Pressure On Israel Increases Over Death
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Wall Street Journal
by Chip Cummins, Joshua Mitnick - February 26, 2010 - 1:00am

International pressure on Israel mounted as the probe into the alleged murder of a top Hamas leader in Dubai reached American and Australian shores. On Thursday, Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith summoned Israel's ambassador and demanded his help in investigating how three Australian passports ended up linked to the death. That followed Dubai's disclosure Wednesday that it had identified 15 more passports, including the Australian documents, carried by suspects in the case, bringing the total number to 26.

»

Israel renews ban on key West Bank bus line
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
February 23, 2010 - 1:00am

A month after Israel rescinded a ban on foreign nationals using a main Bethlehem bus line, travelers say authorities are again pulling internationals off buses en route to Jerusalem. Mid-December, for reasons that remain unclear, tourists leaving the central West Bank city were banned from line 21, a route used predominantly by Palestinian holders of East Jerusalem residency cards.

»

Dubai assassination: UAE demands justice but with what leverage?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
by Carol Huang - February 22, 2010 - 1:00am

Diplomatic tensions are heating up over the forged European passports used by a hit squad that came to Dubai to murder of Hamas official Mahmoud al-Mabhouh. But there's not a lot that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) can do beyond complaining to European ambassadors. The focus now is mostly on European countries calling in Israeli diplomats, and the European Union, which today issued a public condemnation of the use of forged passports.

»

In Dubai attack, signs of Mossad shadow war
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
by Matti Friedman - February 18, 2010 - 1:00am

The death of a Hamas operative in Dubai at the hands of a squad of burly hit men conjures up images of the string of killings that followed the murder of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics and a bungled attempt to poison a Hamas leader in Jordan 13 years ago. Israel's Mossad spy agency — the prime suspect in the death of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh last month in Dubai — has known both triumph and embarrassment in decades of covert warfare, and the latest episode would appear to include elements of each.

»

Don't deny peaceful protests in West Bank
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from CNN
by Bill Fletcher Jr. - (Opinion) February 17, 2010 - 1:00am

Every year, beginning with the January birthday celebrations for the Rev. Martin Luther King and moving through Black History Month in February, Americans and others revisit the history, role and significance of the black freedom movement in the United States. But there is a frequent tendency to misrepresent the lessons of that movement and apply them to other social movements overseas in a way that misses the mark. This has been happening increasingly with the historical lessons that are being misapplied to the Palestinian freedom movement.

»

Training our boys to be bullies
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Larry Derfner - (Opinion) February 17, 2010 - 1:00am

The main thing that drew me to Israel was that here, you put your life on the line in a great political struggle, unlike in the West, where political struggle is something you talk about from a safe distance.

»

IDF thwarts knife attack on soldier in Hebron
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Amos Harel, Anshel Pfeffer - February 12, 2010 - 1:00am

The Israel Defense Forces thwarted an attempted stabbing attack by a Palestinian in Hebron on Friday. No soldier was injured during the incident, but the Palestinian attacker was shot in the stomach by IDF forces and later succumbed to his wounds at a hospital. IDF forces entered Hebron's Old City on Friday in response to reports of Palestinians throwing stones at a settler's home. Palestinians then proceeded to throw stone at the IDF forces that entered the area.

»

Major outbreak unlikely despite flare-up in Israeli- Palestinian clashes
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
by David Harris - February 11, 2010 - 1:00am

For months Palestinian leaders have warned that if there is no progress on the peace front with the Israelis, Palestinians will become increasingly disillusioned and frustrated, with some likely to resort to violence. This week has seen clashes between the Palestinians and Israeli security personnel in Jerusalem and a deadly stabbing attack at an Israeli soldier in the West Bank.

»

State of denial: Robert Fisk searches for peace in Israel
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Independent
by Robert Fisk - (Opinion) February 11, 2010 - 1:00am

There are no armed guards on the gate of Number 17 Ben-Gurion Boulevard in Tel Aviv, just a tired, two-storey villa set back from the street and an open door that leads to a dark kitchen and a little room with a cot on the floor.

»

Israel: Gaza crossing to stay shut as long as Hamas in power
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Amos Harel - February 10, 2010 - 1:00am

The Israel Defense Forces has sharply cut back its activity around the Karni border crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip, and defense officials told Haaretz that the crossing, which was closed after Hamas took over the Strip in June 2007, is not slated to reopen in the future. Due to the structure of the crossing, it is at high risk for terror attacks, said an official. This, combined with the inability to coordinate operations with Hamas, led to its abandonment. "The Karni crossing won't resume operating," said one. "At least not as long as Hamas controls the Strip."

»


American Task Force on Palestine - 1634 Eye St. NW, Suite 725, Washington DC 20006 - Telephone: 202-262-0017