A necessary act of futility
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Douglas Bloomfield - (Opinion) January 26, 2012 - 1:00am

Binyamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas have much in common. Both are pure of heart, noble of purpose and free of blame. Each man wants nothing more than peace between Israelis and Palestinians and would have it were it not for the other one’s intransigence. “The Palestinians have no interest in entering peace talks. I’m ready to travel now to Ramallah to start peace talks with Abu Mazen [Abbas] without preconditions,” Netanyahu has said.

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Political Failure Does Not Change Reality for Israelis or Palestinians
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Huffington Post
by Joel Braunold - (Opinion) January 26, 2012 - 1:00am

Today, 26 January, will mark another line in the sand in the morbid negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Whether or not this is the date that the Quartet has stated its deadline to get each side's documents presented to each other is currently under dispute by the sides themselves. Arguments about deadlines of document submission is as far as the sides have got in getting the decision makers into the same room together.

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Peres in Davos: Palestinian state already established
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Yoav Zitun - January 26, 2012 - 1:00am

The Palestinians had effectively established a state while peace negotiations were still ongoing, President Shimon Peres told the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Thursday. During a discussion on the chances for peace in the Middle East, Peres praised Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his prime minister, Salam Fayyad for their state-building efforts, including the establishment of an independent military force. State-building is possible without negotiations, the president told the panel, which included Fayyad.

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Walkout is Justified
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Oman Tribune
(Editorial) January 25, 2012 - 1:00am

Palestinians have threatened to cut off exploratory talks with Israel as construction of settlements on their occupied lands continues unabated. Walking away from the dialogue table by January 26 in Amman will be a forced move by Palestinians who don’t see these talks, being held in the presence of the Peace Quartet (United Nations, European Union, United States and Russia), going anywhere. The main hurdle in this direction, as the Palestinian negotiators have repeated time and again, is Israel’s refusal to freeze settlement activity in areas under occupation.

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Reexamining the Arab Peace Initiative
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Huffington Post
by Michael Sharnoff - (Opinion) January 25, 2012 - 1:00am

The series of direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians which began in Amman on January 3 are scheduled to end on January 26. While the Middle East Quartet may extend this deadline to continue negotiations, it appears this would have little effect in formulating any comprehensive agreement. Neither side genuinely believes a breakthrough will occur. The PLO has threatened that if Israel does not halt all settlement activity in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, it would not only abandon diplomacy, but it would pursue "harsh" unilateral measures to gain statehood and recognition.

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Palestinians and Israelis Don’t Agree on New Talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Isabel Kershner - January 25, 2012 - 1:00am

RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, said Wednesday that a round of exploratory discussions with Israel under Jordanian auspices had ended. But he left open the possibility of a resumption of contacts under certain conditions and after consultations with Arab League representatives on Feb. 4. Jordan played host to five meetings this month between Israeli and Palestinian envoys as part of an international effort to get the sides back to formal peace negotiations after a break of more than a year.

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EU working on Israeli incentives package for PA
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Elior Levy - January 25, 2012 - 1:00am

Israeli envoy Attorney Yitzhak Molcho met with Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat for the fifth time in Amman on Wednesday. Palestinian sources said at the end of the meeting that as far as they’re concerned the talks can be declared a failure.

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Encountering Peace: Breakthrough dynamic
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Gershon Baskin - (Opinion) January 25, 2012 - 1:00am

We are about to enter another one of those critical weeks in the chronicles of our peoples. Decisions with historic consequences could be made by the Israeli and Palestinian leaders in the coming days. Neither Israel nor Palestine has a real strategic alternative to a negotiated peace agreement that leads to the establishment of a nation-state of the Palestinian people, Palestine, next to the nation-state of the Jewish people, Israel, and the end of the conflict.

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Palestinian Leader Says Low-Level Talks With Israel Have Ended, But Doesn’t Rule Out Extension
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
January 25, 2012 - 1:00am

RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Palestinian president says exploratory talks with Israel on resuming full-fledged peace negotiations have run their course. Mahmoud Abbas said Wednesday that he’ll consult with the Arab League next week on whether to extend them. He spoke in Jordan after meeting King Abdullah II. The Palestinians face mounting international pressure not to walk away. EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton is talking to Abbas and Israel’s prime minister about this in the next two days.

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Abbas Wants Jordan Meeting to be Last
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
January 25, 2012 - 1:00am

AMMAN, Jordan (Ma'an) -- Palestinian Authority officials asserted Wednesday that President Mahmoud Abbas "refused and will continue to refuse” holding more meetings between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in Jordan. Palestinian and Israeli negotiators are scheduled to hold a fifth meeting in Amman on Wednesday in an attempt to resume face-to-face peace negotiations and sort out unresolved issues.

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