Iran, Hezbollah Seek to Attack More Israeli Targets Abroad, Official Says ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - February 17, 2012 - 1:00am Iranian and Hezbollah operatives are still seeking to attack Israeli targets in several countries, Israel's Counterterrorism Bureau indicated on Friday, warning Israeli citizens to adhere to the directives of local security forces. The remarks, given during a press briefing, came after earlier Friday Thai security forces have upped alertness levels in the country's international airports and rail system over what local police is saying is an Israeli warning against new terror attacks. » Read more

Hezbollah Denies Attacks Against Israeli Targets ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua February 17, 2012 - 1:00am BEIRUT, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- The head of Shiite armed group Hezbollah denied Thursday his party's involvement in recent security incidents in India, Georgia and Thailand against Israeli diplomats. "We, in Hezbollah, played no part in these incidents," Hasan Nasrallah said during a televised speech during a rally to commemorate Hezbollah's slain commanders. Israel has accused Iran and its ally Hezbollah of standing behind unsuccessful plots targeting Israeli officials in various countries this week. Iran has also dismissed the claims. » Read more

The Cyprus connection ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post (Editorial) February 16, 2012 - 1:00am Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s historic trip Thursday to Cyprus – the first by an Israeli prime minister – is being presented by many as a direct result of Israel’s deteriorating relations with Turkey. » Read more

Nablus Village at the Center of Settler Violence ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency by Charlie Hoyle - February 17, 2012 - 1:00am ASIRA AL-QIBLIYA (Ma'an) -- A drive along the northern section of route 60 paints a telling picture of the physical geography of settlements and settler violence in the West Bank. Winding through picturesque Nablus countryside, the main north-south highway acts as a boundary between Israeli settlements on one side and Palestinian villages on the other. Overlooked by these illegal hilltop residences, local Palestinians are all too familiar with the disadvantages of the neighborly proximity, especially given that the Nablus district experienced the majority of settler violence in 2011. » Read more

Whose city is it anyway? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Esther Zandberg - (Analysis) February 16, 2012 - 1:00am The photos are recognizable from everyday life. In one corner of a public park, boys are getting ready for a ball game, setting up goals and marking off territory that strangers should not dare approach. In other corners, large groups gather for birthday parties or family picnics and mark off a patch of grass with flags and balloons. Others light barbecues under the trees despite the signs warning against doing so. » Read more

Striking Iran's nuclear program is out of Israel's league ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Yoel Marcus - (Opinion) February 17, 2012 - 1:00am Our favorite duo, Bibi and Barak, operate like Sylvester Stallone's Rambo. Real macho men who win in every movie. Against his powerful enemies, Rambo sweats, gets a black eye or two, bleeds, but in the end he wins, to the appropriate background music. Rambo's weakness, at least early in his films, is that he doesn't seem to think ahead, even when he's bleeding after what happened to him. The viewers in the movie theater know that the blood is paint and in the end he'll be victorious. » Read more

Fayyad: PA Operating in Jerusalem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency February 17, 2012 - 1:00am RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- The prime minister in Ramallah said Wednesday that the Palestinian Authority was working inside occupied East Jerusalem, despite Israeli restrictions on PA activities. The PA is continuously trying to allocate resources inside the city, which Israel occupied in 1967, Salam Fayyad said. The Israeli government is trying to impose its policies to control Jerusalem and its institutions, which is contrary to international law and signed agreements, Fayyad said. » Read more

Condolences Pour in After Deadly Crash ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency February 17, 2012 - 1:00am BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Condolences poured in from near and far Thursday, as Palestinians mourned the deaths of at least five children in a fiery accident south of Ramallah. Some 39 others were injured in addition to the five children and their teacher who perished when a school bus and truck collided on a field trip, Palestinian medical officials said. Israeli leaders were among the first to extend condolences; President Shimon Peres phoned his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas to express sorrow, Israeli media reported. » Read more

Airport security can't treat Arab Israelis like suspicious objects ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Editorial) February 17, 2012 - 1:00am Yara Mashour wanted to return to her home in Israel. A natural-born citizen and the editor of a popular Israeli weekly, she arrived at an El Al counter in a Milan airport this week, her passport and an airline ticket in hand. What happened next is what happens to almost every Arab Israeli traveler: She was singled out, put through rigorous security checks, asked ridiculous, humiliatingly intimate questions and had her baggage thoroughly searched. But when it reached the stage of a body search, Mashour, a proud citizen, refused, choosing instead to give up her flight. » Read more

Palestinians Mourn Schoolchildren in Bus Attack ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Maher Abukhater - February 17, 2012 - 1:00am REPORTING FROM RAMALLAH, WEST BANK –- At least six people, including five Palestinian chidren, were killed Thursday when their bus collided with a truck and overturned outside Ramallah during a school field trip. Palestinian police and medics said the children, ages 4 to 7, and their teacher were killed instantly and another 30 children were injured, seven seriously. The accident, in which the bus caught fire after the collision, took place in rainy and foggy conditions. » Read more