JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (07/07): Hamas Must Not Be An

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SUBJECT: JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (07/07): Hamas Must Not Be An
Obstacle to Reconciliation

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Main Stories:
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Al-Hayat Al-Jadida leads with Palestinian Authority President
Mahmoud Abbas' interview with Al-Falastiniya TV on July 6. Abbas
stated that the "acceptance of the two-state solution and the halt
of settlement activities are not Palestinian demands only but also
international demands that should be met by the Israeli side."
Abbas went on to state that Palestinians will not resume
negotiations with the Israelis unless these conditions are met.
Abbas praised the support of the international community and the US
administration, which has insisted that Israel stop settlement
activities and accept the two-state solution. On the subject of
national reconciliation talks, Abbas said that Hamas' extreme
positions are what have caused the national unity talks to fail thus
far.

Al-Hayat Al-Jadida reports on the meeting between Israeli Defense
Minister Ehud Barak and US envoy George Mitchell in London, noting
that some progress has been made on the peace process in the Middle
East. The paper reported on their joint statement following the
meeting, in which they noted that "all aspects of the Middle East
peace and security" were discussed, and further re-affirmed their
commitment to a regional peace between Israel and the Palestinians,
Syria and Lebanon.

Al-Ayyam reports on statements made by Israeli Foreign Minister
Avigdor Lieberman that due to a "conflict of interest" regarding his
residency in a West Bank settlement, he has deferred to other
Israeli officials in pursuing negotiations with the US and the
international community on the settlements issue.

All dailies report on the meeting between PLO Chief negotiator Saeb
Erekat and the German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on
July 6 in the West Bank, in which Erekat briefed Steinmeier on the
situation in the Palestinian Territories. The papers noted Erekat's
comments after the meeting that "the international community must
tell the Israeli government that it bears responsibility for
destroying peace efforts if it continues its policies.".

Al-Ayyam, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, and Al-Quds all report positively on
the US-Russian summit in Moscow (July 6) between Presidents Obama
Dmitri Medvedev. The reports focus on the agreements between the US
and Russia to reduce nuclear warheads. Cartoons in al-Quds and
al-Ayyam gave a positive impression of the US role in the summit's
outcome; one cartoon shows President Obama leading Medvedev by the
hand away from a large pile of nuclear weapons.

Al-Quds reports on a statement issued by the European Commission
condemning the continuation of settlement activities and referring
to all settlements constructed in the Palestinian Territories as
"illegitimate." It went on to state that measures imposed upon the
Palestinians by the Israelis have had long-term negative
consequences on the Palestinian economy that have in turn increased
the burden on the international donor community.

Al-Quds reports that the Israeli Housing Ministry has given
financial incentives to settlers in order to attract them to
settlements constructed in the West Bank, and to increase the number
of settlers residing on those lands.
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BLOCK QUOTES:
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1)Wadi' Abu Nassar, Al-Quds, "Interesting facts about settlements"
(07/07): "The Arab states should not be satisfied only with
statements made by the US administration regarding the freeze of the
settlement activities, it should be made clear to everyone that the
continuation of settlement activities doesn't only violate
international law and the rights of Palestinians, but it also harms
Israel, as it legitimizes its illegal activities - which in the end
will legitimize any illegal act in the future by Israelis against
Israel itself!!"

2) Rajab Abu Sirriyeh, Al-Ayyam, "Internal consensus, early
rejection" (07/07): "The Palestinian factions - mainly Hamas -
should realize that the Palestinians can't continue with this
division... We can't let time slip away without achieving any
progress in the national dialogue and towards ending the division.
Hamas should respond to the demands of the Gazans with no shelter or
no life... It should accept compromises to put an end to their
suffering."

WALLES