Hot off the Arab press

What citizens of other countries are reading about Israel.

By THE MEDIA LINE
Palestian worshippers at J'lem's Al-Aksa Mosque 521 (R) (photo credit: Reuters)
Palestian worshippers at J'lem's Al-Aksa Mosque 521 (R)
(photo credit: Reuters)
ISRAEL LOSES ITS SCARECROW Al-Quds, Jerusalem, June 17
As the era of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad comes to an end with the arrival of a new moderate cleric to the presidency in Iran, Israel has lost a “scarecrow.” Israel was trying to convince its Western allies to resort to the military option against Iran’s nuclear program.
Yediot Aharonot wrote sarcastically, “What will we do without the scarecrow, the fanatic Ahmadinejad? What will happen to us without [the Persian Hitler]? We can either return to reality or quickly find a new demon.” Since the announcement of the victory of Hassan Rohani, described as a moderate victory in the Iranian presidential election, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu emphasized that these elections will not change reality and the pressure must continue on Tehran. However, experts think the prime minister should soften the tone of his speech.
The defense writer at Haaretz, Amos Harel, said that the emergence of a spiritual face of a new Iran – a person who is more moderate and wants to lift the international sanctions – will make it more difficult for Netanyahu to convince the world that his plan to attack Iran’s nuclear installations is necessary.
THE BALL IS IN WHICH COURT? Dar Al-Khaleej, United Arab Emirates, June 16
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas says that the ball is in Israel’s court. The metaphorical “ball” means the negotiations which Israel plays with as it wishes. The United States is also playing with Israel in this game, as they renewed their statements about “serious efforts” for peace through Secretary of State John Kerry. On the contrary, the ball is in the Arab court – and the Palestinian one in particular.
After 20 years of failed negotiations, the PA insists on playing on the same playground, with the same team and the same biased judge. Israel is deliberately buying time, to complete “Judaization” schemes in Jerusalem and the West Bank under the cover of negotiations. The PA continues to bet on a fair US role and will be disappointed again, just as happened with US special envoy George Mitchell, former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice and her successor, Hillary Clinton and all of their predecessors. Palestinians have no hope of a settlement, but the PA is still living in this illusion, which will cause further losses and disasters.
SUPPORT THE STEADFASTNESS OF JERUSALEMITES Ad Dostour, Amman, June 16
As we all agree on the importance of supporting Jerusalem at this critical time, we should ask why the Arab countries didn’t support the Jerusalem Fund that was recently approved by the Arab summit in Doha, and inquire as to fate of the money donated by some countries. Were the funds frozen in banks, just as occurred with the Libyan Sirte Summit Fund? Further, what is the role of the secretary-general of the Arab League in this case? It hurts that calls for supporting Jerusalem and the Palestinian cause have declined, and no longer represent the top of the agenda of Arab states in light of developments and changes that beset the region. The Zionist enemy is using the opportunity to implement the schemes and plans of aggression, particularly the Judaization of Jerusalem and the Aksa Mosque, after it took over 86 percent of its territory. The proper response to Zionist schemes is not by condemning and wailing. The hard work is in supporting our people who are countering the most serious attack against the city.
THE MOST SHAMELESS PEOPLE ON EARTH Al-Hayat, London June 17
As a people, the Jews are not terrorists. The overwhelming majority of them are liberal centrists, but not so long ago – and there are witnesses, photos and audio to this effect – there were Zionist terrorists of a Nazi caliber. They were equal to the racist Europeans whom the Jews fled from towards an inhabited Arab country, Palestine, and occupied it. My grandfather did not kill Count Folke Bernadotte, and my uncle did not blow up the King David Hotel. Arabs were not a part of the Zionist gangs such as the Irgun and the Hagana, and they didn’t carry out the Deir Yassin massacre and dozens of similar terrorist massacres.
The Arab governments, meanwhile, were terrorizing their people and none of them had terrorist intelligence organizations, such as the Mossad, killing people around the world. In other words, the current Israeli government is a terrorist one and it is descended from other terrorist governments. Israelis, among them members of the war crimes government, say that this “price tag” is a terrorist gang. Then, American Jews come along and deny the accusation.