November 16, 2007

Middle East News: World Press Roundup

The New York Times examines the tougher line Palestinian president Abbas has been taking against Hamas (1.) Israel Policy Forum analyzes how the Palestinian West Bank/Gaza political division threatens Israel's security and Palestinian statehood prospects (3.) A Financial Times (UK) opinion by Philip Stevens is skeptical of the Annapolis meeting due to its focus (4.)The Independent (UK) looks at how Israeli border closures have impacted the Palestinian strawberry crop and its export out of Gaza (6.) A Guardian (UK) comment by Jonathan Steele examines how the justice of the Palestinian cause has endured despite the failure to-date of achieving statehood (7.) An Asharq Alawsat (pan Arab) opinion by editor-in-chief Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed takes Hamas to task for its rule in Gaza and its violence against fellow Palestinians (9.) A Haaretz (Israel) opinion by Danny Rubinstein documents the disintegration of the Palestinian national movement (11.) Also in Haaretz, an opinion by Yonatan Touval suggests that the text of an invitation letter to the Annapolis meeting include reference to borders, refugees and Jerusalem (12.)

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Leaked E-mail Pitches Prince Charles Into Heart Of Row Over Royal Visit To Israel

The Prince of Wales was embroiled last night in a diplomatic row after the leaking of e-mails in which his senior staff made disparaging comments about Israel.

Internal e-mails between two of the Prince’s closest aides make clear that there was “no chance ever” of Clarence House accepting an invitation to visit Jerusalem. The e-mails, published in The Jewish Chronicle today, also disclose a fear that Israel would want the Prince “to help burnish its international image”.

Israel's Economic Blockade Stops Gaza's Strawberry-farmers Selling Their Crop

Almost all of Gaza's turbulent story is bound up with Jamil Abu Hmaideh's strawberry fields here in the far north of the strip. Between two wispy clouds high in the blue sky above us, two Israeli Apache helicopters hover on the look-out for the Qassam rocket-launching crews as we bite into the luscious, perfectly ripened fruit Mr Hmaideh has picked for us.

The Palestinian Path To Peace Does Not Go Via Annapolis

As the United States-sponsored Israeli-Palestinian meeting in Annapolis, Maryland, approaches, the key question is what follows when it fails. Fiasco is looming, so what do the Palestinians do next? In their decades-long bid for justice, they have already tried everything.

From Payer To Player In The Mideast

The European Union’s policy in the Middle East is the litmus test of its common foreign and security policy. Many Europeans share this belief, but, as the EU considers entering the fray of Middle East peace talks, it must respond to former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon’s jibe that in the region “you are payers, not players”.

Israel Exhibits Its True Colours

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.

Deserting A Sinking Ship

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.

Crafting The Invitation To Annapolis

As the date for the Annapolis summit nears and doubts increase over the ability of Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a joint document outlining how they intend to resolve the core issues of the conflict, the time has come for the United States to step in and draft a letter of invitation.

Top Donors Criticize Aipac

Two top donors to AIPAC are raising objections over its support for a congressional letter that urges the Bush administration to increase assistance to the Palestinian Authority.

Sheldon Adelson, a casino magnate ranked by Forbes as the third wealthiest American and the sixth wealthiest man in the world, told JTA he raised the issue in a phone call with Howard Kohr, the executive director of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

An active Republican, Adelson likened AIPAC to a friend assisting Israel's suicide.

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