to a watershed in the Palestinian national movement’s history. Some paint a positive picture, seeing the new government as one with which Israel can make peace. They hope that, with progress in the West Bank, stagnation in Gaza and growing pressure from ordinary Palestinians, a discredited Hamas will be forced out or forced to surrender. They are mistaken.

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