RAMALLAH, September 4, 2011 (WAFA) – The three Arabic Palestinian dailies focused Sunday on the ongoing diplomatic crisis between Turkey and Israel and the anticipated speech by President Mahmoud Abbas to the Palestinian people.

Al-Ayyam’s prime story reported on Turkey’s decision to prosecute Israel in the Hague International Court of Justice to object the legality of the Israeli siege on Gaza. The diplomatic crisis between the two countries followed Israel’s refusal to apologize for the killing of nine Turks on board the Freedom Flotilla I in 2010 by the Israeli navy.

The newspaper also reported on Turkey’s decision to secure maritime passage to the Strip to end Israeli attacks on civilian ships seeking to break the siege on Gaza. It also reported on Israeli fears of military clashes in consequence.

Al-Hayat Al-Jadida announced Abbas’ anticipated speech to the Palestinian people in the coming days on the importance of going to the United Nations to achieve recognition of statehood.

An Al-Quds main headline reported from Syria on the death of 11 people during the funeral of the 23 Syrian civilians who were killed by President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime forces in the “Friday of death, not humiliation.”

The situation in Libya, where the rebels attacked one of former president Muammar Gaddafi’s bastions, Bani Walid, was featured in all the dailies. The Libyan National Council moved to the capital Tripoli and will establish a security committee to run the city, added the papers.

Al-Hayat Al-Jadida printed a picture of tens of thousands of Israelis protesting in Tel Aviv. The daily published a news piece on the popular demonstrations in Israeli cities last night, where over 450,000 Israelis demanded social justice.

An op-ed in Al-Ayyam by Hani Habib commented on the current crisis between Israel and Turkey after the leaked release of the Palmer Commission report  which investigated the killing of international activists on Freedom Flotilla I in 2010 by the Israeli navy. The report accused Israel of using “excessive force” but described the Israeli siege on Gaza as “legal and legitimate.”

Habib discussed Turkey’s measures against Israel in response to the report, saying Israel will receive a big hit with this, as it has also lost its alley in Egypt after the recent revolution, along with the current uprising in Syria and Israel’s semi international isolation by public opinion.

Habib, however, said that the halt in Turkish-Israeli security relations will affect Turkey to a bigger extent, as the Turkish military industry relies on Israel.

R.Q./F.J.