RAMALLAH, June 4, 2015 (WAFA) – Israel’s Knesset discussion over UK’s National Union of Students decision to boycott Israel and affiliate itself with the BDS movement as well as the French mobile company “Orange” intention to cut ties with Israel hit the front page headlines in Palestinian dailies.   

Dedicating the main front page news item to covering Israel’s growing concerns over the Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions movement, al-Ayyam reported that Israel has stepped up its attack against similar campaigns, slamming them as a ‘strategic threat to ]Israeli[ interests” and claiming that they seek to ‘wipe Israel off the map”.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida reported that Israel’s Knesset held an emergency session to discuss the issue and that the BDS movement has infuriated Israel.

General Coordinator of BDS Mahmoud Nawaj‘a was quoted in al-Ayyam as saying: “]Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin[ Netanyahu and his government won’t be able to stop us.”

UK’s National Union of Students’ Tuesday voted to boycott Israel and affirmed its support to the BDS movement, which is the reason behind the major stir in Israel, featured as another main front page news item in al-Quds.

Al-Quds reported that the UK’s NUS voted in favor of a motion to boycott Israel.

Also related to the growing boycott of Israel, the dailies reported that France Orange, the largest cellular service provider in Israel, intends to withdraw its trademark from Israel.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida quoted the Chairman of French Orange, Stephane Richard, as announcing that Orange would do so in a timely manner.

In addition, al-Quds reported in its main font page news item that Israel is concerned about the possibility that the situation could explode within Israeli detention centers following Palestinian detainee Khader ‘Adnan’s month-long hunger strike.

Al-Quds reported that two surveillance cameras were installed by Israeli police on Bab al-Mathara (al-Mathara Gate) leading to the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The dailies highlighted the Palestinian ‘Jerusalem is Ours’ procession, featuring Palestinians marching at Bab al-‘Amoud in East Jerusalem protesting the start of the ‘Lights of Jerusalem festival’, to be organized by extremist settler groups.

The three papers also reported that Israel’s Knesset has passed a bill stating that Israeli laws must be applied on Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

Al-Ayyam considered the bill as intended to ‘consolidate’ the annexation of West Bank settlements to Israel.

The paper reported on father of Palestinian child Muhammad Abu Khdeir, 16, who was kidnapped, tortured and burnt to death by Israeli settlers in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Shu‘fat last year, describing the trial of his son’s murderers as a farce.

He was reported as saying that the murderers are lying and attempting to evade responsibility of the murder.

Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida reported that Israel protested against Switzerland’s support of an exhibition to be held by “Breaking the Silence”.

The exhibition highlights human rights abuses by Israeli soldiers against Palestinians and is set to be held this month at the Culture Helferei events centre. The exhibition will feature testimonies from former Israeli soldiers who said there was a policy of 'unnecessary killings of Palestinians'.

Lastly, al-Hayat al-Jadida reported that the UK-based Palestinian Return Center denied its affiliation to Hamas and threatened to prosecute Israel.

The center threatened to take legal action against Israel after the latter accused it of being affiliated to Hamas. Israel’s accusation came after the UN Committee on Non-governemntal Organizations decided to accredit the center.

K.F/M.H