New settlements in Jerusalem dominate dailies

The three Palestinian Arabic dailies Wednesday highlighted the new Israeli plan by Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat to establish a new settlement of around 200 housing units near the East Jerusalem town of Abu Dis. Al-Hayat al-Jadida reported on its front page that the Israeli authorities constructed a new settlement outpost in the foothills of Mount Olives in the occupied East Jerusalem under complete secrecy. Al-Quds focused on President Mahmoud Abbas’ meeting with the Grand Sheik of Al-Azhar University, Mohamed al-Tayeb, on Monday during Abbas’ visit to Egypt, printing a picture of the meeting. The daily also featured Abbas’ meeting with the Russian envoy to the peace process in the Middle East in Jordan. Al-Ayyam newspaper printed a picture of a Palestinian youth arguing with an Israeli soldier in the Old City of Hebron. Below the picture, the daily reported that a deadline set by the Israeli army for settlers to evict a Palestinian building in Hebron, which they took over by force, ended, and the settlers did not evict the building. Al-Hayat al-Jadida said the International Criminal Court prosecutor said he would hold off on a preliminary investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes in the Palestinian Territory until the United Nations rules on the Palestinian application for statehood membership.  The three dailies reported on the resumption of supplying fuel to the only power plant in the Gaza Strip from Egypt, after Hamas movement in the Strip agreed to send the collected fees to the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation. Al-Quds editorial slammed the Israeli government’s ongoing accusations of “terrorism” made against any Palestinian moves and officials, mainly Abbas.