Bush Steps Up Diplomatic Effort As Annapolis Talks Draw Nearer
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Robin Wright - November 22, 2007 - 10:15pm

In a bit of last-minute diplomacy, President Bush called the leaders of Israel, Egypt and the Palestinian Authority yesterday to discuss details of the U.S. peace conference set to begin in Annapolis next week, as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the goal is to wrap up a peace deal to produce a Palestinian state by the time Bush leaves office.

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Palestinian-American Experts Available for Comment on Annapolis Meeting
Press Release - Contact Information: Hussein Ibish - November 21, 2007 - 1:00am

The American Task Force on Palestine, a not-for-profit organization that advocates to the American people the national security interests of the United States in establishing a Palestinian state, has a number of experts available to the media for commentary on the recently announced Annapolis meeting and the broader context of the current Arab-Israeli peace initiative. For more details or to book any of our Washington based experts please call ATFP at 202-887-0177.


Sidetracked By The Roadmap
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons
by Ghassan Khatib - (Opinion) November 20, 2007 - 1:53pm

The sudden reference by Palestinian and Israeli negotiators to the roadmap, drafted years ago in an attempt to rescue the parties from the quicksand of violence and recriminations, was a bit confusing for analysts on both sides. The shift seemed inconsistent with the major political issues that require sorting out through negotiations, particularly the final status issues. In addition, Palestinians and Israelis have already tried the roadmap--and failed to navigate it.

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Documentary On Carter Offers Insights Into A Great Man
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News
by Ray Hanania - November 20, 2007 - 1:52pm

Even before anyone realized that Jimmy Carter’s book “Palestine: Peace not Apartheid” would stir up controversy and a lively but sometimes vicious debate, filmmaker Jonathan Demme decided to follow the former president during his book tour. Demme has produced a powerful documentary, “Jimmy Carter: A Man from Plains,” now showing in limited distribution in major cities around the country.

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Will Annapolis Fail Like All The Others?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bbc News
by Paul Reynolds - November 20, 2007 - 1:50pm

A veteran reporter on the Middle East asked me the other day: "Is it too late?" We had been discussing the prospects for the meeting in Annapolis in the United States scheduled for next week at which the Israelis and Palestinians are supposed to commit themselves to reaching a peace agreement. My instinct was to agree with him. We had first met in Jerusalem in the mid 1980s and have followed the ups and downs of negotiations since. The experience has not made us optimists. Aims of Annapolis

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What Do You Mean When You Say 'no'?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Gideon Levy - November 19, 2007 - 4:42pm

A festive day for peace: Israel is planning to announce a freeze on construction in the settlements as compensation for refusing to discuss the core issues. The Palestinians are ecstatic at all the good-will gestures Israel is throwing their way. First came the release of prisoners, now a freeze on construction, and the prime minister has already spoken with the settler leaders and informed them of the decision. They said it was a "difficult meeting," as it always is, winking at each other deviously.

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U.s. Pushes For Turnout At Middle East Conference
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Steven Erlanger - November 19, 2007 - 4:18pm

By pushing Israel to accept immediate negotiations with the Palestinians on the thorny “final status” issues, with the aim to conclude a peace settlement within a year, the Bush administration is trying to attract a significant Arab presence at the peace conference in Annapolis, Md. The meeting in Annapolis, now penciled in to start Nov. 26 and last less than 24 hours, is meant to begin — and bless — negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian leaders on a final peace agreement between them, ostensibly to be completed by the end of the Bush presidency.

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Deserting A Sinking Ship
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Danny Rubenstein - (Opinion) November 16, 2007 - 4:30pm

In the summer of 1971, Prof. Yehoshua Porat of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem published his important book "The Emergence of the Arab- Palestinian National Movement, 1918-1929." In a preface to the book, veteran teacher and researcher Gabriel Baer praised "the pioneering work in the field, in which the scientific approach has been neglected." The best scholars associated with this research field, including Arabs, praised Porat's work.

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Israel Exhibits Its True Colours
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News
(Editorial) November 16, 2007 - 4:28pm

Since 1967, when Israel occupied the eastern part of Jerusalem, there has been a silent movement by Israeli politicians and consecutive prime ministers to ensure that talk on the fate of occupied East Jerusalem is always pushed to "later stages" of any "negotiations" with the Palestinians or even the international community. In fact, the first time occupied Jerusalem was put on the negotiating table was during the Camp David meetings in 2000. Then-Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak received heavy criticism from many Israelis for even discussing it.

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No Clear Way Forward For Middle East Peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Financial Times
by Philip Stephens - (Opinion) November 16, 2007 - 4:14pm

Some time ago I asked one of Europe’s foreign ministers why we should hold out any hopes for the forthcoming Annapolis conference on the Middle East. Had something changed to suggest Israelis and Palestinians would strike the bargain that has so long eluded them?

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American Task Force on Palestine - 1634 Eye St. NW, Suite 725, Washington DC 20006 - Telephone: 202-262-0017