Israeli army to track anti-Israel groups in Palestinian territories, abroad ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua March 21, 2011 - 12:00am The Israeli army's Military Intelligence (MI) Directorate, or Aman, has begun an effort to collect data on left-wing organizations operating in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and abroad. The decision to increase resources and personnel for monitoring and battling attempts by pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli groups to delegitimize Israel, according to military sources, comes as a "result of the rising complexity and intensity of this threat." » Read more

A blow to Israeli Arabs and to democracy ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz (Editorial) March 22, 2011 - 12:00am Two or three bills are to be voted on by the Knesset today on second and third reading, each of which is inappropriate in its own right. Taken together, however, just prior to the Knesset's spring recess, they represent a discordant and worrying summation of the current Knesset session. The so-called Nakba Law has deliberately vague wording. It would bar entities receiving public funding from organizing or themselves funding any activity "which would entail undermining the foundations of the state and contradict its values." » Read more

Hamas vows to restore calm with Israel ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua March 22, 2011 - 12:00am The deposed government of Islamic Hamas movement, which rules the Gaza Strip, and its armed wing al- Qassam Brigades vowed Monday to restore calm with Israel. Hamas government said in a short press statement sent to reporters that "it still respects the national factional accordance over the security situation to foil the Israeli occupation plans to overcome its crisis on the expense of our blood." Al-Qassam Brigades spokesman Abu Obeida said in another statement that if the "enemy" commits not to escalate but to end the aggression, "we will be committed to calm too." » Read more

After Libya, Obama will have hard time thwarting Palestinian state ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Akiva Eldar - March 22, 2011 - 12:00am The attack by the allies on Muammar Gadhafi's forces, with the Arab League's encouragement, should be reminding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the Western-Arab attack on Iraq at the beginning of 1991. The price tag the Arabs showed the (Republican) American president, George Bush the elder, for their support in the war against a member of the Arab league was the dragging of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir to an international peace conference in Madrid. Bush demanded of Shamir that he choose between expanding the settlements in the territories and a reduction in American aid. » Read more

Hamas protests UN plans to teach Holocaust in Gaza ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press by Ibrahim Barzak - March 22, 2011 - 12:00am The United Nations has launched a new plan to teach the Holocaust in Gaza schools, drawing fierce condemnation from Gaza's militant Hamas rulers, school teachers — and even the body tasked with peace negotiations with Israel. If implemented, it would be the first time most Palestinian children learn about Jewish suffering. But the outcry underscores how sensitive the issue is to Palestinians. » Read more

Air Force strikes in Gaza; 'children hurt' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Elior Levy - March 22, 2011 - 12:00am Palestinian sources in Gaza said Israeli aircraft bombed a number of targets in the Hamas-ruled territory late Monday night. At least 17 people, among them seven children and two women, were injured in the air raids, Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Adham Abu Salmia said. The IDF has yet to confirm or deny the report. » Read more

Israel engaged in ethnic cleansing -UN investigator ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters March 21, 2011 - 12:00am Israel's expansion of Jewish settlements in east Jerusalem and eviction of Palestinians from their homes there is a form of ethnic cleansing, a United Nations investigator said on Monday. U.S. academic Richard Falk was speaking to the U.N. Human Rights Council as it prepared to pass resolutions condemning Israeli behaviour on territory it has occupied since 1967. » Read more

Encountering Peace: Abbas, man of peace ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Gershon Baskin - (Opinion) March 21, 2011 - 12:00am Palestinian Authority President Abbas faced the Israeli nation on Saturday evening on Channel 2’s Meet the Press and answered every question Israelis have regarding the seriousness of the Palestinians regarding peace. To me, it is quite amazing that none of the Israeli newspapers wrote anything about the interview on Sunday morning. I am quite sure that if Abbas had spoken against peace it would have made headlines. If Abbas did not say he wanted to reach a full comprehensive agreement that would end the conflict and end all historic claims, as he did, it would have made news. » Read more

Israel vacates Jerusalem building claimed by Russia ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters March 21, 2011 - 12:00am Israel on Monday began vacating the premises of a Russian landmark in Jerusalem, an official said, in an apparent goodwill gesture ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit this week to Moscow. The two countries had decided several years ago that the historic 19th century stone-hewn building near the Old City, would be handed over to Russia, but there were delays in implementation. » Read more

UN: Both sides need to do more to comply with Goldstone ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post by Jordana Horn, Tovah Lazaroff - March 22, 2011 - 12:00am Neither Israel nor the Palestinians has made significant progress in investigating claims of war crimes committed during Operation Cast Lead, said a United Nations committee in Geneva on Monday. The committee was addressing the 16th session of the UN Human Rights Council, which on Monday debated a report on Israeli and Palestinian compliance with the 2009 conclusions of the UN fact finding mission led by South African judge Richard Goldstone. The Goldstone panel looked into Israel’s military activity during Cast Lead and accused both Israel and the Palestinians of war crimes. » Read more