Commenting on the issue, Lebanon’s Daily Star noted that US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Europe as sympathy for the Palestinian cause was increasing across the continent, both on the street and at a political level. “In recent weeks, parliaments in France, Spain, the UK, Portugal and Ireland have recommended that their governments formally recognise Palestine and Sweden has taken that further step. These steps have left the US in an awkward position and it has still to declare whether or not it would use its veto were a UN resolution on Palestinian statehood recognition to come up soon. Officials have also implied it is not yet set in stone how the US would vote whether a timetable for Israeli withdrawal from [occupied] East Jerusalem and the West Bank was introduced, Jordan having last month circulated a draft motion scheduling November 2016 as a deadline.”
Writing about the death of Palestinian minister Ziad Abu Ain, the Oman Tribune said he was killed by Israeli police in the most dastardly manner. “The growing Israeli intolerance ... [towards] peaceful Palestinian protests shows its frustration with increasing international support to Palestinians. Tel Aviv’s repressive policies against Palestinians are unravelling as days go by. An indication is that more and more nations are recognising Palestine as an independent nation. The UN resolution that Jordan is pushing could be treated as a beginning and it should be reconciled with the one being drafted by Germany, France and Britain. The chorus around the world is getting louder for implementing the two-state solution. It is not surprising that it is ... [making] Israelis desperate. John Kerry is frantically trying to pre-empt a resolution in favour of Palestinian independence from being brought before the UN Security Council.”
The murder of Abu Ain is the most recent crime committed by the Israeli occupation forces’ government, and it won’t be the last, said UAE’s Al Bayan. “What angered the world even further is the fact that Abu Ain was not armed with a gun or stone, but rather an olive tree which he and dozens of other Palestinians wanted to plant, reaffirming that the land belongs to Palestine. National unity among Palestinians is matter of urgency to confront the Israeli occupation forces’ crimes. True national reconciliation must be achieved quickly. The time has come for Palestinians to be united in their stance and goals, and to be determined to achieve unity internally, which will act as a key gateway in holding Israel responsible for its ongoing crimes.”
What draws attention is the embarrassing silence of the international community, which rallied and formed a coalition to combat an illusionary organisation with unknown goals, said Qatar’s Al Sharq. “For some reason, this organisation has garnered enough importance to urge nations to form a coalition to combat it. Meanwhile, the Palestinian issue has been ongoing for more than 60 years, and the world turns a blind eye to it.”
Palestine’s Al Quds newspaper said the entire world is beginning to realise that Israel is the one that is hindering the peace process. “The continuing Israeli occupation is clearly assisting in creating an environment that supports the extremism which they are combating. It is illogical for Israel to combat extremism while encouraging it close by.”
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