Palestinian leadership to complain to UN

The three Palestinian Arabic dailies Sunday focused on the Palestinian leadership’s decision to complain about Israeli settlement plans to the United Nations Security Council, and President Mahmoud Abbas lighting the torch of the launching of Fatah military operations against Israel 47 years ago. Al-Quds’ main front page headline highlighted the Palestinian leadership’s decision to complain to UN, as well as to call for a meeting of the Arab League Council to address Israeli settlement activities. The daily printed a picture of the PLO Executive Committee meeting chaired by Abbas in Ramallah. Al-Hayat al-Jadida featured on its front page Abbas’ speech during the formal celebrations in the presidential headquarters in Ramallah marking the 47th anniversary of the start of Fatah military operations against Israel. The headline quoted Abbas saying “2012 must be the year of the Palestinian state, with Jerusalem as its capital.” Al-Hayat al-Jadida and al-Ayyam printed pictures of Abbas lighting the Fatah torch at the Muqata. The three dailies focused on Abbas’ interview with Palestine TV and Voice of Palestine radio where he stressed that if the Quartet failed to bring back the Palestinians and Israelis to the negotiations table by January 26 the Palestinian leadership will consider an open range of options. Al-Quds newspaper was the only one to feature a report by the Land Research Center in Jerusalem, which stated that Israel confiscated around 3158 dunums and demolished 41 houses in occupied East Jerusalem during 2011. Al-Quds editorial slammed statements by Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman calling to lock Abbas inside the Muqata in a manner similar to what happened to the late president Yasser Arafat.