Hot off the Arab press 334776

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

By COMPILEDTHE MEDIA LINE
Syria protests in Cairo 521 (photo credit: REUTERS/Stringer Egypt)
Syria protests in Cairo 521
(photo credit: REUTERS/Stringer Egypt)
Netanyahu’s FallaciesAl-Quds, Jerusalem, December 8 Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu again invented an irrational excuse to spoil the peace process with the Palestinians. Addressing the annual Saban Forum in Washington, Netanyahu said a peace deal with the Palestinians is not possible if Iran has a nuclear weapon, claiming the Palestinian cause is not the base of conflict in the Middle East. It’s ironic that these remarks come after America confirms at the same meeting that a peace agreement is possible. The big fallacy Netanyahu is presenting is the irrational link between the Iranian issue and the continuation of illegitimate occupation of the Palestinian lands for decades.
He ignores the basic reasons of the conflict: the occupation, settlements and the refusal to recognize UN resolutions when it comes to the issue of refugees.
Netanyahu’s polemics don’t serve the peace process, and don’t help in strengthening security and stability in the region. As the world reached a deal with Iran, it proved that it is able to curb Israel.
The Peace Israel Wants Dar Al-Khaleej, Sharjah, December 9 Israeli Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennett suggested yesterday that Israel annex Area C of the West Bank, representing 60 percent of the West Bank. With the removal of Area C from the West Bank, only 2,344 square kilometers will remain.
Moreover, the Zionist entity has more ambitions in other areas, particularly the Jordan Valley. Adding this to the fact that the remaining areas are disconnected, we can say that there is no such thing as Palestine.
Since the Oslo Accords, Israel has strengthened the presence of settlements in the West Bank, particularly in the Jordan Valley, to create a status quo. This way, the Zionist entity doesn’t need to declare its rejection of a Palestinian state – the figures themselves reveal the impossibility of that scenario.
How would almost 3 million Palestinians live in this space, without agriculture or natural resources? What two states are they talking about?
A ‘Palestinian Spring’ in Israel’s Face Al-Bilad, Riyadh, December 8 A new “Land Day” took place among Palestinians living in Israel, after protesters objected to a draft Israeli law to displace the residents of dozens of Beduin villages in the Negev and put them in “concentration municipalities.” Israel is evidently planning to rob what is left of the lands in the Negev, by confiscating about 323,750 hectares (800,000 acres) – a figure representing half of the land owned by Palestinians after the confiscations of the Nakba (the creation of Israel in 1948). The demonstrations united masses of Palestinians in various cities in Israel. The only logical next step for the popular movement that succeeded in leading the Rage Day is to build on these demonstrations, and start a movement of continuous peaceful demonstrations. Palestinian people in Israel do not need lessons from anyone in how to defeat the occupation plans and be steadfast on the lands of grandparents and parents. They are able to capture the moment and launch a “Palestinian Spring” against the occupation and racism.
A Palestinian State Managed by Israel Dunia Al-Watan, Gaza, December 8 US Secretary of State John Kerry says that Israelis and Palestinians are closer to peace than ever, but it seems that the Americans and Israelis are betting on the Palestinian side to settle for Israel’s positions, says writer Ibrahim al-Sheikh. Security is the most important topic for Israel, as it does not take into account the other issues, such as Jerusalem and refugees, and Israel will want to secure its borders after any agreement with the Palestinian side. Followers of the 20-year-old negotiations note that the state of occupation is seeking to establish a subordinate Palestinian state, whose security and economy will then be dependent on Israel. The optimism Kerry is talking about doesn’t have a foundation, and is not shared by the Palestinians. Nevertheless, the US, Israeli and even European pressures are being carried out on the Palestinian side, which does not have any powerful cards to play. Peace and security won’t be achieved without granting Palestinians their full rights.