Abed Rabbo: National conference on Jerusalem ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 17, 2010 - 12:00am A conference will be held to reconcile factions on a united plan to support Jerusalem and counter Israel’s position toward the Palestinian people and holy places, PLO secretary-general Yasser Abed Rabbo said Tuesday. Abed Rabbo hinted that the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah may officially take its case to the UN Security Council seeking support for its efforts against what he termed provocative Israeli actions in Jerusalem. » Read more

Why Iran smiles on Jerusalem clashes ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor by Scott Peterson - (Analysis) March 17, 2010 - 12:00am Iran is closely watching the unfolding crisis between Israel and the United States over Israeli settlements – and Jerusalem clashes with Palestinians that injured more than 100 today – for ways to rejuvenate its diminished influence in the Middle East. » Read more

Anger builds over Israel housing ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Maher Abukhater, Paul Richter, Edmund Sanders - March 17, 2010 - 12:00am Reporting from Washington and Jerusalem Paul Richter -- With anger over Israeli building plans stoking tensions about the future of Jerusalem's holy sites, violence spilled into the streets Tuesday in a string of clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police that injured more than 100 people. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delayed a trip to the Middle East by the U.S. special envoy as Washington pressed the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to roll back construction of housing units in disputed East Jerusalem. » Read more

More than 100 injured in Â?Day of RageÂ? Israeli-Palestinian clashes ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times by Maher Abukhater, Edmund Sanders - March 16, 2010 - 12:00am Rising political and religious tensions in Jerusalem spilled into the streets Tuesday with a string of clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police that left more than 100 people injured. In scenes reminiscent of past uprisings, dozens of Palestinian youths, some with scarves masking their faces, pelted police with rocks, blocked roads and burned tires in half a dozen neighborhoods around East Jerusalem. Israeli police, who have been on high alert for days, responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and stun grenades, witnesses said. » Read more

With subtle shift in nuance, Hillary Clinton reiterates U.S. stance on Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post by Glenn Kessler - March 17, 2010 - 12:00am In the face of bipartisan concern over U.S. criticism of Israeli policies, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Tuesday reiterated the administration's demand for a "full commitment" to peace talks from Israel but also ever so slightly bolstered her rhetorical support for the Jewish state. » Read more

Bibi’s Tense Time-Out ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Maureen Dowd - (Opinion) March 16, 2010 - 12:00am So, Barack Obama can lose his temper without a teleprompter. And we have the supremely aggravating Bibi Netanyahu to thank for that. On St. Patrick’s Day, of all days, we wouldn’t want to think that our president did not know how to pick his donnybrooks. The American government did unfortunately apologize to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, who got mad when a State Department spokesman correctly observed that the Libyan leader doesn’t always make sense. But in the case of a defiant Israel, the White House has not yet retreated into its usual compromising crouch. » Read more

Let’s Fight Over a Big Plan ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Thomas L. Friedman - (Opinion) March 16, 2010 - 12:00am Underlying the latest U.S.-Israel spat over settlements is the deeper — real — problem: There are five key actors in the Israeli-Palestinian equation today. Two of them — the Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and the alliance of Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah — have clear strategies. These two are actually opposed, but one of them will shape Israeli-Palestinian relations in the coming years; indeed, their showdown is nearing. I hope Fayyad wins. It would be good for Israel, America and the moderate Arabs. But those three need their own strategy to make it happen. » Read more

Israel Objects to U.S. Construction Demands ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Ethan Bronner - March 16, 2010 - 12:00am The discord between the United States and Israel over Jewish building in East Jerusalem deepened Tuesday with Israeli officials saying they would reject demands by Washington and expressing anger over the public upbraiding of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by the Obama administration. » Read more

Opportunity in a Fight With Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Mark Landler - (Analysis) March 16, 2010 - 12:00am For President Obama, getting into a serious fight with Israel carries obvious domestic and foreign political risks. But it may offer the administration a payoff it sees as worthwhile: shoring up Mr. Obama’s credibility as a Middle East peacemaker by showing doubtful Israelis and Palestinians that he has the fortitude to push the two sides toward an agreement. » Read more