Hamas grip on Gaza is complete
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
October 19, 2008 - 8:00pm

Hamas' control of the Gaza Strip is now virtually complete. Since the summer, the Islamic militants have sil-enced and disarmed their remaining opponents, filled the bureaucracy with their supporters, and kept Gaza's economy afloat, even if just barely, despite a 16-month-old international embargo and border blockades by Israel and Egypt. With nothing in sight to weaken Hamas' grip, the political split between Gaza and the West Bank -the two territories meant to make up a future Palestinian state - looks increasingly irreversible.

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A Mideast plan for the next president
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Boston Globe
by Ephraim Sneh - October 17, 2008 - 8:00pm

THE NEXT president of the United States, in addition to dealing with the overwhelming global economic crisis, will have to contend with problems that have arisen recently in the Middle East. They include: # The decline of America's status; # The too-slow progress toward political stability in Iraq and the growing Iranian subversion there; # The rising influence of the "resistance camp" - Iran and its proxies: Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad; # The reluctance of US allies to stand defiantly against the anti-American forces; # The stagnation in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations;

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Time to resurrect the Arab peace plan
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian
by Ian Black - October 17, 2008 - 8:00pm

In late July, when Barack Obama toured the Middle East, he met the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, for a private briefing on the state of the world's most intractable conflict - a major priority for the next occupant of the Oval Office. Abbas revealed later that when he told the Democratic candidate about the Arab peace initiative - offering Israel normal relations with all 22 Arab countries in exchange for a Palestinian state - Obama's (clearly private) response was unambiguous: "The Israelis must be crazy not to accept that."

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The price of peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian
by Petra Marquardt-Bigman - October 16, 2008 - 8:00pm

With the potential repercussions of the global financial crisis still hard to imagine, Middle East commentators have begun to wonder how the economic turmoil will affect the region and particularly the chances to achieve success in the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, or Israel and Syria.

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The New Jewish Terrorism
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Israel Policy Forum
by Sadie Goldman - October 15, 2008 - 8:00pm

One of the settlers pulled out a knife, pressed it to the neck of the company commander and said: ‘well, what will you do now, Nazi?’”

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Rice vows to do best to reach Mideast peace deal
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Natasha Mozgovaya - October 14, 2008 - 8:00pm

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said yesterday that she would leave "no stone unturned" in order to reach an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal before leaving office, but conceded that time is running out. Speaking to a U.S. conference on Palestinian business and investment, Rice said she still hoped to reach the Bush administration's goal of a peace deal by the end of 2008, which was set at the Annapolis summit nearly a year ago.

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Salam Fayyad's noteworthy leadership
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
by Rami Khouri - October 14, 2008 - 8:00pm

Some of history's most memorable personalities often are un-flamboyant, low-key people who find themselves thrust into the limelight due to the circumstances of their time and place. Such people sometimes rise to the challenge thrust upon them, and achieve noteworthy deeds. They usually do so by summoning powers of persistence and clarity of focus, while always articulating a sense of what is right for their wider society.

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Final Stages of the Palestinian Conflict?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Middle East Times
by Claude Salhani - October 13, 2008 - 8:00pm

Every decade of so the dynamics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict undergo serious transformation as the result of changing conditions on the ground. The changes, however, have not always been for the better. Consider the following shifts in direction from the late 1940s with the creation of the State of Israel and the declaration of war by all its neighbors in 1948. Almost 10 years later, Israel goes to war against Egypt during the Suez crisis (1956). Then 11 years later Israel launches the Six-Day War, capturing large swathes of Arab lands.

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Remarks at the Palestinian Business and Investment Forum
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from
by Condoleezza Rice - October 13, 2008 - 8:00pm

Thank you very much. I’d like to thank Walter for that very kind introduction. I also really want to pay tribute to Jim Jones and the hard work that he has done as Special Envoy for Middle East Peace and Security. In fact, Jim has been tireless in working to help the two of the legs come together in a more integrated way. It is absolutely true that security is clearly very important for the Palestinian people, for the neighborhood that both Israelis and Palestinians can feel secure.

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West Bank Foreign Investment Grows Despite Fears of Foundering Talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Wall Street Journal
by Jay Solomon - October 13, 2008 - 8:00pm

Efforts to attract foreign investment into the West Bank are accelerating, despite fears that U.S.-brokered peace talks with Israel are foundering, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said in an interview. Mr. Fayyad is spearheading his government's push to revive economic activity in the Palestinian territories and strengthen its institutions, as talks with Israel to formalize a Palestinian state continue.

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