Middle East News: World Press Roundup

In the American Prospect, Gershom Gorenberg analyzes how archaeology is used at the Haram Sharif/Temple Mount to underline claims of sovereignty and draws an important lesson from the 2001 Camp David talks (2.) Reuters examines the many challenges facing Secretary Rice in bringing Israelis and Palestinians to agree on a joint document for the fall meeting as well as on entering formal statehood talks after that (4.) In the Middle East Times, Claude Salhani reports on the ATFP's DC gala at which Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns reiterated Secretary Rice's assertion that the time for establishing a Palestinian state was now (6.) A Forward editorial urges Israel seize the opportunity for peace between Israel and Syria and the Palestinians, warning of the consequences for Israel in not doing so (7.) In Israel Policy Forum, MJ Rosenberg lays out why the right-wing Israeli and Jewish American claims that Jerusalem is in danger of being 'divided' are in reality a scare tactic meant to oppose peace efforts (9.) The Financial Times (UK) looks at Palestinian indifference on the street regarding the fall meeting for reasons relating to both internal division and Israel actions on the ground (11.) A Jordan Times (Jordan) opinion by George Hishmeh argues for an Israeli commitment to the Non-Proliferation treaty (14.) A Jerusalem Post (Israel) opinion by former Israeli Foreign Ministry director-general David Kimche urges Israel to capitalize on the current opportunity to achieve a two-state solution before its time passes and the one-state solution becomes the default option (15.)

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National Security Adviser To Travel To Middle East ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Michael Abramowitz - October 19, 2007 - 4:21pm National Security Adviser Stephen J. Hadley will head to the Middle East next week, the latest in a procession of senior U.S. officials trying to keep nascent Israeli-Palestinian talks on track in advance of a possible peace conference later this fall. The trip was disclosed by officials traveling with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who was in the British capital for talks with Jordan's King Abdullah II after spending four days shuttling between Israel, Egypt and the West Bank. » Read more

Analysis-gruelling Road Ahead For Rice On Middle East Peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Adam Entous, Arshad Mohammed - October 19, 2007 - 4:26pm The battle over the agenda of a conference on Palestinian statehood offers U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice a glimpse of the gruelling process that awaits if and when the two sides enter formal negotiations. The odds of ultimate success are slim at best unless the Bush administration, which once derided what it called former U.S. President Bill Clinton's "shoot the moon" diplomacy, can bring weakened Israeli and Palestinian leaders to take risks their predecessors would not accept, former negotiators said. » Read more

The Roadblocks To Another Mideast Summit ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Joshua Mitnick, Dan Murphy - October 19, 2007 - 4:29pm Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spent four days in the Middle East this week to drum up support for an international summit that the US hopes will push the moribund Israeli-Palestinian peace process forward. » Read more

How Israel Thinks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward (Editorial) October 19, 2007 - 4:32pm Israel’s foreign intelligence service, the Mossad, recently concluded that Syria is sincere in its offers to make peace with Israel in exchange for Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights. The assessment was reported last week in the mass-circulation Israeli daily Yediot Aharonot, based on sources within the Mossad. » Read more

Arab Neighbors May Hold Key ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA) by Leslie Susser - October 19, 2007 - 4:33pm As the Annapolis peace parley rapidly approaches, some of the Arab and Muslim players expected to play a key role in creating conditions for a favorable outcome are proving to be more of an obstacle than an asset. Egypt, Syria and Turkey have been complicating efforts to hold what function changefontSize(id,size,line) { document.getElementById(id).style.fontSize = size; document.getElementById(id).style.lineHeight = line; } the United States envisions to be a tipping point in the long-dormant peace process. » Read more

Jerusalem: “sharing” Not “dividing” ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Israel Policy Forum by M.J. Rosenberg - (Opinion) October 19, 2007 - 4:34pm Here is the only thing you need to know about Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s plan to divide Jerusalem: there is no such plan. There never was one and it is safe to say that there will never be one. Nor is there a plan by any other Israeli leader to divide Jerusalem. Additionally, neither Mahmoud Abbas nor the Palestinian Authority he heads favors the division of Jerusalem. From Olmert to Ramon to Beilin to Abbas and Fayyad, there is not a single proposal to divide the city. So what is all the yelling about? » Read more

Progress Eludes Condoleezza Rice In Middle East Talks ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Times by Richard Beeston - (Editorial) October 19, 2007 - 4:41pm After five days of shuttle diplomacy, Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, returned home empty-handed yesterday, having failed to pin down participants, an agenda or a firm date for a planned Middle East peace conference. At the end of a punishing round of talks with Israeli, Palestinian and Arab leaders, Dr Rice said that she was “encouraged” by her mission, but admitted that serious obstacles remained. » Read more

When It Comes To Diplomatic Contests, Israel Tends To Win By Default ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star (Editorial) October 19, 2007 - 4:42pm Israel offered a free lesson to its Arab and Islamic neighbors on Thursday, launching a diplomatic offensive designed to gain Russian and Chinese acquiescence in new UN sanctions against Iran over that country's nuclear program. Immediately following Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Tehran for a summit of Caspian Sea littoral states, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert headed for Moscow, and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni reportedly will travel to Beijing on Saturday. » Read more

The Missing Link ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times by George Hishmeh - (Opinion) October 19, 2007 - 4:46pm The continued give-and-take over the predawn Israeli air strike at an unmanned Syrian site, reportedly a nascent nuclear facility close to the Turkish border, remains a mystery several weeks after it happened. Even the United Nations watchdog organisation handling nuclear issues, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has pleaded ignorance on the subject. » Read more

Annapolis Summit Requires Commitment ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Middle East Progress by Ziad Asali - (Opinion) October 22, 2007 - 1:14pm Condoleezza Rice met with Middle East leaders this week to prepare the Annapolis meeting that has become ever more critical to illustrating the administration’s renewed focus on resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict. Measures of success for the Annapolis summit are important, not simply for “grading” the session, but for setting up a framework to analyze progress moving forward. » Read more

Back To The Iranian Arena ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Aluf Benn, Shmuel Rosner - (Opinion) October 22, 2007 - 1:28pm Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona began his remarks with a joke about erstwhile movie star Zsa Zsa Gabor. After her wedding to her fifth husband, the guests had gone home and the husband was perplexed. I know what I am supposed to do now, he said to her, but as husband No. 5, I'm not certain I can do it in an interesting way. » Read more

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