November 22, 2007

Middle East News: World Press Roundup

The LA Times looks at continuing uncertainty regarding the Annapolis meeting after the issuing of invitations by the U.S. (2.) Angus Reid Global Monitor reviews the results of the latest survey of Palestinian public opinion by the West Bank An-Najah university, revealing a high degree of support for the Abbas/Fayyad government (4.) The Forward reports on increasing pressure on Israel by the U.S. to effect a serious settlement freeze (7.) An IHT opinion by former U.S. ambassador Kurtzer and USIP fellow Lasensky offer tips to maximize chances of success for the Annapolis meeting (9.) Inter Press Service looks at the opposition to the Annapolis meeting coming from neocon hawks in the U.S. associated with Israel's Likud (10.) The Independent (UK) reports on a Palestinian document prepared for the December Paris donors conference that serves as a blueprint for statehood and outlines projected security, fiscal and political reforms (11.) BBC (UK) analyzes the risks and possibilities for Israeli-Palestinian peace associated with the Annapolis meeting (12.) A Daily Star (Lebanon) opinion by Rami Khouri urges Arab participants at Annapolis to seize the initiative and use the Annapolis meeting to present their issues with clarity and conviction (16.) A Haaretz (Israel) opinion by Akiva Eldar analyzes the obstructionist elements to the Annapolis meeting and to negotiations with the Palestinians (17.)

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Analysis: The Possibilities Of Annapolis

The other day in Washington a colleague of mine asked the White House press secretary what journalists should call the Middle Eastern event that is about to happen in Annapolis. The press secretary did not offer any advice. An aide suggested "get together".

Maybe the aide was being mischievous. But words like summit or peace conference are being discouraged. Expectations for the meeting in Annapolis are being minimised.

If you want to be right about the Middle East, it usually pays to be pessimistic.

The Measure Of Annapolis

Jerusalem is buzzing with activity. There is anxious speculation about the status of the joint Israeli-Palestinian declaration intended to be the centrepiece of next week's meeting in Annapolis, Maryland. Israel has announced a settlement freeze, the Palestinians are deploying troops in Nablus. With the invitations now finally issued, eyes are on who will attend - and at what level. Visiting dignitaries are doing the rounds, keen to avoid failure by showing their support. The Israeli-Palestinian peace circus is back in town.

Reinventing The Mideast Wheel

It is infuriating when one spends hours reviewing all the give-and-take about the perfunctory meeting in Annapolis next week to kick-start Palestinian-Israeli negotiations for a final settlement only to realise that one does not need to reinvent the wheel.

All that needs to be done is there and has been available for more than 40 years!

America Holds The Key To Mideast Peace

The absurd and tragic thing about the inability of the Israelis and Palestinians to work out a final peace settlement is that, compared with many conflicts, the terms of a settlement are not difficult to delineate and most impartial experts are agreed on them.

They are as set out in a public letter jointly issued by the New America Foundation and other bodies. Key points are a territorial settlement on the basis of the 1967 borders and that Palestinian refugees give up the demand of return to Israel in return for massive compensation.

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