Israelis at al-Aqsa focus of dailies

A rise in the number of Israelis touring the yards of al-Haram al-Sharif in Jerusalem’s Old City and which is one of Islam’s holiest sites in an attempt to eventually turn the compound that includes al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock into a Jewish site was the focus of the Monday issue of two of the three Palestinian Arabic dailies. Al-Ayyam noted in the headline of its main front page story the rise in the number of Israeli Jews who are visiting the Muslim compound and said that Muslim leaders have called on people to congregate in the Mosque all the time to block the Israeli schemes. Al-Quds said in its main front page story that fanatic Jewish groups have started activities on the anniversary of the destruction of the Jewish temples thousands of years ago demanding speeding up the building of the third Jewish temple on the site after destroying the Muslim holy places. The third daily, al-Hayat al-Jadida, decided to focus its main front page story on the situation in Egypt, talking about the structure of the new government and other developments there. The other two papers also gave a large space on their front page for the situation in Egypt. Al-Hayat al-Jadida also said in another story that President Mahmoud Abbas received telephone calls from Egypt’s interim president, Adli Mansour, and another one from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the occasion of Ramadan. The paper quoted Arab League Secretary General Nabil el-Arabi saying that an Arab ministerial committee that follows up on the peace process is going to hold an important meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday in the Jordanian capital Amman during Kerry’s upcoming visit to the region to resume his peace mission. Al-Ayyam and Al-Quds also printed el-Arabi’s statements with al-Quds quoting Saeb Erekat, the Palestinian negotiator, stressing that while the Palestinian Authority is keen to see Kerry succeed in his mission, Israel, on the other hand, is putting obstacles in the way of his success with its settlement activities and refusal to release prisoners. Al-Quds also said in another story that the Israeli military authorities decided to close the Jalameh crossing between Jenin in the northern West Bank and Israel at 7:00 in the evening every night instead of midnight causing as a result great difficulty for the Arabs in Israel who like to visit Jenin and spend the Ramadan Iftar (break of fast) and evening in the city before returning to their homes inside Israel. Al-Ayyam said in a story that the Hamas authorities in Gaza issued death sentences against two residents accused of murder.