RAMALLAH, August 8, 2016 (WAFA) – Israel’s plan to lure Palestinian East Jerusalem schools into teaching the Israeli curricula as a pre-condition for receiving funds for renovation purposes hit the front page headlines in Palestinian daily newspapers.
Al-Quds said Israel is slated to transfer INS 20 million (5.2 million dollars) in aid to Palestinian East Jerusalem schools that agree to adopt the Israeli curricula.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida said Israeli occupation authorities requested Palestinian schools in East Jerusalem to teach the Israeli curricula in exchange for renovation funding.
Al-Ayyam explained that provision of funding for renovation purposes is contingent upon the adoption of the Israeli curricula by Palestinian schools.
Al-Quds reported Higher Education Minister Sabri Saidam describing the Israeli request as a “declaration of war against the Arab and Palestinian existence in East Jerusalem.”
The PLO Executive Committee’s meeting chaired by President Mahmoud Abbas also hit the front page headlines in the dailies.
The three dailies said the PLO Executive Committee affirmed its support to the French initiative and warned about attempts to replace the international peace conference with a regional conference.
The committee was also reported in al-Hayat al-Jadida as calling upon the United Nations Security Council to assume its responsibilities regarding the provision of protection to the Palestinian people.
Al-Quds and al-Hayat al-Jadida said an Israeli military court decided to confirm the administrative detention sentence of Muhammad and Mahmoud Balboul, two brothers from Bethlehem who have been on hunger strike since the beginning of July.
Al-Quds added that many more Palestinian detainees observed a hunger strike in solidarity with Bilal Kayed, who entered his 54 days of hunger strike.
Al-Quds highlighted the visit of two Palestinian Knesset members to the Jerusalem village of Qalandiya in the aftermath of the demolition of 11 Palestinian houses in the village.
It reported members of Knesset Ahmad Tibi and Osama al-Sa‘di pointing out that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold the primary responsibility for the house demolitions and was the primary inciter.
The three dailies also reported Israeli forces detained two Palestinian youths from the Ramallah village of Silwad and shot and injured one of them.
Al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida said Israeli police detained a 13-year-old Palestinian child from Jerusalem after allegedly finding a weapon in his possession. Al-Ayyam added that police also detained an Islamic Waqf guard from Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.
Finally, al-Ayyam and al-Hayat al-Jadida said the Israeli government announced that an Israeli task force was launched to identify and deport members from the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
K.F.
