Middle East News: World Press Roundup

ATFP President fields a question on the nuances between Palestinian and U.S. positions on the peace process (1). Reuters previews U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice return trip to the Middle East (4) as the Daily Star opines on the fading credibility of the peace process (10). The British Government urges Israel to lift the Gaza Blockade (9). ATFP Board Member George Hishmeh pens a column on the current state of the negotiations (5). Finally, Gershom Gorenber looks at the online war of words to define narrative in the American Prospect.

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Egypt Brings Gaza-truce Offer To Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line by Media Line Staff - May 1, 2008 - 5:20pm Egyptian Intelligence Chief ‘Umar Suleiman is arriving in Israel soon to hear Israel’s official response to Egypt’s cease-fire proposal for Gaza.   Cairo wants Israel to accept a deal that was agreed upon by 12 Palestinian factions, including Hamas.   Israel is being cautious about its response to the truce idea. » Read more

Condoleezza Rice Returns To The Mideast On Saturday ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters May 1, 2008 - 5:21pm U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice this weekend makes her fourth visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories since the November Annapolis peace conference with little to show for the U.S. effort. Traveling ahead of President George W. Bush's May 13-18 trip to Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, Rice left Washington on Thursday and will see officials on both sides - including in three-way sessions - to assess a peace negotiation with no visible sign of progress. » Read more

To Trust The Us Is To Take A Big Risk ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Gulf News by George S. Hishmeh - (Opinion) May 1, 2008 - 5:22pm Frankly, so far nothing has been achieved." This was the startling yet straightforward statement of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas after his failure in Washington last week to have the US President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice exercise some arms-twisting in the stalled Palestinian-Israeli negotiations. » Read more

Journalists In The Line Of Fire ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Middle East Times by Mel Frykberg - May 1, 2008 - 5:23pm While Palestinian journalists staged a sit-in in Gaza city to protest the killing of 23-year-old Reuters cameraman Fadel Shana and Lebanese journalists protested the killing in Beirut, Reuters Editor-in-Chief David Schlesinger called for an investigation. Shana was the latest victim of nine journalists killed by the Israelis in the West Bank and Gaza in the last decade. The cameraman was killed several weeks ago in central Gaza as he filmed Israeli forces exchanging fire with Palestinian gunmen. » Read more

Abdallah Meets Olmert, Urges Peace Pact In 2008 ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News by Abdul Jalil Mustafa - May 1, 2008 - 5:24pm Jordan’s King Abdallah conferred yesterday in Amman with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and urged the Israelis and the Palestinians to reach a peace treaty before the end of the year, an official statement said. Olmert paid a whirlwind visit to Jordan as part of Abdallah’s endeavors aimed at pushing Israel and the Palestinians to speed up their stalled negotiations on core issues, Jerusalem, the settlements, the frontiers and refugees, according to the statement from the royal court. » Read more

British Government Urges Israel To Lift Gaza Blockade ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Kuwait News Agency (kuna) May 1, 2008 - 5:24pm The British Government Thursday urged Israel to lift its blockade of Gaza and abide by international humanitarian law. Opening a House of Commons debate on the Middle East ahead of tomorrow's major international meeting on the peace process in London, Britains Foreign Office Minister Kim Howells warned that Israeli action was having a "grave impact" on life in the territory. » Read more

Rice Is Right: Palestinian-israeli Peace Talks Are Losing Credibility ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star (Editorial) May 1, 2008 - 5:25pm US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice unwittingly demonstrated much of what ails the Palestinian-Israeli peace process on Tuesday. In a speech to the American Jewish Committee in Washington, she proffered a laundry list of reasons why time is running out for a two-state solution - and each of them is a direct result of failed US policy. » Read more

The Moment Before The Respite ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Editorial) May 1, 2008 - 5:25pm The Egyptian effort to achieve a cease-fire on the Israeli-Palestinian front seemed close to success yesterday, at least in terms of achieving the consent of the Palestinian side. This assessment must be made with reservations, because negotiations on such complex issues, and with a dozen Palestinian factions, are liable to fail even at the last moment. In any case, it looks as though we can already now praise the seriousness of the Egyptian activity, designed to mediate between the Palestinians and Israel. » Read more

Denying Palestinians Free Movement ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Palestine Chronicle by Stephen Lendman - (Opinion) May 5, 2008 - 5:20pm This article summarizes an August 2007 B'Tselem report now available in print. It's one of a series of studies it conducts on life in Occupied Palestine to reveal what major media accounts suppress. This one is titled: "Ground to a Halt - Denial of Palestinians' Freedom of Movement in the West Bank." » Read more

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