A Prelude Of Niceties
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Akiva Eldar - (Opinion) October 16, 2007 - 1:04pm

Ahead of Annapolis, Olmert and Abbas have agreed to disagree, while Bush is promising 'real results' Israelis and Palestinians who have met with United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in recent days and have spoken with her staff have gained the impression that she does not really know what on earth her boss wants from her. It isn't that Dr. Rice has a hearing problem. Her problem is that United States President George W. Bush has apparently not yet decided what exactly he wants to achieve at the Annapolis peace conference.

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Rice's Visit / In The Shadow Of Mlk
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Aluf Benn - (Opinion) October 16, 2007 - 1:02pm

When Condoleezza Rice talks about the establishment of a Palestinian state next to Israel, she sees in her mind's eye the struggle of African Americans for equal rights, which culminated in the period of her Alabama childhood. Rice is very aware of political sensitivity, and avoids making such comparisons in public speeches and interviews, where she keeps to the official list of talking points. But in private, she talks about the

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No High Hopes For Annapolis
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Tamar Hermann, Ephraim Yaar - (Special Report) October 16, 2007 - 1:00pm

Some two-thirds of the Jewish public think that from Israel's standpoint it is impossible to go on indefinitely with the current state of relations between Israel and the Palestinians. A similar amount of Jewish citizens think that among the most urgent issues on Israel's agenda is the government's attempt to reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians.

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Us 'wants Palestinian State Now'
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bbc News
October 16, 2007 - 12:48pm

The US secretary of state has said it is time for a Palestinian state to be founded, and that the US will put its full weight behind such efforts. Condoleezza Rice said reaching a two-state solution was a priority for her and US President George Bush. Ms Rice was speaking from the West Bank, where she has been trying to get agreement for a peace summit in the US. Meanwhile the Israeli PM has hinted he may consider giving up Palestinian districts in Jerusalem in a peace deal.

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Us Presses Palestinians And Israel To Find Common Ground
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Guardian
by Ian Black - (Special Report) October 16, 2007 - 12:46pm

 The US yesterday urged Israel and the Palestinians to work to overcome their differences before an international conference next month even as a top UN expert lambasted the "Quartet" of Middle East peacemakers for failing to promote Palestinian rights.

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How About A Peace Lobby?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from International Herald Tribune
by Daniel Levy - (Opinion) October 16, 2007 - 12:42pm

After seven lean years, Israeli-Palestinian peace talks are back on the agenda for a planned summit meeting next month in Annapolis, Maryland. Intriguingly, the return of the peace process coincides with an unusual public debate taking place in America regarding the U.S.-Israel relationship following the attention received by a book about the Israel lobby.

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Rice Seeks To Marginalize Hamas
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Ashraf Khalil - October 16, 2007 - 12:39pm

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday expressed hope that a successfully negotiated vision of a Palestinian state would marginalize the militant group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.

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The Israeli Right Has A Peace Plan
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Letter From Israel/antiwar.com
by Ran Hacohen - (Blog) October 16, 2007 - 12:36pm

While the world holds its breath in anticipation of the Mideast Summit in Annapolis – which, no doubt, will constitute a historic landmark, giving a most significant boost to the economy of that small town in Maryland – the Israeli right wing comes up with a new peace initiative, launched by MK Benny Elon, chairman of the National Union and the Moledet Party, as "The Israeli Initiative," "a new way of thinking about the conflict, in learning from our mistakes, and in rereading the regional map toward a revitalized and genuine quest to achiev

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Rice Pushes Mideast Parties On Plan To Revive Peace Talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Michael Abramowitz - October 16, 2007 - 12:26pm

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pressed Israelis and Palestinians on Monday to compromise on a plan to jump-start peace negotiations, describing the ending of their long conflict as one of the top goals of President Bush in the 15 months he has left in office.

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Rice Hints At Timing Of Mideast Talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Steven Lee Myers - October 16, 2007 - 12:24pm

It has officially been a secret of American diplomacy, if not a particularly well-kept one: the time and place of the international conference called by President Bush to begin negotiating peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians.   Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice with the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, in Ramallah. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday lifted the secrecy and, perhaps, nudged the process forward.

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