RAMALLAH, September 20, 2011 (WAFA) – Tuesday’s issue of the three Palestinian Arabic newspapers focused on President Mahmoud Abbas’ meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday night in New York.

Al-Ayyam daily dedicated half its front page to feature Abbas’ arrival in New York, where he expressed his persistence to apply for a full UN membership of a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders to the Security Council this Friday. The headline quoted Abbas on expected difficulties following the Palestinian request.

The newspaper printed a picture of Abbas with Ban Ki-moon, and another one of Palestinian school students’ demonstrations in the city of Tulkarm, north of the West Bank, supporting the Palestinian UN bid.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida’s front page reported in red on Prime Minister Salam Fayyad’s announcement that Saudi Arabia will grant the Palestinian Authority $200 million.

A letter from a former US ambassador, Charles O. Cecil, to president Barack Obama was featured on al-Quds’ front page. Cecil called on Obama not to use the veto against the Palestinian request, saying this would ruin US relations with the Islamic and Arab world for decades, as well as raise a wave of hatred among extremist Muslims.

Cecil clarified that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has no intention of achieving a just and comprehensive peace with the Palestinians, and concluded his letter by saying “let Palestine be Palestine.”

An al-Quds editorial stressed the Palestinian choice of non-violent activities to support the Palestinian bid, under the title: “No-one will draw us into violence.”

R.Q./F.J.