A West Bank Ruin, Reborn as a Peace Beacon
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Ethan Bronner - September 10, 2008 - 8:00pm

Pessimism is a steady companion these days for advocates of Middle East peace. A lame-duck Israeli government is negotiating with a weak Palestinian leadership in the twilight of an unpopular American administration. Few forecast success. But a quiet revolution is stirring here in this city, once a byword for the extremes of violence between Israelis and Palestinians. In 2002, in response to a wave of suicide bombers from Jenin, Israeli tanks leveled entire neighborhoods.

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Oslo's failure led to the rise of Hamas
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons
by Ghassan Khatib - (Opinion) September 9, 2008 - 8:00pm

The future of Jerusalem has yet again presented itself as one of the most difficult issues in final status negotiations. This is not to say that other issues are either easy or have already been resolved, but the issues of Jerusalem and refugees appear the hardest to crack.

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Arabs, Muslims and Palestinians have the same position
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons
by Ghassan Khatib - (Opinion) September 8, 2008 - 8:00pm

The future of Jerusalem has yet again presented itself as one of the most difficult issues in final status negotiations. This is not to say that other issues are either easy or have already been resolved, but the issues of Jerusalem and refugees appear the hardest to crack.

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Palestinian Public Opinion Poll No (29)
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Palestinian Center For Policy And Survey Research
September 8, 2008 - 8:00pm

These are the results of the latest poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip between 28 and 30 August 2008. This period witnessed a relative consolidation of the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip and the release by Israel of about 200 Palestinian prisoners as a gesture to President Mahmud Abbas.

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The 2008 Democratic Party Platform and the Middle East
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Foreign Policy In Focus
by Stephen Zunes - September 4, 2008 - 8:00pm

The excitement over the nomination of Barack Obama as the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party has been tempered by some key foreign policy planks in the 2008 platform, particularly those relating to the greater Middle East region. These positions appear to run counter to Obama's pledge early in the primary race to end the mindset that led to the Iraq War.

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Olmert Grasps at Straws as Kadima Primary Heats Up
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Middle East Times
by Mel Frykberg - September 2, 2008 - 8:00pm

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is trying desperately to salvage what remains of his tattered reputation in a last ditch bid to achieve some success on the Palestinian-Israeli front before he steps down as premier in the next couple of weeks. Last week he underwent his seventh interrogation in the last few months by Israeli police on allegations of fraud and accepting bribes.

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Olmert jeopardizing our future
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
(Editorial) September 2, 2008 - 8:00pm

How many goals can a player score against his own team at the end of a game? You should ask our prime minister, who knows something about soccer. How much damage will he be causing the team, that is, to us, in order to somehow turn into a star despite all? Has he decided to insist on finalizing an agreement with Mahmoud Abbas (another lowly bench player) this year just for the sake of being remembered as someone who did something? Is he trying to forcefully get a foothold in the annals of history, as the gates are closing?

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Egypt, Jordan wary of partial Israeli-Palestinian deal
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
September 2, 2008 - 8:00pm

Egypt opposes an Israeli-Palestinian partial agreement because Cairo doesn't think such a deal would end the conflict in the region, and Jordan fears that such an agreement would force it to take in hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees. The Egyptian and Jordanian position is encouraging to the Palestinian Authority, which opposes an agreement in principle. In talks with the PA, Israel has suggested signing a partial agreement in a bid to realize the goal of reaching an Israeli-Palestinian deal by the end of this year. That goal was set at the Annapolis summit last November.

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Forcing the neighbors into play
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons
by Ghassan Khatib - September 2, 2008 - 12:00am

The Israeli strategy for dealing with the Palestinians has changed significantly since the first agreement was reached between the two sides in 1993. This change is forcing Jordan and Egypt, unwillingly, to adapt.

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ISRAEL: Olmert Has a Last Go at a Legacy
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Inter Press Service (IPS)
by Peter Hirschberg - August 28, 2008 - 8:00pm

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert may have announced that he will resign as soon as his ruling Kadima party has chosen a new leader next month, but that doesn't mean the prime minister has given up hope of reaching an agreement with the Palestinians or the Syrians. Details of Olmert's peace proposal to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas were recently leaked to the press, and the prime minister's aides are scheduled to head back to Istanbul for another round of indirect talks with Syrian officials.

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