RAMALLAH, July 4, 2011 (WAFA) – The Palestinian Arabic dailies Monday focused on Prime Minister Salam Fayyad’s announcement that Palestinian public employees will be paid half the salaries for June due to the financial crisis.
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, al-Quds and al-Ayyam reported on Fayyad’s press conference on Sunday where he announced that the Palestinian Authority (PA) cannot afford to pay public employees their full salaries because donor countries did not fulfill their commitments to support PA budget.
Al-Quds newspaper reported that the Israeli government will announce bids to build hundreds of settlements in the West Bank within few days. The decision came following the killing of five Israeli settlers in Itamar, a settlement near Nablus, earlier this year, said the paper. The story was reported in al-Ayyam and a-Hayat al-Jadida as well.
The three dailies reported on Egypt’s approval of President Mahmoud Abbas’ request to facilitate Palestinian movement between the Gaza Strip and Egypt through Rafah border crossing, as well to increase work hours at the crossing during the summer.
Al-Ayyam highlighted the Palestinian prisoners’ one-day hunger strike in all Israeli jails in protest against their dismal and inhuman conditions. The report covered the popular solidarity campaign with the prisoners.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida printed on its front page a picture of the Palestinian national football team, which qualified to the second round of Asian Cup after a 1-1 draw with the Afghanistan national team on Sunday.
The three newspapers reported on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to resume negotiations with the Palestinians on terms of reference based on 1967 borders. The dailies quoted an Israeli official saying that Netanyahu considers the land swap idea as a “joke.”
Al-Quds front page headline read: “Peace activists in Freedom Flotilla II on hunger strike.” The story said that ships participating in the flotilla will attempt to set sail to Gaza despite the Greek ban.
Abbas Sunday said that the Arab League peace process follow-up committee will meet in July to discuss the results of the Quartet’s meeting next week, reported the newspapers.
Al-Quds editorial tackled Fayyad’s announcement on PA’s financial deficit which led to paying only half of the June salaries for public employees. The paper called on the international community to fulfill its commitment to the Palestinians instead of exploiting the current hardship to achieve political agendas, saying “Starving the Palestinians won’t achieve peace.”
R.Q./M.A.
