February 29, 2008

Middle East News: World Press Roundup

Reuters reports on the comments made by the Israeli Deputy Defense minister about a “bigger Holocaust” being visited upon Gaza by Israel due to the increased rocket attacks (1.) Steven Erlanger reports on the threats, protest and rhetoric in Israel's conflict with Hamas (3.) The spate of attacks and counterattacks that have been carried out by both Palestine and Israel in recent days is detailed in the Independent (4.) The Arab News details the events of the past decade in the peace process, and calls on the International community to intervene in order to ensure that peace becomes a reality (8.) A Haaretz editorial urges Prime Minister Olmert to immerse himself completely in the peace process (9.)

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Second Day Of Violence May Trigger Israel-hamas Escalation

The latest in a series of Israeli airstrikes left at least 20 Palestinians dead Thursday, as Israel considers a new invasion of Gaza to confront Hamas.

Reuters reports that Israeli air strikes in Gaza Thursday killed at least 11 militants believed to be involved in rocket attacks against Israeli towns and cities, as well as several civilians, including several children.

Amid Lull In Gaza Violence, Palestinians Protest, And Israel Threatens Invasion

JERUSALEM: Friday was a day of threats, protest and rhetoric in Israel's conflict with Hamas, with considerably less violence and death than over the previous two days, when some 33 Palestinians died, five of them children, and one Israeli died in the border town of Sderot.

Killed While They Played Football, The Child Victims Of Israel's Revenge On Gaza

Four boys playing football have been killed in Gaza by Israeli air strikes, according to Palestinian officials, as Israel responded to the death of a man from a barrage of rocket attacks with a bloody escalation of violence.

At least 16 Palestinians – including the four children – were killed yesterday as Israel responded to the deadly attacks the previous day.

Far From Glow Of Annapolis, Rice Heads To Mideast

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice travels to Israel and the Palestinian territories next week, with U.S. credibility at stake and peace talks stymied by escalating violence in Hamas-run Gaza.

Three months ago, Israelis and Palestinians pledged at a peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland, that they would seek a deal by the end of the Bush administration in January 2009.

Israel Warns Of Invasion Of Gaza

Israel's deputy defence minister has said Israel will have "no choice" but to invade Gaza if Palestinian militants step up rocket attacks.

Matan Vilnai said Palestinians risked a "shoah", the Hebrew word for a big disaster - and for the Nazi Holocaust.

Mr Vilnai made the comments after rockets hit the city of Ashkelon, 10km (six miles) from Gaza. His colleagues insisted he had not meant "genocide".

Hamas leader Ismail Haniya said it was ready for a large-scale Israeli attack.

An Explosive, Dangerous Balance

It is hard to say who was responsible for fueling the recent uproar over warnings that Palestinian protesters would try to break through the borders and checkpoints of the Gaza Strip. Was it the defense establishment, or perhaps the media? In any case, the hysteria-mongers succeeded all too well, for the mountain became a molehill. The artillery batteries and thousands of Israeli soldiers who stood before a few thousand Palestinian children turned the Israeli response into a fiasco.

Putting The Strategy To The Test

Dozens of rockets are fired every day at southern communities, people are being killed and wounded and struggling to retain their sanity in the face of a threat that disrupts their daily routines, and all the while, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is meeting with Ahmed Qureia (Abu Ala) in an effort to reach a peace agreement. This is the Olmert government's diplomatic strategy. But in order to learn whether it stands a chance, it needs to finally be put to the test.

Kosovo And Palestine: Why Different Standards?

In July 2000, President Clinton, at the insistence of Israel’s Prime Minister Ehud Barak, invited President Arafat and Barak to Camp David. In less than two weeks of intensive negotiations, Clinton expected Arafat and Barak to arrive at a solution to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Incomplete progress was achieved at Camp David, but an agreement was not.

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