Hamas Draws Fire from NGO, Journalists for Media Crackdown ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line by David Miller, Arieh O'Sullivan - March 8, 2011 - 1:00am Even as the Palestinian Authority launched a campaign to have Hamas removed from international lists of terror organizations, journalists and a human rights group are accusing the Islamic movement of harassing journalists and restricting books and newspapers in the Gaza Strip. Human Rights Watch, a New York-based non-governmental organization, on Monday urged Hamas to immediately lift any book ban and also to stop barring newspapers that support Fatah, a rival movement which leads the Palestinian Authority (PA), from being distributed in the Gaza Strip. » Read more

Football finally comes home for Palestinian national team ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Independent by Joel Greenberg - March 9, 2011 - 1:00am Mokhtar Tlili, the Tunisian coach of the Palestinian national football team, gave his players a pep talk yesterday as they prepared for the first official match played on their home turf. "Be courageous out there," he said. "Don't be afraid." The Palestinian team will face Thailand today as part of the Asian group in a qualifying match for the London Olympics in 2012. Thailand won 1-0 at their first meeting last month. » Read more

News Analysis: Will Israel's pledge to remove some settlements activate peace talks? ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua by Adam Gonn - March 9, 2011 - 1:00am The Israeli government on Monday announced that it will remove all Israeli settlements on the West Bank built on private Palestinian land. Despite the government's promises, local analysts doubt its feasibility without an outside push to resume direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Moreover, the political stability within Israel could be affected as some coalition partners are considered pro-settlement. DOMESTIC DOUBTS » Read more

Netanyahu: Israel must hold Jordan River line ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Reuters March 8, 2011 - 1:00am Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday the upheaval in the Arab world underscored the need to keep Israeli forces along the Jordan River, the likely eastern border of a future Palestinian state. "Our security border is here, on the Jordan (River)," Netanyahu, reaffirming a longstanding policy, told reporters during a visit to the Jordan Valley in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. » Read more

Hamas: Gazans will turn Knesset into Tahrir Square ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 8, 2011 - 1:00am Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahhar told an audience in Sudan on Monday that the people of Gaza would triumph over the Israeli occupation and "raise the banner of Islam" over Jerusalem. Speaking at the eighth conference of the Iran-funded International Institute for Jerusalem, Zahhar said his party would "not quit until the banner of one God is raised over the occupied Islamic lands and injustice is lifted," a Hamas-linked website said. » Read more

What Obama Should Say to Israelis ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jewish Daily Forward by Leonard Fein - March 8, 2011 - 1:00am There’s a growing clamor for President Obama to visit Israel (and, presumably, once in Jerusalem, Ramallah as well). But there’s a bit of a problem in imagining such a visit: What would the president say? He would likely deliver a very elegant speech; that’s one of his great skills. But beyond reassuring the Israelis of America’s “unshakable” commitment to Israel’s security and chastising them for their inflexibility on settlements, what is there for him to say? Pretty words, even moving words, no doubt. But useful words, words as a prelude to… to what? » Read more

Fayyad: No solution, no state without Jordan Valley ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 9, 2011 - 1:00am "There is no independent Palestinian state without the Jordan Valley," re-appointed Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said Tuesday, after comments by his Israeli counterpart that the area would remain under occupation in any peace deal. Earlier in the day, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had toured the Jordan Valley, telling reporters that "the IDF [Israeli army] must remain deployed on the border as part of any agreement. This is Israel's security border." » Read more

Abbas hints at resignation ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency March 9, 2011 - 1:00am President Mahmoud Abbas hinted Tuesday that he would resign if an independent Palestinian state was not established by September. Abbas' remarks came at a joint press conference with British Foreign Minister William Hague in London. Responding to reporters' questions about his resignation, Abbas said all options were being considered. » Read more