Hot off the Arab press 311822

A short roundup of what citizens of other countries are reading about the Middle East.

By COMPILEDTHE MEDIA LINE
Police car 370 (photo credit: reuters)
Police car 370
(photo credit: reuters)
ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN-JORDANIAN DEAL TO POSTPONE UNESCO RESOLUTIONS CONDEMNING ISRAEL Al-Quds Al-Arabi, London, April 24 Palestinian and Jordanian statements conflicted with Israeli declarations on allowing a United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) delegation to visit Jerusalem’s al-Aksa Mosque next month to get a look at work being done there by Israel. Israel Radio reported that a US-brokered agreement between Israel on the one hand, and Jordan and the Palestinian Authority on the other was reached to allow the international mission to carry out an inspection tour of several archeological sites in Jerusalem’s Old City. Israeli reports say the Palestinians agreed to postpone voting on draft resolutions in UNESCO condemning Israel, which Israel’s representative in the UN body had said he couldn’t prevent. While Israeli sources considered the postponement of these draft resolutions for the next six months a victory, the Palestinian foreign minister announced that these resolutions were only put on hold until after the conclusion of the visit. Now it remains to be seen if the UNESCO deal was a victory for Israel or a historic achievement by Jordan and the Palestinians.
WHY DID ISRAEL LEAK THE INFORMATION ABOUT SYRIA’S CHEMICAL WEAPONS? Ma’an News Agency, Bethlehem, April 29 The Israeli-American dispute over reports leaked by Israel regarding the Syrian army’s use of chemical weapons against its civilians continues. The debate made the newspapers after The Sunday Times published a report confirming that US President Barack Obama already knew about the use of the chemical weapons during his last visit to Israel. This information was announced a few days ago by the head of the research unit in IDF Military Intelligence, who gave these reports to the US administration over a month ago, but which US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel denied knowing anything about. The Sunday Times said Israel wanted to test Obama’s readiness to fulfill his promise stating that the use of chemical weapons in Syria was a red line that would trigger a US response.
The paper added that the Israelis were also testing Obama’s seriousness on Iran, adding that Israel gave Obama four weeks to alert the Syrian president about the seriousness of the issue, then decided to leak the news to the media to create pressure on the US president.
SUDANESE AMBASSADOR IN RUSSIA: ISRAEL SUPPORTS REBELLIONS
Al-Watan, Khartoum, April 28 The Sudanese Ambassador to Russia, Omer Dahab Fadl, said his country has evidence that Israel is supporting the “Sudan Revolutionary Front” rebels in Western Sudan. In an interview with Russia Today TV, he said prominent Israeli Military Intelligence officials declared that they are supporting the movement.
Fadl said Israel believes its security needs require Israel to intervene in Sudanese internal affairs, adding that Israel believes it can boost its security by weakening the surrounding countries, including Sudan. Fadl said that recent talks between Khartoum and rebels held in Addis Ababa had failed because the movement had not shown good faith in the talks. “It seems that this front was waiting for an attack such as the one carried out last week in Um Rawaba to improve its negotiating position,” Fadl added.
JORDANIAN LEGISLATOR FIRED FROM HIS PARTY AFTER VISIT TO ISRAEL
Al-Hayat, London, April 24 Jordan’s Islamic party al-Wasat fired legislator Muhammad Asha al-Dawaymeh from its parliamentary bloc after he visited Israel and shook hands with Israeli President Shimon Peres. The bloc issued a statement saying that “the lawmaker participated in the reception hosted by the Zionist entity known as Israeli Independence Day, and he shook hands with Peres, which are stained with the blood of Palestinians.”
The statement added that the bloc met with the party’s political committee and unanimously decided to fire Dawaymeh from the party. “These acts contradict the party’s core principles that condemn normalization with the Zionist enemy,” the statement read.
The Jordanian constitution requires a two-thirds majority of the parliamentary council to fire any of its members.
DUBAI: FERRARI FOR POLICEWOMEN, LAMBORGHINI FOR POLICEMEN
Al-Anba, Kuwait, April 27 Dubai continues showcasing its talents and its top spot in a number of fields. Recently, the city’s police received a fleet of Lamborghinis and Ferraris, with the women set to drive the Ferraris and the men getting the Lamborghinis. The move is meant to show off Dubai as a city of luxury and sophistication in all the services it provides, according to a Dubai Police news report. The report stated that the police general command is trying to upgrade its patrols to increase the security presence in areas frequented by tourists, such as the Khalifa Tower and Sheikh Muhammad bin Rashid Boulevard. These attractions are known around the world and draw visitors from many countries.