RAMALLAH, July 19, 2011 (WAFA) – The three Arabic dailies Tuesday highlighted Israeli bids to construct new housing settlements in the West Bank and Norway’s decision to raise the status of the Palestinian diplomatic representation from commission to delegation.

Al-Quds’ prime story featured Israeli bids to construct 6900 housing units, 336 of which will be in the West Bank, under the pretext of solving the Israeli housing crisis. The story featured presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh’s condemnation of the illegal decision and considered it another reason for seeking United Nations recognition of a Palestinian state within 1967 borders.

The paper printed a picture of the construction work in Bitar settlement, south of Bethlehem.

Al-Hayat Al-Jadida’s front page story reported on President Mahmoud Abbas’ visit to Oslo, where Norway increased the Palestinian diplomatic representation from commission to delegation.

Headlines in all three front pages reported the European Union urging the Quartet to help resume Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, so as to avoid the Palestinian bid to seek UN recognition of a Palestinian state.

The three dailies reported on Britain’s decision to release Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the Islamic movement in northern Israel, after three weeks in detention.

An Al-Quds editorial discussed the continuous Israeli settlement expansion and assaults on Palestinians. The editorial, titled “Settlements continue, so do settlers’ assaults,” reported that a Jewish settler set dozens of Palestinian dunums on fire, free of any legal liability.

The editorial called for bringing the issue of settlers’ assaults to the international community and holding the Israeli government fully responsible for settlement activities and assaults.

R.Q./F.J.