Listen to Marwan Barghouti ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Editorial) March 30, 2012 - 12:00am Marwan Barghouti, the most prominent Fatah leader imprisoned in Israel, this week released an unusual statement from his cell. He called on his people to start a popular uprising against Israel, to stop negotiations and security coordination and to boycott it. Jerusalem would do well to listen to him. » Read more

Palestinian Leader Drops Key Threat to Dismantle Government ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press March 29, 2012 - 12:00am RAMALLAH, West Bank — Foreign diplomats say President Mahmoud Abbas has dropped a planned threat to dismantle his autonomy government to protest the deadlock in peace efforts with Israel. Abbas had been planning to deliver the threat in a letter to Israel. But, according to a copy of the letter obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, the language has been dropped from the text. The diplomats who provided the letter said Abbas scrapped the threat at the urging of President Barack Obama. The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because the letter has not yet been sent. » Read more

Israel Defense Ministry plan earmarks 10 percent of West Bank for Settlement Expansion ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Akiva Eldar - March 30, 2012 - 12:00am For years Israel’s Civil Administration has been covertly locating and mapping available land in the West Bank and naming the parcels after existing Jewish settlements, presumably with an eye toward expanding these communities. The Civil Administration, part of the Defense Ministry, released its maps only in response to a request from anti-settlement activist Dror Etkes under the Freedom of Information Law. In some places the boundaries of the parcels outlined in the maps coincide with the route of the West Bank separation barrier. » Read more

Israel Defense Ministry plan earmarks 10 percent of West Bank for Settlement Expansion ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Akiva Eldar - March 30, 2012 - 12:00am For years Israel’s Civil Administration has been covertly locating and mapping available land in the West Bank and naming the parcels after existing Jewish settlements, presumably with an eye toward expanding these communities. The Civil Administration, part of the Defense Ministry, released its maps only in response to a request from anti-settlement activist Dror Etkes under the Freedom of Information Law. In some places the boundaries of the parcels outlined in the maps coincide with the route of the West Bank separation barrier. » Read more