RAMALLAH, June 26, 2011 (WAFA) – Sunday’s Arabic dailies focused on various issues, the common of which was the departure of a French ship participating in the Freedom Flotilla II heading to break the blockade on the Gaza Strip.
Al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida featured the departure of the French ship Dignité on their front pages, printing pictures of the ship while leaving Ile Rousse in Corsica, an island southeast of the French mainland, Saturday morning. The ship will join dozens of boats, loaded with aid and hundreds of international activists, politicians, Cabinet members and others, in Greece and head to Gaza within few days.
This is the second Freedom Flotilla attempting to break the blockade on Gaza. Nine activists were shot dead and dozens injured after Israel attacked the first Freedom Flotilla mission in May 2010.
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida top front page story featured a report by the New York Times newspaper, which revealed intensive efforts to stave off the Palestinian plan to seek United Nations membership next September. The paper said that diplomats are trying to lure Israeli and Palestinian leaders back to negotiations on the basis of US president Barack Obama’s proposal of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed land exchange. Al-Ayyam featured the same report.
Al-Ayyam front page picture featured an Israeli soldier stamping on a protester’s neck in the weekly demonstration against the Apartheid Wall in Beit Ummar, a village north of Hebron.
Al-Quds main front page story reported that Israeli prisons’ administrations began applying Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s instruction to aggravate the conditions of the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, in response to Hamas refusal to allow the Red Cross to visit Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier imprisoned by the movement since 2006.
Al-Ayyam’s front page stories featured the latest events in Arab countries. One story said that Libyan rebels are expecting an offer by the president Muammar Gaddafi, which will end the violent struggle very soon whereas a second headline reported on the Syrian army further deployment along the Turkish borders. Al-Hayat al-Jadida reported on the Arab news as well.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida published an exclusive interview with Special envoy of the quartet on the Middle East, Tony Blair, who said that Palestinian tax revenue must be paid to the Palestinian Authority, pledging efforts to achieve that.
Blair also said that choosing a prime minister for the national unity government is a “Palestinian affair,” but expressed concern on the decision’s consequences on the Palestinian economical development over the past few years.
Al-Ayyam exclusive news piece said that Palestinian officials told the paper that a meeting of the Palestinian leadership, headed by President Mahmoud Abbas, will be held Sunday evening.
Al-Quds editorial addressed the European Union leaders’ support of holding Paris Conference to help the Palestinians build their state and resume the peace process.
R.Q.
