Hallucination of peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Ray Hanania - (Opinion) February 1, 2012 - 1:00am

Two of my “friends” on Facebook started going at it, as Facebook people often do, over my recent column analyzing the failure of Palestinian activists to achieve any of their goals. The debate quickly got off-topic and started careening over the cliff of Palestinian-Israeli futility at a very high speed. It became obvious that neither was really listening to the other. Both were repeating the same old arguments that have muddled Palestinian-Israeli peace efforts.

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A victory for our side?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Gershon Baskin - (Opinion) January 31, 2012 - 1:00am

The Palestinian and Arab media reports that the Jordanian-sponsored Israeli-Palestinian talks have failed. Palestinian politicians and factions are recommending to the PLO leadership to put an end to what they call a farce. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will ask the Arab League to support the Palestinian decision to suspend the talks until Israel accepts a full settlement building freeze and agrees that negotiations on the borders must be based on the June 4, 1967, lines.

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Israeli PM denies willingness to cede Jordan Rift Valley
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
January 31, 2012 - 1:00am

JERUSALEM, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Israel's Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Monday denied a local report claiming the Jewish country was willing to cede its sovereignty over the Jordan Rift Valley to the Palestinians. The report, carried by the Ma'ariv daily, also said Israel would settle for security arrangements along the Jordan River after ceding the power.

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Not only time will be lost
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons
by Ghassan Khatib - (Opinion) January 31, 2012 - 1:00am

The Palestinian-Israeli negotiations that took place in Jordan over the month of January were very controversial among the Palestinian people and politically costly for the Palestinian leadership, headed by President Mahmoud Abbas. This is because the Palestinian leadership had said repeatedly that it would not renew negotiations unless Israel stops settlement expansion. Israel did not comply. Moreover, the Palestinian leadership promised the public to proceed with attempts to internationalize the conflict, rather than allow their cause to continue languishing in bilateral talks.

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The talks are dead, long live the talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons
by Maher Abukhater - (Opinion) January 31, 2012 - 1:00am

While little has been said about what went on in the five rounds of exploratory talks between Palestinian and Israeli negotiators in the Jordanian capital Amman in January, it is nevertheless evident that whatever happened has not given Palestinians faith in the resumption of serious direct negotiations any time soon. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was clear when he said that the talks have reached an impasse and that the parties have failed to reach any concrete outcome on the issues of borders and security as the talks required.

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Bringing Hamas in from the cold
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News
by Osama Al-Sharif - (Opinion) January 31, 2012 - 1:00am

Most of Hamas senior officials, including Meshaal, are Jordanian citizens. Prime Minister Awn Al-Khasawneh has described their deportation to Qatar 12 years ago as “a constitutional” error. And since the former international jurist took over as premier he has been keen on mending state relations with the country’s Muslim Brotherhood (MB) leadership. Jordan’s recent rapprochement with Hamas, a powerful Palestinian faction currently ruling Gaza Strip but with special links to Jordan’s MB, ends more than a decade of cool and sometimes troubled relationship between the two.

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Theatrical failure of peace talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asia Times Online
by Victor Kotsov - (Opinion) January 31, 2012 - 1:00am

The Palestinians demand a clear Israeli position on borders (the borders of a prospective Palestinian state). Against all odds, the Palestinians receive a clear Israeli position on borders. The Palestinians then abandon the negotiations, blaming Israel.

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Not-so-hidden agendas
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons
by Yossi Alpher - (Opinion) January 30, 2012 - 1:00am

The Amman preliminary peace talks between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization were suspended after the latest session adjourned on January 26. At the time of writing, it was not clear whether the Jordanian and Quartet organizers could persuade PLO leaders to return for more in February. PLO Chairman Mahmoud Abbas intends to consult with the Arab League before deciding.

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Hard Questions, Tough Answer with Yossi Alpher – January 30, 2012
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Americans For Peace Now
(Interview) January 30, 2012 - 1:00am

Alpher discusses the Israeli-Palestinian pre-negotiation talks in Amman, interim conclusions from the "Arab spring" one year after the outbreak of the revolution in Egypt and the meaning of the 2009 survey just published on Israeli attitudes towards religiosity. Q. The Israeli-Palestinian pre-negotiation talks in Amman adjourned after a meeting last Thursday without agreement to continue. What have we learned?

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Another exercise in futile diplomacy
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons
by Efraim Inbar - (Opinion) January 30, 2012 - 1:00am

Few should be surprised by the failure of the Amman talks, which constituted an additional attempt by the international Quartet to restart negotiations between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization. These meetings were intended to break the impasse in the peace process, after the Palestinians decided to relinquish the option of negotiations with Israel and to adopt instead a unilateral approach to attain their goals.

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