Israel plays down scope of future settler projects
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Dan Williams - (Analysis) September 24, 2010 - 12:00am

JERUSALEM, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Israel urged the Palestinians on Friday not to abandon recently resumed peace negotiations over the imminent expiry of a West Bank settlement moratorium, saying any new construction projects would be limited in scope. The scheduled end on Sunday of the 10-month partial halt to building in Jewish settlements has drawn Palestinian threats to quit the talks sponsored by U.S. President Barack Obama, who has repeatedly called on Israel to extend the freeze.

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Obama calls on Arab nations to support peace talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Christi Parsons, Paul Richter - September 24, 2010 - 12:00am

President Obama on Thursday pushed Arab nations to provide more political and financial support for the Middle East peace effort, warning that they should not risk the failure of the latest initiative if they truly seek an independent Palestinian state and stability across the region. Obama deplored efforts — assisted by some Arab and Muslim countries — to isolate or "delegitimize" Israel.

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Jerusalem remains on lockdown following clashes
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
September 24, 2010 - 12:00am

Checkpoints were erected at the entrances to several Jerusalem neighborhoods on Friday, with soldiers preventing residents from leaving the areas in several cases, witnesses said. Hundreds of police and border officers were deployed around the Old City, with 3,000 in total across East Jerusalem, officials estimated. Israeli Police Commander in Chief Dudi Cohen reportedly decided to maintain the state of alert declared Friday morning in the city, extending it through the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.

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The government must stop funding zealotry in Jerusalem
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
(Editorial) September 24, 2010 - 12:00am

The circumstances under which a private security guard fired at demonstrators in Silwan in East Jerusalem, killing a local man, Samar Sirhan, still need to be clarified. The police are investigating the guard's version of events, that he had to fire at people throwing stones who were endangering his life. Presumably the police will also look into the rules of engagement the security company gives its guards, and whether it properly trains them to deal with such situations.

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Hope for peace talks remain despite tensions in east Jerusalem
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Independent
by Catrina Stewart - September 23, 2010 - 12:00am

The Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, has said he may remain in peace talks even if the Israelis resume construction in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank after a 10-month building moratorium expires. His comments signal a dramatic about-turn days before the end of the moratorium, and could head off an early challenge to the newly revived peace negotiations.

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Settlement must stop if Israel wants talks to go on: Abbas
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
September 23, 2010 - 12:00am

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday told Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak that settlement must stop if Israel wants direct peace talks between the two sides to go on and succeed. Palestinian state-run news agency "Wafa" quoted Palestinian Presidency spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeineh as saying that Abbas' statements were made during a meeting with Barak in New York. The leaders are attending the 65th General Assembly convention of the United Nations together with most of the world's leaders.

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NY Jewish group calls Fayyad meeting 'unprecedented'
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
September 23, 2010 - 12:00am

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad met with leaders from The Israel Project in New York on Tuesday, telling his audience that he would try to eliminate incitement against Israelis as talks continue. A statement from the group called the event, and its question and answer period "unprecedented," saying some 65 business, political and religious leaders from America's Jewish community attended the event, held in a private Manhattan home.

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Settlers: Damage caused by construction freeze is long term
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Aviel Magnezi - September 22, 2010 - 12:00am

The settler leadership in the West Bank said that initially only a few hundred housing units will be built once the construction moratorium expires on September 26, Ynet reported Tuesday night. One leader said the "damage" caused by the freeze will be mitigated only in the long term. "Estimates by left-wing organizations' saying the construction of about 2,000 housing units will be approved if the freeze ends entirely are fairly accurate, but it won't happen immediately. This process will take some time," he said.

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Gov’t prepares ‘contingency plans’ if direct talks blow up
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Herb Keinon - September 22, 2010 - 12:00am

With five days left until the settlement construction moratorium ends, talks are continuing in the US between Israeli, Palestinian Authority and American officials to find a “creative” solution to the issue, even as Jerusalem was preparing for the possibility the PA may indeed walk away from direct talks over the matter.

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Time for the Palestinians to regroup
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
by Rami Khouri - (Opinion) September 22, 2010 - 12:00am

I was in Amman last week on the same day that US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton passed through for lunch with the king of Jordan and stressed how all the negotiators on the Palestinian-Israeli track were very serious about reaching an agreement. I was also in the Jordan Valley gazing across at some of the Israeli settlements as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas pledged not to negotiate for a moment more if the Israelis continued building settlements after their partial freeze ended this month.

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