JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (5/07): PREDICTING THE NEXT 60

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SUBJECT: JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (5/07): PREDICTING THE NEXT 60
YEARS


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Main Stories:
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"Israel is proposing a canton state," according to an unnamed
Palestinian official on Al-Quds' front page. All dailies cover
comments about negotiations by the PLO Executive Committee that,
"the measurement of any progress in negotiations will be a halt to
settlement activities." The Committee in its May 6 meeting,
stressed the importance of unity between Gaza and the West Bank
describing it as, "a basic national element that should not be given
away." Related coverage on the front pages quote PLO negotiator
Sa'eb Erakat stating that the, "Palestinian Authority leadership
will study all possible options in the event that an agreement with
Israel is not reached." Erakat adds that, "the news about American
supervisors present at checkpoints is not accurate," coverage notes.
On a positive note regarding the daily lives of Palestinians, the
dailies highlight that Israeli authorities have published the names
of 10,000 Palestinians that they have approved for legal residency
in the Palestinian Territories.

The front pages of the three dailies focus on the status of
investigations into corruption charges involving Israeli Premier
Olmert. Al-Ayyam opens with, "Israel is preparing for what comes
after Olmert and Barak hints at the possibility of early elections."
Al-Quds reports that, "Olmert is on the edge of falling [from
power]." All dailies report about the possibility that Israeli
Foreign Minister Livni would head the government, should Olmert
leave.

Palestinian Authority security forces in Jenin continue to be front
page news in all papers. The dailies again highlight the
determination of the Palestinian Authority to make the Jenin
security mission a success, while noting that one Palestinian near
Jenin was injured by the security forces on May 6.

A Palestinian was killed in Gaza on May 6, following an Israeli
airstrike, headlines reveal. The death of another Palestinian in an
earlier airstike, is the subject of an Al-Ayyam front page article.
The daily runs a Reuters' story about the killing of a UN teacher
who was "a vice principle in the morning and a bomb maker at night."
Meanwhile, a report on the front page of Al-Hayat Al-Jadida
headlines, "Israel found rockets and weapons in the Shufat refugee
camp [in the Jerusalem area]."

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BLOCK QUOTES:
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1. Independent Al-Quds runs its daily editorial entitled "They are
ignoring our catastrophe" (5/07): "... upon the 60th anniversary of
the establishment of Israel, we should remember that negotiations
between Palestinians and Israelis have reached a dead end. This is
because of extensive settlement activities, the confiscation of land
and the building of the wall [separation barrier]. [It is also
because of Israeli efforts to] change the demography of Jerusalem
and create realities on the ground in order to impose the Israeli
vision of a solution regarding the future of the city. This goes
hand in hand with the disregard for the rights of Palestinians,
Arabs and Muslims living [in Jerusalem]. All previous indicators
show that the peace process is threatened and needs international
intervention to stop these Israeli actions. These actions give the
impression that the catastrophe of 1948 will continue..."


2. Official Al-Hayat Al-Jadida features veteran columnist Omar

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Al-Ghoul, opining under the title, "Why don't you lift the siege?"
(5/07): "Two days ago, Hamas spokesperson, Sami Abu Zahri
threatened during a press conference to end the siege [in Gaza] if
Israel does not respond to their demands. This threat attracted the
attention of local and international observers because it raises a
central issue that Hamas has the ability to lift the siege on Gaza
[demonstrated by the breach of the Egyptian border], and it holds
the key to [such a possible] solution. Following the coup in Gaza
in 2007, Hamas blamed the Palestinian Authority and Abbas for
standing behind the Israeli Gaza siege policy... The Question is, if
Hamas can lift the siege in Gaza, why doesn't it do it? What is
Hamas waiting for?... national Palestinian interests require Hamas
to back off from its policies and return to the options that people
want [reconcile with the Palestinian Authority]."

WALLES