April 1st

For Israelis, Palestinians, the past matters ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Miami Herald by Uri Dromi - (Opinion) March 31, 2011 - 12:00am Last week, the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, passed a law allowing the state of Israel to cut its funding for institutions that celebrate the Nakba (Arabic for catastrophe). Nakba, for the Palestinians, marks the 1948 disaster, when hundreds of thousands of them fled Palestine and became refugees. So in May, when Israeli Jews celebrate their Independence Day, Israeli Palestinians, on the same day, mourn their great loss. In my opinion, this legislation is a mistake. But before you become red in the face and call me a leftist and an Arab-lover, keep reading. » Read more

Gaza Man Says Israel Kidnapped Him ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The New York Times by Isabel Kershner - March 31, 2011 - 12:00am Dirar Abu Sisi, a Gaza engineer who disappeared in Ukraine in mid-February and surfaced in an Israeli prison, spoke to reporters for the first time while attending an Israeli court hearing to extend his detention. He said he had been kidnapped by Israel “for no reason.” Most details of the case are subject to a court-imposed rule of silence, but Israeli leaders say Mr. Abu Sisi, 42, is a member of Hamas who holds valuable information.

March 31st

Abbas says he may resign ATFP World Press Roundup Article from United Press International (UPI) March 31, 2011 - 12:00am Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas hinted if negotiations with Israel fail to resume by September he may resign. At a meeting in Ramallah with members of the Council for Peace and Security, Abbas hinted he would leave his post if the situation remains unchanged, Haaretz reported Thursday. » Read more

Israel needs to launch a preemptive diplomatic strike ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Ari Shavit - (Opinion) March 31, 2011 - 12:00am The writing is on the wall: 2011 is going to be a diplomatic 1973. In September and October the UN General Assembly will decide whether to establish a Palestinian state in the 1967 borders. The international community will recognize a Palestinian state. At that moment, every Israeli apartment in Jerusalem's French Hill neighborhood will become illegal. Every military base in the West Bank will be contravening the sovereignty of an independent UN member state. The Palestinians will not be obligated to accept demilitarization and peace and to recognize the occupation. » Read more

We must stop the nationalist and racist Lieberman ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Eldad Yaniv - (Opinion) March 31, 2011 - 12:00am Every one who fell for the "either Tzipi or Bibi" canard during the last elections had best not forget where those two, Benjamin (Bibi ) Netanyahu who is now Prime Minister and Tzipi Livni, who is now opposition leader, spent the night between Tuesday and Wednesday last week when the Israeli Knesset passed two controversial laws. » Read more

Poll: Young Israelis moving much farther to the right politically ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz by Or Kashti - March 31, 2011 - 12:00am Young Israelis are moving much further to the right politically, according to a survey to be released Thursday. The study found that 60 percent of Jewish teenagers in Israel, between 15 and 18 years old, prefer "strong" leaders to the rule of law, while 70 percent say that in cases where state security and democratic values conflict, security should come first. A similar picture emerges in the 21 to 24 age group. The comprehensive survey was conducted on behalf of Germany's Friedrich Ebert Foundation, in cooperation with the Macro Center for Political Economics, by the Dahaf Institute. » Read more

Barak: Iron Dome not perfect ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Tova Dadon - March 31, 2011 - 12:00am Defense Minister Ehud Barak visited the site where the first Iron Dome battery is stationed in Beersheba on Thursday. Barak admitted that the system cannot provide perfect protection from rockets but promised other batteries will be deployed in the coming years. "Today the system commences an operational test, which is an extraordinary achievement by Israeli technology and Israel's Air Force," Barak said during the tour. He noted the Iron Dome battery was the first to intercept rockets fired at civilians. » Read more

46% of Israeli teens: Revoke Arabs' rights ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Tomer Velmer - March 31, 2011 - 12:00am A new study examining Jewish and Arab Israeli teens' opinions on a wide range of issues shows nearly half of Jewish youths support revoking Arab-Israelis' basic rights. The study focused on such issues as nationalism, democracy and attitudes towards State institutions. The results: Israeli teens in 2010 believe less in democracy, are inclined towards rebelliousness and violence, are more racist and some have given up hope for peace. They are also more right-wing and patriotic. » Read more

Israeli army arrests three Palestinians, Hamas lawmaker ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua March 31, 2011 - 12:00am The Israeli army arrested four Palestinians in the West Bank city of Hebron Thursday, including a Hamas lawmaker, a statement said. The Israeli army broke into the house of the legislator, Mohammed Bader, and arrested him, said a statement by Hamas' Change and Reform parliamentary bloc. In 2006, Israel rounded up all West-Bank based Hamas' lawmakers when the Islamic movement captured an Israeli soldier near the Gaza Strip. Mohammed Bader was released about six months ago. Israel also arrested three civilians, all of them teenagers, in the city. » Read more

'Police beat and spat on us' ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews by Elior Levy - March 31, 2011 - 12:00am A Palestinian man who was arrested in connection to a rape of an 11-year-old boy and was later released is saying he and the three other former suspects are considering suing the police for a violent arrest and humiliation they were subjected to during their interrogation. "We were treated like dogs, a police officer spat on us and shouted that all Arabs must be killed." » Read more