RAMALLAH, June 16, 2011 (WAFA) - The common headline in all three Arabic dailies Thursday reported on confrontations between the Israeli army and Palestinians protesting against confiscation of 500 dunums (1 dunum = 1000 square meters) of Palestinian land to build a new road leading to Nili, a Jewish settlement built on the land of Deir Qaddis, a village south of Ramallah.
The headlines read: ‘7 Palestinians injured, 2 of them critically, in violent confrontations between Israeli army and Palestinians at Deir Qaddis.’ Al-Ayyam, al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida printed a photo of Israeli soldiers attacking Palestinian protesters as they tried to stop the Israeli bulldozers.
The three local Arabic papers also highlighted Fayyad urging public sector doctors who are on strike or have resigned to comply with the Supreme Court’s decision, return to their jobs and resume dialogue with the government.
Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida reported on Netanyahu’s announcement of wanting to recruit a majority of 30 countries opposing the recognition of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders at the UN.
Al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida front page story reported on the visit by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Catherine Ashton, and two US officials to Israel and the Palestinian Territory in order to move the peace process forward before September and to seek Israeli approval of Obama’s initiative.
The headline of Al-Quds read: ‘Ashton seeks to move the peace process forward before September to avoid division of the European stance toward a Palestinian state.’
Al-Hayat al-Jadida and al-Ayyam highlighted Spain renewing its commitment to the two-state solution and its hopes of resuming negotiations between Israel and Palestine within this year.
‘Two British members of parliament call for a recognition of a Palestinian state,’ said al-Hayat al-Jadida.
Annother headline in al-Quds read: ‘Palestinian delegation held two meetings with the Arab League Secretary General, Amr Moussa and the Egyptian minister of foreign affairs.’
It quoted Moussa as saying: ‘Our stance is firm and we must seek UN recognition of a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders.’
Al-Hayat mentioned an Israeli minister mocking the Freedom Flotilla 2 expected to set sail late June toward Gaza, while the Israeli army is currently undergoing a naval exercise in preparation to control it.
In the same context, al-Ayyam read: ‘Turkish activists consider canceling the sailing of Freedom Flotilla 2.’
The three papers featured news on the situation in Libya and Syria, with al-Hayat al-Jadida saying: ‘Rebels achieved new victories west of Libya.’
Al-Hayat al-Jadida and al-Ayyam covered Palestine witnessing a full eclipse of the moon Wednesday night which lasted for more than 100 minutes.
