To the leftist who has no problem with rocket fire on Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Bradley Burston - (Opinion) March 14, 2012 - 12:00am

War again. Rockets again. Israel assassinates the commander of a radical Palestinian militia coalition in Gaza. In retaliation, gunners in the Strip fire rockets at cities across southern Israel. Israel launches a series of air strikes targeting the launch crews. More than 20 Palestinians are killed and scores injured. In Israel, questions are raised about the wisdom and the necessity of the assassination. Sounds all too familiar. Not much new here, from the looks of it. Back pages, even in the Arab world.

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Israel 'must end imputiny of violence by settlers'
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Independent
by Donald MacIntyre - March 14, 2012 - 12:00am

EU governments, including Britain, have secretly been urged by their top diplomats in Jerusalem and the West Bank to press Israel to enforce laws against Jewish settlers responsible for an "alarming" rise in violence against Palestinians and their property.

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NEWS: An unannounced truce between Israel and militants in Gaza appears to be holding. Some Israelis regard the violence as a "mini-drill" for a conflict with Iran. Israeli officials say relations with Egypt are stable in spite of the flare-up. Islamic Jihad holds a "victory rally" in Gaza. Israelis are urged to avoid Turkey due to potential security threats. Israel's Druze community is divided over military service. The US and Jordan reportedly urge Pres. Abbas to stop threats to dismantle the PA. Palestinian members may play a key role in deciding the leadership race in Kadima. The EU is quietly pushing Israel to end impunity for violent settlers. COMMENTARY: Bradley Burston slams "leftists who have no problem with rocket attacks against Israel." Khaled Abu Toameh says Hamas will now have to get used to the fact that Islamic Jihad is a major rival in Gaza. Yaakov Katz says the new truce won't last more than a few months. Ron Kampeas says after PM Netanyahu's Washington trip, Israel must now decide what to do about Iran. The National says Egypt's role in calming the Israel-Gaza violence shows it needs to play a larger regional role. Filippo Grandi says the BRICS are building a new partnership with UNRWA. The Jordan Times says Israel provoked the latest round of violence and asks why. Tariq Alhomayed says those Palestinians involved in the violence are fighting Assad's battle for him. Yossi Alpher says with the peace process on indefinite hold, people need to think of constructive alternatives. Ghassan Khatib says Palestinians are caught in the middle of tension between the West and Iran.

Israelis See Iran “Mini-Drill” in Gaza Flare Up
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters
by Dan Williams - March 13, 2012 - 12:00am

JERUSALEM, March 13 (Reuters) - Israel has emerged from the past few days of fighting with Palestinians in Gaza more confident that its advanced missile shield and civil defences can perform well in any war with Iran. Describing how the flare-up in violence had provided an impromptu opportunity to test out Israel's defences, one Israeli official said on Tuesday it gave useful indicators for any potential conflict with Tehran: "In a sense, this was a mini-drill," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

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Palestinians Are Caught in the Middle
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons
by Ghassan Khatib - (Opinion) March 12, 2012 - 12:00am

The tension between Iran, on one hand, and Israel and the United States, on the other hand, is growing and having a variety of impacts regionally and internationally. The reason for the increased tension is numerous official statements and periodic leaks over a possible Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear facilities as a way to prevent it from becoming a nuclear power.

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It’s Not Iran
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons
by Yossi Alpher - (Opinion) March 12, 2012 - 12:00am

The Israeli-Palestinian peace process, as we have known it since the 1993 signing of the Oslo accords, essentially died more than three years ago with the demise of the final status talks between then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Whatever happens in the months ahead between Israel and Iran or between the United States and Iran will not directly affect a non-existent peace process.

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Gaza’s Blood Traders Fighting Assad’s Battle?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Arab News
by Tariq Alhomayed - (Opinion) March 14, 2012 - 12:00am

Whilst the world is in a state of shock with regard to the massacres that continue to be carried out against the Syrian people at the hands of the Bashar Assad regime, “tinplate” rockets were being fired from Gaza into Israel, and the Israelis, of course, responded to this with violence, and then suddenly it was announced that the Egyptians had mediated and therefore the situation had calmed, and then Hamas announced that it was involved in this. So why did what happen, happen? Why was the Egyptian mediation accepted in the first place?

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Unjustified
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
(Editorial) March 13, 2012 - 12:00am

An uneasy ceasefire seems to have taken hold in Gaza, stopping Israeli warplanes from pounding the Palestinians in the strip after four days that left 25 Palestinians dead. The blame game started from day one: Israel said it killed the leader of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) on Friday because he was “planning” to attack it through the Sinai desert; US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned the firing of rockets at Israel — in response to its initial killings — the UN, France and Russia expressed concern or tepidly appealed for an end to the fighting.

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UNRWA is Becoming Thick With BRICS
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
by Fillipo Grandi - (Opinion) March 14, 2012 - 12:00am

The last summit of the so-called BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) almost exactly a year ago saw the unveiling of a compelling call to global humanitarian and development action. The final communiqué envisioned an alliance united by the “overarching common objective of a strong and shared desire for peace and security, contributing significantly to the development of humanity, establishing a more equitable and fair world.”

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Diplomacy Led By Cairo is Still a Stabilising Force
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
(Editorial) March 14, 2012 - 12:00am

It was Egyptian mediation that secured a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel after four days of deadly clashes. For all of the changes in Cairo since Hosni Mubarak's fall more than a year ago, there are signs that it is resuming its role as a powerhouse in the region. Especially because of the changes in Cairo, that renewed diplomacy has been a welcome development.

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