Clinton: Arab momentum building for two-state solution
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Natasha Mozgovaya - (Analysis) September 8, 2010 - 12:00am

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday dismissed doubts over the success of Middle East peace talks, saying skeptics were "wrong" and that negotiations had gained momentum with backing from Arab states willing to accept a two-state solution. "There's a certain momentum," she said. "You know, we have some challenges in the early going that we have to get over, but I think that we have a real shot here."

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Pessimistic about peace, Israelis greet new year
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Diaa Hadid - (Analysis) September 8, 2010 - 12:00am

JERUSALEM — Israelis usher in the Jewish new year, or Rosh Hashana, at sundown Wednesday with a widespread sense of pessimism that a new round of U.S.-sponsored Mideast talks can achieve peace. President Barack Obama wants a deal within a year, but Israelis are deeply skeptical after decades of failed efforts. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged the widespread doubts.

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Clinton: There may never be another chance for peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Yitzhak Benhorin - September 8, 2010 - 12:00am

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reiterated the American administration's optimism as to Israeli-Palestinian peace process' chances of success Wednesday. Speaking before the Council on Foreign Relations, Clinton said that she believed the "pessimists" were wrong to think the talks were doomed to fail. Peace can be achieved, she said, if the parties will overcome "initial obstacles" – a clear hint the settlement freeze set to end on September 26. The Palestinians have already threatened to walk away from the negotiating table should Israel resume its settlement activity.

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How to Make Peace in the Middle East in Six Months or Less Without Leaving Your Apartment
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
by Jessica Allen - (Book Review) September 8, 2010 - 12:00am

Peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians, brokered by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, are set to resume in two weeks’ time. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says reconciliation is “difficult but possible.” That was last month.

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West Bank building freeze to continue in practice, if not officially
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Akiva Eldar - September 8, 2010 - 12:00am

The agreement beginning to take shape on the settlement construction freeze is based on an "unspoken understanding" that security authorities will not sign new building permits, but the government will not issue a formal resolution extending the freeze. Furthermore, a review found that the building moratorium is due to expire on September 30, not September 26, as previously thought.

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The peace talks—and their obstacles
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA)
by Ron Kampeas - September 7, 2010 - 12:00am

Direct talks between Palestinians and Israelis have barely begun and already the sides are facing their first major hurdle -- the end of Israel's partial moratorium on settlement building. Several issues might beset the sides as they aim to meet the yearlong deadline suggested by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and endorsed (with considerable enthusiasm) by President Obama and (with less enthusiasm) by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

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Palestinian Spokesman Abu-Rudaynah Talks to Asharq Al-Awsat
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat
by Mina Al-Oraibi - (Interview) September 7, 2010 - 12:00am

Palestinian Presidency Spokesman Nabil Abu-Rudaynah has affirmed that the negotiations between President Mahmud Abbas (Abu-Mazin) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not deal with the core issues of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Their meeting was "to explore the positions." He added that all the core issues would be raised during the coming two weeks with a view to defining the position of each side before they start the negotiations. This would be a complex and critical process.

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Top Abbas aide: We're trying to reach deal
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
by Nasser Laham - September 7, 2010 - 12:00am

If there is one man on the Palestinian side capable of assessing the prospects of these new direct talks between Israel and the PLO, it is President Mahmoud Abbas' top aide and spokesman. Known as "the black box" due to his vantage point as presidential spokesman for the administrations of both Abbas and former president Yasser Arafat, Nabil Abu Rudaineh has shadowed the Ramallah leadership for more than a decade.

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A condition for peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Shaul Arieli - (Opinion) September 7, 2010 - 12:00am

In light of the Palestinians' acceptance of a land swap, the battle over the construction freeze in the settlements is not a struggle for their very existence, since most of them and their residents will be annexed to Israel in any agreement. The battle over the construction freeze is a battle for perception in Israel and abroad - between Greater Israel on the one hand and two states for two peoples on the other. So this battle is important for the existence of the diplomatic process.

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Egypt: Peace will 'cost' world $50B
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Roee Nahmias - September 7, 2010 - 12:00am

Peace with a hefty price? Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said Tuesday that a future peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority will "cost" the world between $40 and $50 billion. Speaking with Cairo's official news agency, Aboul Gheit said the amount will allow the fledgling Palestinian state to sustain itself, and offer the Palestinians some compensation for lands and services lost. In reference to the settlement freeze, which is scheduled to end on September 26, Aboul Gheit said that the subject will be "the first test to Israel earnest in the process."

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