JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (07/15): Palestinian Factions Must

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SUBJECT: JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (07/15): Palestinian Factions Must
Show Seriousness to Achieve National Reconciliation

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Main Stories:
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Al-Quds leads with wire reports on President Barack Obama's comments
after his July 13 meeting with Jewish leaders that he believes
differences between the US and ISRAEL concerning the cessation of
settlement activities in the Palestinian territories has narrowed.
Al-Ayyam and Al-Hayat al-Jadida report on their front pages that
President Obama intends to visit ISRAEL to assure them that the US
is committed to their security and to peace in the Middle East.
Al-Ayyam quotes President Obama noting that "the establishment of
the Palestinian state will not only serve the Palestinians, but
Israeli interests as well."

Al-Quds runs front page coverage on Egypt's extending invitations to
Palestinian factions to meet in Cairo on July 18 to conduct a
comprehensive evaluation of the national dialogue talks. According
to Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum, "this meeting will focus on
assessing the commitments of all parties to the national unity."

Al-Hayat Al-Jadida leads with news on preparations for holding the
Sixth Fatah Party Congress. Senior Fatah leader Ahmad Qureia
conducted a series of meetings with all of the conference
preparatory committees to continue the preparations for holding the
conference as planned on August 4th.

Al-Ayyam leads with news of Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime
Minister Salam Fayyad announcing on July 14 that the World Bank has
approved the allocation of $40 million as direct support to the PA
budget. The World Bank representative and PM Fayyad also signed an
agreement on July 14 in Ramallah for transferring more than $33
million to the PA to implement several development projects in the
West Bank and Gaza. This allocation is part of the pledges announced
during the Sharm Al-Sheikh Conference.

Al-Ayyam runs inside coverage on the July 14 visit of US General
Paul Selva accompanied by senior US officials from the US Consulate
General in Jerusalem to Hebron governorate, during which they met
with the head of the Hebron reconstruction committee Khaled Qawasmi
and other dignitaries. Qawasmi briefed the US delegation on the
economic and political difficulties facing the governorate.

The dailies front page news on Palestinian Authority President
Mahmud Abbas's meetings with the presidents of Sudan and Cuba in
Sharm Al-Shiekh on July 14. Abbas briefed the two presidents on the
recent developments in the Palestinian territories and the efforts
exerted to achieve national reconciliation and lift the Gaza siege
in order to proceed with Gaza reconstruction.

All dailies report on the visit of Tony Blair to the West Bank city
of Nablus on July 14. Blair noted to the press during the visit that
"the national economy in Nablus is improving and this indicates that
the Palestinians can build their independent state." Coverage also
noted that Blair stated the Palestinians must have fewer
restrictions in order to support reaching a political solution.
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BLOCK QUOTES:
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1) Al-Quds independent daily runs an editorial under the title, "The
e
Israeli tactic to waste time" (07/15): "The international community
must not allow Netanyahu to waste more time in responding to the

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demands of the US administration. This could be done through
exerting more pressure on the Israeli Prime Minister to get him
seriously engaged in the peace process."

2) Naji Shurrab opines in Al-Quds independent daily, under the title
"Hamas and Fatah... the failure of the national dialogue" (07/15):
"The several dialogue sessions have revealed that disagreements
between Hamas and Fatah still exist...The two factions are stuck in
a vicious cycle and instead of showing their good intentions to
narrow their differences, we see more measures that harm the
national reconciliation efforts, which give ISRAEL every latitude to
continue with its violations against the Palestinians."


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