RAMALLAH, Thursday, April 15, 2021 (WAFA) – Two of the three Palestinian Arabic dailies, al-Hayat al-Jadida and al-Ayyam, made the telephone call between President Mahmoud Abbas and German Chancellor Angela Merkel last night as their main front-page story, while the third. Al-Quds, had this story lower on the page.

The three dailies said President Abbas told Merkel that “we are proceeding with the elections in all the Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem.”

The other top front-page story in al-Ayyam was on Iran and its nuclear program, particularly enriching uranium by 60 percent “in response to the Israeli nuclear terrorism” while the European parties warning against it.

The main front-page story in al-Quds daily was on Israeli settlement activity and said that settlement construction in the West Bank and Jerusalem puts the administration of US President Joe Biden at a difficult impasse.

It said the Israeli municipality of West Jerusalem has approved the construction of 540 housing units in the illegal settlement of Har Homa, built on occupied Palestinian land near Bethlehem.

Al-Ayyam said the new wave of Israeli settlement expansion has just started, wondering how would the Biden administration deal with its predecessor’s legacy.

Al-Quds also said that Israeli settlers conducted provocative marches in the occupied old city of Jerusalem and encroached on the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque, while the Israeli occupation police banned entry of end of fast Ramadan meals for worshippers at the Mosque.

It also said UNESCO has adopted a new resolution on Israeli measures in Jerusalem’s old city.

Al-Quds said that in a turn-about development, the Israeli District Court in Jerusalem ended the foreclosure on Imperial Hotel and the Dajani family, operator of the hotel located in Jaffa Gate of Jerusalem’s old city, ending efforts by Israeli settler groups to take over the delicate Palestinian property.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida said the Mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Mohammad Hussein, has called on the international community to save Al-Aqsa Mosque from Israeli incursions before it is too late.

It said United Nations human rights experts called for ending the Israeli settlement activity in the occupied territories and protecting Palestinians against settlers’ violence.

Coronavirus was also highlighted on the front page and the three dailies said 22 people have died of the disease in Palestine yesterday while 1923 new cases were recorded.

On the upcoming Palestinian elections, al-Quds said the leadership is going to present the issue of election in occupied East Jerusalem at the United Nations.

Al-Ayyam quoted Fatah Central Committee member Hussein al-Sheikh saying that “we will not allow that the political price of the elections is conceding Jerusalem.”

M.K.