JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (08/25): Prime Minister lays out a

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SUBJECT: JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (08/25): Prime Minister lays out a
plan for achieving an independent state

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Main Stories:
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Al-Quds and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida lead with news on Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting with US Special Envoy George
Mitchell in London scheduled for August 26. While reports quote US
State Department Spokesman Ian Kelly stating that the US hopes to
see the Palestinians and Israelis resume peace talks as soon as
possible, Israeli officials are reportedly skeptical that the
meeting will achieve major progress in bridging the gaps between the
US and Israel concerning settlement activity. Palestinian Authority
(PA) Presidency spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeinah is quoted in
Al-Hayat Al-Jadida as saying that "anything that doesn't comply with
road map obligations or President Obama's demands will not lead to
renewed peace talks." The dailies also report on an expected
trilateral meeting between Netanyahu, PA President Mahmoud Abbas and
President Barack Obama in early September in New York.

All dailies report that PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad will hold a
press conference today to announce his plan for building Palestinian
institutions and establishing an independent Palestinian state in
two years. Fayyad is quoted in Al-Ayyam as saying "the Palestinians
must not wait for a peace settlement with Israel. They must move
forward and build their state."

Al-Quds front pages news on the Chairman of the Palestinian National
Council (PNC) Salim Al-Zaanoun noting on August 24 that an
extraordinary session of the PNC will be held in Ramallah on August
26 in order to complete the membership of the Palestinian Liberation
Organization.

Al-Hayat Al-Jadida runs front page news on the PA Ministry of
Education condemning Hamas for imposing a special uniform on school
girls in Gaza. PA Deputy Minister of Education Mohammad Abu Zaid is
reported as saying that this policy is against the right to an
education and other universal human rights. Abu Zaid urged Hamas not
to bring the schools and educational institutions into the political
conflict. Al-Ayyam reports that the Hamas government in Gaza
expressed its anger at the media for highlighting these new measures
and noted that it will pursue this policy notwithstanding any
criticism. --------------
BLOCK QUOTES:
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1) Wadi Abu Nassar opines in Al-Quds independent daily under the
title, "Will there be a settlement construction freeze?" (08/25):
"Most likely the freezing of settlements in the West Bank and
Jerusalem will not be complete. Without a courageous Israeli
leadership, strong pressure on the Israeli government, and without
ending the occupation, the settlements in the West Bank will not
stop."

2) Hafeth Al-Barghouti opines in Al-Hayat Al-Jadida official daily
under the title "Hamas and the dialogue" (08/25): "Since the
beginning of the first round of the national unity dialogue, Hamas
has not changed its position, and it imposed new demands and
conditions at every round of talks that are totally irrelevant to
the dialogue ... It is clear that Hamas is not interested in
achieving any tangible results from this dialogue. It only wants to
gain time and avoid elections."

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