March 21st

Hamas digging ‘terror tunnels’ along border with Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Yaakov Katz - March 21, 2011 - 12:00am Facing a possible new conflict against Hamas, concern is growing within the IDF regarding increased efforts by Palestinian terrorist groups to dig tunnels under the border that could be used to infiltrate into Israel and perpetrate attacks. According to IDF sources, the number of tunnels has grown in recent years. Hamas is under orders to dig “terror tunnels” along the border. Hamas has split into five different regional brigades – north, Gaza City, central Gaza, Khan Younis and Rafah. The exact number of tunnels is unknown to the IDF. » Read more

Arab victim 'stabbed 10 times by haredim' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Hassan Shaalan - March 20, 2011 - 12:00am Alber Halul, who was stabbed Saturday night by a group of masked men he claims are haredim, recounted the attack Sunday. "They threatened to shoot us if we resisted and stabbed me 10 times – in my head, my leg, and my neck," he told Ynet. Halul, a 22-year old Christian Arab from the Galilee town of Gush Halav, was assaulted while with a group of friends at Ein Zeitim forest, near Safed. » Read more

Military Intelligence monitoring foreign left-wing organizations ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Barak Ravid - March 21, 2011 - 12:00am Military Intelligence is collecting information about left-wing organizations abroad that the army sees as aiming to delegitimize Israel, according to senior Israeli officials and Israel Defense Forces officers. The sources said MI's research division created a department several months ago that is dedicated to monitoring left-wing groups and will work closely with government ministries. In recent weeks, the head of the new unit has been taking part in discussions in the Prime Minister's Office about how to prepare for the possible arrival of a Gaza-bound flotilla in May. » Read more

J Street head in Israel to lobby Knesset over group's commitment to Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Natasha Mozgovaya - March 20, 2011 - 12:00am The leftist pro-Israel lobby J Street launched a petition and letter writing campaign on Sunday calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to treat J Street and other pro-peace movements as allies. The Knesset committee is scheduled to debate this Wednesday whether J Street is sufficiently "committed" to Israel to be called a pro-Israel organization. » Read more

Netanyahu's public service announcement to Hamas ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Akiva Eldar - (Opinion) March 21, 2011 - 12:00am In Tunisia, Egypt, the Gulf states and even Syria, citizens are prepared to give up their lives to sanctify democracy. The United States and Europe are working hand in hand to topple the ruler of Libya, Muammar Gadhafi, and to open the way to a democratic regime. While all this is happening, one small country in the Middle East is refusing to recognize the right of one small nation to choose its leaders. » Read more

Palestinians continue anti-division rallies in Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua by Saud Abu Ramadan, Emad Drimly - March 20, 2011 - 12:00am The popular peaceful rallies lead by youth movement against the internal Palestinian division continued on Sunday in the Gaza Strip which is ruled by Islamic Hamas movement. Thousands of students at the Gaza-based al-Azhar University organized at noon time a sit-in on campus. They chanted slogans that called for ending the internal division and succeeding the efforts to achieve the reconciliation, and called for escalating the popular activities. The demonstrators also held banners that read "the people want to end the division -- Fatah and Hamas hand in hand." » Read more

News Analysis: Latest Hamas Rocket attack on Israel a political statement: observers ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua by Adam Gonn - March 20, 2011 - 12:00am Islamic Hamas movement claimed responsibility for the Saturday mortar attack into southern Israel, to which the latter retaliated with air strikes on what the army said were military targets. The Palestinian attacks came a few days after Palestinian National Authority President and Fatah head Mahmoud Abbas said that he would travel to Gaza for reconciliation talks with Hamas. Local analysts view the Palestinian mortar barrage as part of an internal political standoff ahead of Abbas' visit. » Read more

Palestinian worker stabbed in Jewish settlement ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua March 21, 2011 - 12:00am A veiled man, believed to be an Israeli, stabbed a Palestinian worker in a West Bank settlement near Hebron City Monday, Palestinian medics and security sources said. Israeli media also reported the incident, saying the Palestinian was stabbed in the chest several times. Palestinian doctors said the 25-year-old worker was moderately injured. Israel's Ynet news website said that the Palestinian man insisted on being taken to a Palestinian hospital. Israeli police deployed heavily near Havat Ma'on settlement and were investigating the incident, according to Ynet. » Read more

Hamas fires dozens of mortars at Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press by Ian Deitch - March 19, 2011 - 12:00am Palestinian militants in Gaza fired more than 50 mortar shells into Israel on Saturday, the heaviest barrage in two years, Israeli officials said, raising the prospect of a new Mideast flareup. Also Saturday, Hamas police beat reporters and news photographers covering a rally in Gaza City, drawing a stiff condemnation from the reporters' association. » Read more

Israel holding missing Palestinian engineer ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press March 20, 2011 - 12:00am Israel's internal security service confirms that a Palestinian who was allegedly abducted from Ukraine last month is being held by Israel. Dirar Abu Sisi was reportedly abducted from a Ukrainian train last month. He was a senior engineer at Gaza's power plant and was in Ukraine seeking citizenship. Israel's internal security service confirmed he is being held but refused to comment further. Smadar Ben-Natan, an Israeli lawyer representing Abu Sisi, said her client "is doing OK." Israel is banning details of his arrest from publication, she said. » Read more