JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (11/25): Contradicting Reports on

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SUBJECT: JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (11/25): Contradicting Reports on
Prisoner Exchange Deal

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Main Stories:
-------------- Dailies continue to lead with the prisoner exchange
deal and contradicting reports from Hamas and Israeli officials
about its status. Some Israeli officials report that the "deal is
soon to happen" while Prime Minister Netanyahu denied the news and
pointed out that such an agreement may not happen. Other sources
predict that a deal will be concluded in the coming hours.

Dailies continue to report on President Abu Mazen's visit to
Argentina and his speech yesterday before the Argentine parliament
in which he said that President Obama is not doing anything at this
stage to revive peace negotiations. He stated that world peace
cannot be achieved if double standards persist in the implementation
of international law and that under the Land for Peace plan,
settlement activity is "illegitimate."

Dailies report that during yesterday's meeting between Prime
Minister Fayyad and German Foreign Minister, Fayyad emphasized the
important role international support plays in ending settlement
expansion and protecting the two state solution.

Dailies report on Prime Minister Fayyad's remarks yesterday at the
opening session of the "International conference on the Palestinian
prisoners" in Jericho, in which he stated that the treatment of
Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails must adhere to prisoner of
war standards set forth in the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Al-Quds, Ma'an and WAFA report on the IDF position that Berlanty
Azzam, the Palestinian Student deported to Gaza last month, not be
allowed to continue her studies at Bethlehem University. The news
comes following yesterday's decision by the Israeli High Court
recommending that the IDF and Berlanty's representatives reach an
agreement to allow Berlanty to pursue her studies and scheduling a
follow up hearing on the issue in the next seven days.
Dailies front page reports on an Israeli delegation conducting a
secret visit to Oman last week. Due to the secrecy surrounding the
visit, some reports speculated that the delegation discussed issues
pertaining to sea water desalination while other reports suggested
that the visit aimed at discussing means of re-launching
Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.
Citing the German Press Agency (DPA),Al-Ayyam front pages news
that, in preparation for general elections, Fatah has established a
new commission for elections and that Fatah has called on
Palestinian factions to support the commission and hold elections to
end the current state of internal division between Hamas and Fatah.

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BLOCK QUOTES:
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The dailies ran several op-eds on the prisoner exchange deal and
Israeli settlement activity.

1) Adli Sadeq writing in the PA official daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida
under the title "A Deal For A Qfe" expressed hope that the prisoner
exchange would succeed even if it results in empowering Hamas.
2) Ashraf Ajrami, in a commentary, in independent daily Al-Ayyam,
entitled "The Prisoner Release: A Deal For The Hamas' Empire"
expresses supports for the release of as many Palestinian prisoners
as possible, but criticizes Hamas for its blunt announcements of a
ceasefire with Israel. Ajrami accuses Hamas of supporting Israeli

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interests and of accepting things that it never would have agreed to
previously.
3) Al-Quds runs an editorial under the title: "Israeli Manipulative
Attempts To Bypass A Settlement Freeze." The writer opines that
Israeli attempts to get around a complete freeze of settlement
construction will never be accepted by the Palestinians nor will
such attempts create the conditions necessary for the establishment
of a Palestinian state. According to the writer, it would be better
for the Government of Israel to "stop wasting time and effort
expanding settlements and instead negotiate with the
Palestinians...to not only freeze the settlements but also evacuate
them."

RUBINSTEIN