Bush jump-starts peace talks a day ahead of Annapolis summit
Washington Post Nov 26, 07 4:01 PM CST
(Newser)
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On the eve of the Mideast peace summit, which begins tomorrow in Annapolis, President Bush held separate talks with Ehud Olmert and Mahmoud Abbas today in the Oval Office, reports the Washington Post. Between meetings, Bush thanked both leaders for participating in the talks and said he was “optimistic” that a peace agreement could be reached.
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Peace center will distribute games to Israelis, Palestinians during US talks
Associated Press Nov 25, 07 4:12 PM CST
(Newser)
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A computer game that promotes peace in the Middle East will be distributed to Palestinians and Israelis this week while their leaders meet in the US to negotiate, the Associated Press reports. “PeaceMaker” players choose roles as Israeli or Palestinian leaders and respond to attacks from the opposing side. Leaders who launch counter-attacks don’t thrive in the game.
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Prez's late peace push faces bigger problems than Clinton's failed effort
Reuters Nov 25, 07 8:00 AM CST
(Newser)
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George Bush, like Bill Clinton before him, is making a last-minute push to broker Arab-Israeli peace, but with much steeper odds, says Reuters' Arshad Mohammed. Bush, Mahmoud Abbas, and Ehud Olmert are all unpopular, especially compared to their 2000 counterparts—Clinton, Yasser Arafat, and Ehud Barak. “When Clinton tried both sides actually felt they could do it,” said an Arab diplomat. Now, neither does.
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Egyptian prez on board for next week's Annapolis summit
New York Times Nov 20, 07 6:33 PM CST
(Newser)
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Saying "Now is the right time for a comprehensive peace," Hosni Mubarak today endorsed next week's Middle East summit in Annapolis, the Times reports. The Egyptian president's backing boosted hopes that more Arab states will take part. “Obviously we would hope that Egypt’s position will be representative of a larger Arab position,” said an Israeli spokesman.
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Israeli PM courts Arab support ahead of next week's peace talks
Reuters Nov 19, 07 9:23 AM CST
(Newser)
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Ehud Olmert today requested the release of 441 Palestinian prisoners and promised to stop building new settlements on the West Bank, in the hope of bolstering Arab enthusiasm for upcoming talks on Palestinian statehood. But the gesture was received coolly: Mahmoud Abbas had asked for 2,000 prisoners, and the West Bank offer, which did not cover expansion of existing settlements, showed no new concessions, Reuters reports.
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Israelis probe PM's perks, appointments
Reuters Nov 11, 07 10:05 AM CST
(Newser)
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Israeli police confiscated documents from 20 sites today as part of a probe into fraud allegations against PM Ehud Olmert, reports Reuters. Some 100 department of fraud officers stormed the trade and industry ministry, the Jewish National Fund, and private law offices, among others. Olmert is accused of securing an illegal discount on a luxury home he purchased in Jerusalem.
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Palestinian president speculates on statehood before Bush leaves office
Washington Post Nov 5, 07 9:50 AM CST
(Newser)
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The Palestinians and the Israelis can broker peace before George Bush leaves office in January 2009, Mahmoud Abbas said today in a press conference with Condoleezza Rice. The Palestinian president parroted a statement last night by Israeli PM Ehud Olmert. Putting the leaders on the same page is an achievement in itself, says the Washington Post , but both are politically weak.
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Low expectations for weekend trip, with little concrete progress
Reuters Nov 1, 07 5:10 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders this weekend in order to create a document of joint principles as a prerequisite to a peace conference expected later this month. For fear of killing the conference before it begins, the document will contain few hard-core specifics, instead focusing on a general push towards reconciliation, Reuters reports.
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Diagnosis won't interfere with work, Israeli PM promises,
as peace talks loom
Reuters Oct 29, 07 7:07 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Israeli PM Ehud Olmert has prostate cancer, he announced today, and will undergo minor surgery to treat it. He said his medical condition is not life-threatening and would not affect his ability to govern. “From what my doctors have told me, this is a microscopic growth that can be removed with a brief surgical intervention,” he said.
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Palestinian prez ordered Fatah elite force to attack, say Israeli officials
AFP Oct 22, 07 3:39 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Israel thwarted a plot by Fatah militants to attack a convoy carrying Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to the West Bank town of Jericho in August, AFP reports. Plotters reportedly included members of an elite group directly under the command of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Three men were arrested by Palestinian police and later released.
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Associated Press Oct 15, 07 2:20 PM CDT
(Newser)
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It is time for the establishment of a Palestinian state, Condoleezza Rice said today in Ramallah. A two-state solution is "absolutely essential for the future, not just of Palestinians and Israelis but also for the Middle East and indeed to American interests," she said after meeting with Mahmoud Abbas ahead of next month's peace conference.
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Ynetnews.com Sep 10, 07 7:37 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Israel is unlikely to release up to 100 prisoners scheduled for release, Yediot Aharonot reports. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are in meetings today in advance of a summit in Washington. Israel normally releases some non-violent prisoners as a goodwill gesture at Ramadan, but officials say the release is tenuous this year.
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Israel to reroute barrier that divides people from their land
Guardian (UK) Sep 4, 07 6:14 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Palestinian villagers have won their day in court and forced Israel to reroute the building of a disputed security barrier, the Guardian reports. Despite recent rocket attacks, Israel’s supreme court ruled that the barrier did not have to cut through the villagers’ fields over safety concerns. The defense ministry has said that it will “study the ruling and respect it.”
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