BBC Monitoring Headlines, Quotes From Palestinian Press 15 Oct 07

Oct 15, 04:31 AM

Current Headlines: The following is a selection of headlines and quotes taken from the Palestinian press published on 15 Oct:

Headlines

Al-Quds: [US Secretary of State Condoleezza] Rice downplays chances for achieving "breakthrough" in her current tour and warns against movements and statements that might damage mutual trust between two sides regarding commitment to two-state solution He four-day tour is intended to push forward the US plans regarding the international conference...Rice will participate in part of meetings between Palestinian and Israeli negotiating teams She will be trying to bridge the gap between them...[Prime Minister Salam] Fayyad stresses importance of good preparation for international conference He met Rice yesterday in Ramallah.

Al-Ayyam: Israel welcomes Rice with declaration of intention to resume excavations at Bab al-Magharibah [just outside Al-Aqsa Mosque] An Israeli ministerial committee has approved the resumption of work...[Head of Palestinian negotiations team Ahmad] Quray: We want document that deals with all solution cases even if each would receive one paragraph only He said that the consequences of the international conference's failure would be more dangerous that the repercussions of the Camp David summit's failure [in 2000]...Bayt Hanun: Hamas militant martyrs, four others wounded He was killed as a result of Israeli artillery bombardment.

Quotes

Al-Quds: [From editorial] "The statements made by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice prior to her arrival to Israel in which she warned against having great expectations of any `great breakthroughs' means that her [visit] will not produce any positive results regarding the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. This comes despite her criticism of the Israeli decision to expropriate Palestinians lands and her statement that there is a need to refrain from any movements or statements that might damage the two sides' commitment to a two-state solution."

[From commentary by Rasim Ubaydat] "What happened in Oslo should not be allowed to be repeated at all at the Annapolis conference this autumn. The rights of the Palestinians and the fate of their prisoners should not be left up to Israel's good intentions. Till this day, Israel has not released any of the prisoners who have spent 20 years, or more, in jail."

[From commentary by Jalal Inayah] "We bitterly say that the Arabs have no interest these days to unite the Palestinians despite all their advices. Every Arab country has Palestinian interests and they will not abandon them because of their intentions. When the Arab states are able to hold a true Arab summit that is up to the Arab public expectations, then it would be possible to say that the Palestinian unity will automatically be achieved."

Al-Ayyam: [From commentary by Samih Shubayb] "The situation now, prior to the Annapolis conference, looks as if we are going to a second Camp David [summit]. However, the main difference is that it would be impossible for the Palestinians and Israelis to reach an agreement. Both sides are [divided] by a political disagreement that can explode again."

Sources: as listed

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