BBC Monitoring Headlines, Quotes From Palestinian Press 25 Jan 08

Jan 25, 05:37 AM

Headlines

Al-Quds: Israel threatens to cut all ties with Gaza and Cairo stresses that Rafah situation is temporary More than 700,000 Palestinians have passed the border to Egypt ... President [Mahmud Abbas]: Negotiations have not achieved anything and settlement expansion is one of most important obstacles He is scheduled to meet Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert this Sunday [27 January] ... [Prime Minister Salam] Fayyad: Situation in Gaza is very dangerous and we propose to take over crossings He said at the Davos conference: "Matters have not developed [with Israel] as they were planned to at the Annapolis conference"

Al-Hayat al-Jadidah: Security Council talks on Gaza resumed

Fourteen Security Council members have accepted the draft resolution, but the US has asked to revise it ... Abbas-Olmert meeting on Sunday to discuss Gaza situation This meeting will be part of the regular meetings the two hold

Al-Ayyam: Occupation Border Policeman killed in Shu'fat refugee camp [in Jerusalem] Another policewoman was seriously injured when two gunman opened fire at them at a police checkpoint ... [Fatah's military wing] Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades claimed responsibility

Filastin: Hamas urges Egyptian government to open Rafah crossing as soon as possible Hamas stressed in a statement the depth of the relationship between the Palestinians and Egyptians

Quotes

Al-Quds: [From editorial] "The ball now is not in Hamas's court... Hence, the Palestinian Authority should intensify its efforts to solve the crossings crisis. This would be an achievement that would raise its popularity in general and Fatah's in particular, ahead of the elections which are the democratic way to transfer power. The parliamentary elections, whether they are held early or on time, are getting closer. Then, the people will have their say and decide the discord between Fatah and Hamas."

Al-Hayat al-Jadidah: [From commentary by Hafith al-Barghuthi] "The Israeli ploy [the unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005] deceived the West, Arabs and Palestinians. It was impossible to convince our leaderships, which were busy with taking control of the crossings and the economic gains, that they were running after a mirage. The reason for this is that Israel laid a trap by exporting the problem to Egypt now, the way it will export the problem of the West Bank to Jordan later on."

[From commentary by Yahya Rabah] "The Palestinian conference that will be closed today in Damascus, despite the positive or negative things said about it, was nothing but a prelude towards the Palestinian division that started a quarter of a century ago. At that time some Palestinian factions, which also took part in this conference, tried to stage a coup against the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and independent Palestinian decision-making."

Al-Ayyam: [From commentary by Muhammad Yaghi] "Egypt is surely capable of providing all the needs of the Gaza Strip at prices lower than the ones Israel and the Palestinian Authority used to charge. The Gaza Strip will not be a burden for Egypt, as some people think. It will rather be a source of income. The only exception is the security burden which Israel will bear and continue to bear as long as the struggle for the Palestinian state continues."

[From commentary by Dr George Jaqaman] "Now, in the midst of this new situation [in Gaza], the Israeli government might find itself in a situation which allows it to reject the proposal [that the Palestinian Authority take responsibility for the crossings] to throw Gaza into Egypt's lap. Hence, the main question remains if Egypt and the Palestinian Authority, with Arab help, would have enough power to exert pressure on the US to make it accept this proposal."

Filastin: [From commentary by A. Hasan Warrad] "Abu-Mazin (President Mahmud Abbas) uses foul language in the media when talking about Hamas's leadership, describing [Hamas Political Bureau Chief Khalid] Mish'al of being 'a liar'. He is trying to increase division, and foil the attempts of mediation to bring the West Bank and Gaza Strip closer. This is what will continue to happen until Israel wins the battle for the Ramallah[-based] Palestinian Authority."

Sources: as listed

(c) 2008 BBC Monitoring Newsfile. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved. BBC Monitoring Headlines, Quotes From Palestinian Press 25 Jan 08
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