JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (07/16): "Qaddoumi: Why did you

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SUBJECT: JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (07/16): "Qaddoumi: Why did you
choose to talk now?"

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Main Stories:
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Al-Ayyam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida run front page coverage of Secretary
Clinton's speech at the Council on Foreign Relations on July 15. The
papers quote Clinton calling on the Arab states to start taking
tangible measures towards normalizing relations with Israel. Clinton
reiterated that "the Arab countries should prepare their citizens to
accept peace and accept the status of Israel in the region."

All dailies lead with news on the opening of the 15th non-aligned
movement (NAM) summit in Sharm Al-Sheikh on July 15. Al-Quds runs
the full text of Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud
Abbas's opening speech. In it, Abbas reiterated that "the
Palestinians' flexibility in negotiations with Israel doesn't mean
that the Palestinians will compromise on their national principles."
Abbas also noted that "Israel has not shown any real cooperation
until this date, but rather it continues to impose difficult
conditions that are hard for Palestinians to meet." Abbas also
stated that Isarel's continued settlement expansion is at the core
of the conflict. Al-Hayat Al-Jadida runs front page coverage of
President Abbas reiterating that the Fatah Party Congress will be
held on the set date of August 4, regardless of any rumors stating
otherwise.

All dailies feature front page coverage of PA Prime Minister Salam
Fayyad ordering PA Attorney General Ahmad Al-Mughani to file suit
against the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera television network after shutting
down their West Bank offices on July 15 on charges of "incitement
and false information." These actions were taken after the network
aired recent comments by senior Fatah member Farouq Qaddoumi
accusing President Abbas of involvement in a plot to kill Yasser
Arafat.

All dailies carry front page reports citing AFP on an International
Monetary Fund report praising the economic reforms achieved by the
PA and Prime Minister Fayyad since 2006. The report also notes that
"the Palestinian economy may achieve more positive results if Israel
continues to lift restrictions imposed on the Palestinian economy."

Al-Hayat Al-Jadida front page news cites Israeli army radio
reporting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intends to draft an
alternative peace initiative to the one that will be presented by US
President Barack Obama. Sources close to the Israeli government said
that Netanyahu will try to work closely with Egyptian President
Hosni Mubarak when drafting this new plan.

All dailies front page reports citing Reuters on Israeli officials
meeting with US advisor Fredrick Hoff to assess the possibilities of
re-launching negotiations with Syria. The Israelis reiterated that
in order for them to pursue negotiations with Syria, the latter has
to distance itself from Iran and other Islamist movements that do
not recognize Israel, according to coverage. --------------
BLOCK QUOTES:
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1) Regular columnist Omar Hilmi Al-Ghoul opines in Al-Hayat
Al-Jadida official daily under the title, "Qaddoumi: Why didn't you
present the minutes of meeting earlier?" (07/16): "If your claims
s
are true [about President Abbas's involvement in a plot to kill
Arafat], why did you remain silent all this time? If your claims are
true, doesn't this mean that you are also a partner in the plot? Why

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did you choose to talk now? How much did the Americans and Israelis
pay you to stay silent?"

2) Abdallah Awwad opines in Al-Ayyam independent daily under the
title "The comprehensive war of Judaicization" (07/16): "The hunger
for authority has always been a Palestinian problem. Palestinians
accepted meaningless authority under the occupation while they
forgot about the homeland and unity ... They allowed themselves to
transform their conflict with the Israeli occupation into a bloody
internal conflict that will ruin any chance to end the Jewish scheme
of judaicization of Palestine through a comprehensive war against
the land, the people, and their history!"


WALLES