Palestinians and Israeli Troops Clash Amid Protests
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times
by Ethan Bronner - March 30, 2012 - 12:00am

JERUSALEM — Thousands of Palestinians protested on Friday against Israeli policies of land seizure and control of Jerusalem, leading to clashes with Israeli troops in which a 20-year-old was killed and scores of others were injured. The annual protest, known as Land Day, drew demonstrators in groups of hundreds in locations within Israel as well as in the West Bank, Jerusalem and Gaza. There were also solidarity marches in neighboring Lebanon and Jordan.

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Israel Police Detains 16 Soccer Fans Over Attack of Arab Workers in Jerusalem Mall
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Oz Rosenberg - March 29, 2012 - 12:00am

The Jerusalem Police detained 16 fans of the Beitar Jerusalem soccer franchise for questioning on Thursday on suspicion of taking part in an attack on Arab employees in Jerusalem’s Malha mall last week. Ten of the fans were released under restrictive conditions, while the remaining six, one of whom is a minor, are being brought in front of a judge for a remand hearing later on Thursday. Beitar fans captured on security camera at the Malha shopping mall. Beitar fans captured on security camera at the Malha shopping mall.

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Dozens of Hebron Settlers Stake Claim on House in Palestinian Neighborhood
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Oz Rosenberg - March 29, 2012 - 12:00am

Dozens of residents from the Jewish settlement in Hebron occupied a three story house in a Palestinian neighborhood in the city overnight Wednesday, about one hundred meters south of the Cave of the Patriarchs. The group, which entered the house around 1 A.M. on Thursday, includes entire families, women and children. Representatives of the group claim that the house was purchased nearly four months ago after lengthy negotiations with its previous Palestinian owner. The group states that it holds documents validating its claim on the building.

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Arab Attacked by Israel Soccer Fans: There Were Hundreds, We Had No Chance
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Oz Rosenberg - March 27, 2012 - 12:00am

Over a week after the violent incident in which fans of the Beitar Jerusalem soccer team ran amok in the Malha mall, accused of physically assaulting Arab workers in the mall, one of the workers provides a firsthand account of what occurred that night. “I’ve been working here for a year and a half, and my brother for two years,” said N., 20 years old, an East Jerusalem resident. “We’re used to the Beitar fans coming to the mall after the games, singing and getting wild, but we’ve never seen anything like what happened last week. That was the worst.”

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Awaiting Further Escalation
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Al-Ahram
by Saleh Al-Naami - March 23, 2012 - 12:00am

Fatma El-Belimi, 58, was overjoyed to see her eldest son Sami, 28, crossing the road towards his family home in the rural region east of Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza Strip. Sami had spent one week at his sister Iman's house in the town of Deir Al-Balah because of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip. His parents and wife insisted he do so. Sami eventually was able to leave the house in an area known as the "contact zone" close to the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, where Israeli special units were active during escalation operations.

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Syrian Security Forces ‘Warn Palestinian Camp’
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
March 16, 2012 - 12:00am

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- Sources in Damascus say Syrian security forces threatened to raid the Yarmuk refugee camp due to Fatah's alleged support of demonstrations against Syrian leader Bashar Assad. “Yarmuk is not more precious than (Homs neighborhood) Baba Amro, and it will be raided if the demonstrations which Fatah movement organizes” continue, a security agent was quoted as saying. Syrian security forces have detained a number of Fatah members: Ayman Juda Abu Ala, public action official in Yarmuk, Jihad Abu Yousef, Abdul Wahed Kherma, Firas Tahmaz, and Amjad Sadya.

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Israel Stops Infiltration From Egypt, 1 Killed
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
March 15, 2012 - 12:00am

JERUSALEM — The Israeli military says soldiers have stopped an infiltration attempt along the Israel-Egypt border. One infiltrator was killed and three wounded. A military statement said the incident occurred late Thursday. It said soldiers saw the infiltrators and ordered them to stop. When they ignored the order, the soldiers opened fire. The statement said there was also gunfire from the Egyptian side of the border. The statement did not say if the infiltrators were armed. Often, migrants from Africa try to sneak into Israel, seeking refuge or work.

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Obama Help With Israeli Preemptive Strike on Iran Would Violate International, U.S. Law
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
by L. Michael Hager - (Opinion) March 15, 2012 - 12:00am

If Israel should launch a unilateral attack on Iran in response to a mere threat to weaponize its nuclear program, should the United States come to Israel’s aid? Before responding affirmatively, American policymakers should consider a word that has rarely appeared in the public debates on Iran or in the media. That word is 'law': international law and US law.

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Until the Next Round
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Yaakov Katz - (Analysis) March 14, 2012 - 12:00am

Israel and Islamic Jihad reached a tenuous cease-fire on Tuesday, which both sides know will likely not last longer than a few months. In a week or so, Palestinian terror groups will again begin firing rockets sporadically into Israel and the IDF will respond with the bombing of tunnels and so-called terror targets. The price in such a case would be far too high for what Israel is willing to pay.

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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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