RAMALLAH, August 9, 2011 (WAFA) – The events in Syria and reports of US efforts to resume Palestinian-Israeli negotiations dominated the front page of Tuesday’s three local Arabic dailies.
“Tanks continue to bombard Deir al-Zour,” said the main headline in Al-Hayat Al-Jadida. “The besieged Assad regime continues with its security campaign,” said Al-Ayyam’s main headline.
Al-Quds, however, had a story from its Washington correspondents quoting American sources as saying: “Efforts to persuade the Palestinians and Israelis to return to the negotiating table have made important progress.”
The story said the US may invite President Mahmoud Abbas or his negotiators to Washington to discuss “a serious proposal based on President Obama’s May speech.” The paper quoted Aaron Miller, a former member of the US negotiating team, saying that unless Obama can present a plan that would lead to a Palestinian state, such a move would be “disastrous.”
The three papers had a variety of short stories on their front page, including Prime Minister Salam Fayyad’s having the Ramadan Iftar (breaking the fast) with families of Palestinians killed in the struggle for liberation. The stories appeared only in Al-Quds and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, with a picture of Fayyad talking to a young girl.
Al-Quds and Al-Ayyam had a front page story quoting Palestine’s UN ambassador Riyad Mansour talking about Palestinian preparations to ask for UN recognition and membership in September.
Jewish extremists entering and taking provocative tours of the yards of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City on the eve of a holiday marking 2500 years since the destruction of their temple was reported in Al-Quds on its front page.
The tent protests in Israel received some coverage in the dailies.
The editorial in Al-Quds was split into two items: pressure on Syria, and pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It said the Arabs and international community are increasing pressure on Syria’s Assad to change his policies and give his people democracy and social justice. It also said the earth is trembling under the feet of Netanyahu as a result of internal pressure asking for social justice and outside pressure to move on the peace process.
Two Palestinian opinion writers published articles in Al-Ayyam on the Israeli protest movement. One called it a peace partner and the second wondered where it is heading, saying the protest is directly related to the occupation, which is heavily costing the Israeli public; therefore, achieving social justice in Israel demands an end to the occupation.
M.A./F.J.
