Hot off the Arab press

What citizens of other countries are reading about the Middle East.

By THE MEDIA LINE
Ofer Prison 370 (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Ofer Prison 370
(photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
The strangeness of the Palestinian- Israeli conflict
As-Safir, Beirut, May 19
Palestinian-Israeli relations seem to be strange and so far from making sense, writes Hilmi Mousa. The Palestinian Authority really wants negotiations, but on a much clearer basis. Israel, on the other hand, wants negotiations that don’t lead anywhere. Against this backdrop, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni visits London this week, avoiding an arrest warrant for any alleged war crimes as the British government granted her immunity.
The world sees Israel’s actions on the ground, but refuses to intervene. The US holds Israel responsible for the collapse of the peace talks but doesn’t dare announce that clearly. The result is that US President Barack Obama, instead of pressuring Israel, supports the Jewish state as if he is waiting for the two sides to mature in their conflict. Unfortunately, the balance of power doesn’t help the Palestinians, as the Arab world is involved in its own complications. In the past, it was known that 99 percent of the solution was in the hands of the US, but after we tried with them, we learned we have to keep the cards in our hands in forming a reasonable strategy of struggle. Otherwise, we will keep observing Israel’s plans without being able to do anything.
Translating Israeli books, a cultural boycott or a need
Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, London, May 18
Harsh criticism was aimed at a Saudi Arabian publishing house after it translated a 100-page book by an Israeli writer. Mirza al-Khowalidi writes that the book, which deals with political research, does have some kind of a political message. The writer, Joshua Teitelbaum, does address the Arab audience by trying to explain Israel’s policies, claiming that Israel wants to achieve “stability” in the region. The end of the book discusses the Iranian threat, using the tension with Iran to show Israel as an important element in the regional balance. It is important to note that the book is not the first Israeli book to be translated in Saudi Arabia, or in Arab libraries. Some intellectuals considered translating Israeli books an act of normalization and spreading Israeli propaganda. However, others considered learning about Israel views a necessity. Supporters of this view stress that people don’t have to agree with the books’ views. “Knowing the enemy can help us win over them,” one writer said.
Palestinian unity and Israel
Al-Massae, Morocco, May 17
Most Palestinians know that disunity has only weakened them and served Israel’s interests. Therefore, they greeted the reconciliation announcement (of Fatah and Hamas) with jubilation, and a pinch of skepticism. Israel, on the other hand, used the brothers’ reconciliation as a way to terminate peace talks. In fact, everybody saw that negotiations achieved nothing. Over the course of Israeli governments, it was evident that not even one of them has ever signed a document recognizing the Palestinians’ right to self-determination. Three previous Palestinians unity agreements were never implemented, and all hope that this one will be. Both Fatah and Hamas were driven to reconciliation by political weaknesses alongside internal party domestic political challenges. However, Palestinian leaders clearly fear retaliation from Israel, and are threatened by financial punishment from the US if they seek international courts. It is time to recognize the facts: Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs currently inhabit what seems to be one state. One question remains: Will the current apartheid principles remain, or will it be replaced by principles of equal rights for all?
The Israeli visa to Palestine
Al-Dustour, Amman, May 19
Visiting Palestine and the Aksa Mosque is a source of real tension between religious scholars, says Maher Abu Tair. Some religious men ban it completely, while others allow it without any objections. Another opinion, mostly in Jordan, only allows a few parties to acquire an Israeli visa. This waiver applies for all Palestinians no matter which passport they carry, as well as Arabs and Muslims with foreign passports. The latter fatwa was attacked, as foreign passport-holders should not be OK that their countries have diplomatic relations with Israel. I can’t issue a fatwa, of course, but looking at Jerusalem’s situation, the city is empty of its original residents. Those who remain in the city, the Jerusalemite families and some families from Hebron, are struggling to live in difficult economic conditions.
Saying that the Israeli visa means betrayal because it leads to the recognition of the State of Israel is not really a valid assertion. The Palestinians who live in Israel and have Israeli passports, and West Bankers who work in constructing settlements, are not traitors. We should always remember that Israel won’t be happy if it is flooded by Arabs and Muslims.