Border Crossings and Security | The American Task Force on Palestine

IDF will go on keeping the Jordan Valley Palestinian-free
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Amira Hass - (Opinion) April 18, 2012 - 12:00am

The only excessive stupidity of which deputy brigade commander Lt. Col. Shalom Eisner can be accused is hitting a young blond man in front of a camera. Other commanders and their subordinates will learn the lesson. They'll check for any subversive cameras before going on to do what is unexceptional in the Wild East. They will beat up Palestinians, in the main, as well as anti-occupation activists - by rifle butt, by boot or simply by fist.

Settlers, Palestinians Clash in Hebron
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
by Elior Levy - April 18, 2012 - 12:00am

Palestinians threw stones at two Israeli teenage girls who were walking towards Givat Ha'avot neighborhood in the West Bank city of Hebron. One of the teens suffered a fracture to her hand and was treated at a local medical center. According to Palestinian sources, shortly after the incident, which took place on Tuesday night, a group of settlers arrived at several Palestinian homes in Hebron, called their owners out and confronted them about the incident.

Abbas defends security cooperation with Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
April 16, 2012 - 12:00am

RAMALLAH, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he will not stop security liaison with Israel despite the breakdown of peace negotiations. Abbas, in an interview with a Palestinian newspaper, also said he will not dissolve the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) in response to the lack of chances to build an independent state.

Egypt's army fills Sinai, but business runs as usual
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Anshel Pfeffer - (Opinion) April 12, 2012 - 12:00am

Sinai, EGYPT - A bearded Bedouin approached a cab on the main street of Rafah, in Egypt. Right next to the taxi, at either end of the narrow street, were two armored personnel carriers and a squad of Egyptian army soldiers in full combat gear.

Palestinians need freedom in Jerusalem, not Israeli permits
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Hanan Ashrawi - (Opinion) April 11, 2012 - 12:00am

It is Easter in Jerusalem. Newspaper pictures show scenes of Christians from all over the world celebrating and commemorating this holy occasion, with processions, special services and prayers. While most come freely with passports and tourist visas, the indigenous Christian population, many of them coming from towns and villages within few kilometers of the Old City, require special permits to visit their holy sites. The majority of these Christians do not receive the necessary permits and so are prevented from participating in the Easter celebrations of Jerusalem.

Israel Readying to Prevent Entry of Protesters
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Tia Goldenberg - April 10, 2012 - 12:00am

JERUSALEM — Israel vowed Tuesday to prevent the entry of hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists from Europe and North America expected to arrive in the country this weekend, calling them provocateurs who are intent on disturbing public order. The activists are set to board flights to Israel with the aim of participating in demonstrations against Israeli policy in the West Bank. Although organizers say all protests will be peaceful, Israeli officials said the activists would be deported.

Organizers Fear Palestinian Land Day Protests Could Turn Violent
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Jack Khoury - March 28, 2012 - 12:00am

Organizers of international protest marches scheduled for Friday to mark Land Day have expressed concern that the demonstrations could get out of control due to the involvement of outside activists, some from as far away as East Asia. Land Day marks the anniversary of protests in the Israeli Arab community in 1976 over government land policy in which security forces killed six demonstrators.

Hamas holds dozens of drivers in Gaza power crisis
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
by Ibrahim Barzak - March 26, 2012 - 12:00am

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Police in Hamas-ruled Gaza have detained dozens of taxi drivers for allegedly spreading "rumors" about the territory's worst power crisis in years, officials said Monday, The detentions, which began over the weekend, signaled that the Islamic militant Hamas is increasingly concerned about the political fallout from crippling shortages of fuel and electricity. Authorities did not explain what got the drivers in trouble, beyond saying the "rumors" had to do with the energy crisis.

A Fine Line on Title VI
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward
(Editorial) March 19, 2012 - 12:00am

Do Jewish students deserve the same federal civil rights protections as African Americans, women and the disabled in the nation’s schools and universities? The official answer now is in the affirmative, and in principle, that seems only just and fair. After years of lobbying, Jewish groups led by the Zionist Organization of America managed to persuade the Obama administration to extend Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act to cover members of religious groups on the basis of shared ethnic characteristics.

Learning the lessons
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Bitterlemons
by Ghassan Khatib - (Opinion) March 19, 2012 - 12:00am

Violence has been always a prominent characteristic of how Israel handles its relationships in the neighborhood. The state was created through violence wielded against the indigenous Palestinian population, resulting in the exile of 800,000 Palestinian refugees to surrounding countries. Afterwards, the use of force became a doctrine in Israel, used to intimidate its neighbors and impress its friends.

Video: Inside ATFP Gala 2013

Photo Gallery: ATFP Gala 2013

Recent News