Popular committee says organizer tortured ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 23, 2010 - 12:00am An organizer of popular resistance activities in the village of Al-Ma'asara alleged he was tortured while in Israeli prison, a report from the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee said on Monday. According to a statement from the committee, Al-Ma'asara organizer Omar Ala Ad-Din was detained as he passed through the Container checkpoint, an internal West Bank military post, on 14 March. » Read more

Thirsty Gaza residents battle salt, sewage ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Erin Cunningham - March 22, 2010 - 12:00am Activists around the world are marking World Water Day today with school campaigns, films, and concerts – all designed to draw attention to the fact that access to safe drinking water is something 1 in 5 people don't enjoy, while 40 percent of the world's population doesn't have adequate sanitation. » Read more

PA cabinet: No return to violence ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 23, 2010 - 12:00am Ramallah – Ma'an - During its weekly cabinet meeting on Monday, the Palestinian government in Ramallah condemned the killing of four Palestinians in Nablus in less than 24 hours by Israel forces. The cabinet also condemned Israeli military strikes on the Gaza Strip. » Read more

Frankly, Clinton's right ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times (Editorial) March 22, 2010 - 12:00am Friends tell friends when they're wrong, even when they don't want to hear it. That's what Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton did Monday when she told the American pro-Israel lobby that perpetuating the status quo with the Palestinians does not serve Israel's long-term security or U.S. strategic interests, and that "unilateral statements and actions" such as announcing new settlement construction undermine prospects for peace. It's not easy for a U.S. administration to stand up to powerful lobbies, so Clinton deserves credit for her frank remarks. » Read more

International Quartet Statement ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 20, 2010 - 12:00am The Quartet -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, United States Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, United States Special Envoy for Middle East Peace George Mitchell, and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union Catherine Ashton -- met in Moscow on 19 March 2010. They were joined by Quartet Representative Tony Blair. » Read more

Interview - Jewish settler leader sees building boom ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters by Allyn Fisher-Ilan - (Interview) March 23, 2010 - 12:00am Source: Reuters * Settlers leader says it's all Jewish land * Sees no prospect of West Bank withdrawal * Predicts tripling of settlement population By Allyn Fisher-Ilan JERUSALEM, March 23 (Reuters) - Jewish settlement of the West Bank could triple to one million people despite Western pressure to curb the growth of enclaves in occupied land, says a leader of the Israeli settlers' council. » Read more

Hillary Clinton stands firm on Israel construction ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Paul Richter - March 23, 2010 - 12:00am Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton gave no ground Monday on U.S. opposition to Israeli construction in disputed areas, signaling that Washington would continue pressing Israel during two days of high-profile events. Clinton told a powerful, pro-Israel lobbying organization that U.S.-Israeli ties were "rock solid." But she did not retreat from the Obama administration's condemnation this month of Israel's plans for 1,600 new housing units in disputed East Jerusalem. » Read more

U.S. to convey Israeli responses to Palestinians this week: official ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua March 23, 2010 - 12:00am RAMALLAH, March 23 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian leadership will on Thursday receive Israeli explanations through Washington over a U.S. offer to lead indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinians, a Palestinian official said Tuesday. The offer was approved earlier this month, but Israeli plans to expand a Jewish settlement in disputed East Jerusalem shed more doubts on the success of the proximity negotiations before they started. » Read more

Settlements strain Israel's relationships with U.S. and Hillary Clinton ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Dana Milbank - (Opinion) March 23, 2010 - 12:00am As members of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee entered the Washington Convention Center on Monday for their annual conference, a man stood outside, handing out copies of what he called "today's statement." On AIPAC letterhead, the statement trumpeted: "AIPAC Calls on the Israeli Government to Immediately Defuse Tensions with United States; Urges Israel to Freeze All Settlements." » Read more

A strong Obama is good for Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Akiva Eldar - March 23, 2010 - 12:00am Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet a U.S. president Tuesday who is full of vigor and satisfaction. Barack Obama managed, albeit partially, where many other capable people, including his secretary of state, failed completely. The passage of the health reform bill became a true test of the president's strength. It would not be an exaggeration to say that leaders around the world watched the vote in Congress, and while some feared for the future of the president, others hoped that he would stumble and fall. » Read more