RAMALLAH, November 16, 2013 (WAFA) – An Israeli committee’s approval of the construction of a controversial so-called biblical park that would end up seizing hundreds of dunums of Arab land in two East Jerusalem neighborhoods was the focus of two of the three Palestinian dailies on Saturday.

Al-Quds said in the headline that an Israeli government committee endorsed a request by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to build the park.

Al-Ayyam said the park will expropriate 740 dunums of land between al-Tur and Issawiyeh, two Arab neighborhoods on the Mount of Olives.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida highlighted the weekly Friday protests against the Israeli construction of settlements and the segregation wall on Arab land.

The paper, along with the other two, printed identical picture of Palestinian activists opening a hole in the segregation wall in the town of Bir Nabala, north of Jerusalem. The activists also damaged sections in the barrier in Bilin and Rafat.

The three papers highlighted as well the conflict between the US administration and Israel over the Middle East conflict and Iran’s nuclear program.

Al-Quds said, quoting an Israeli weekly, that Israel’s Land Authority published last week tenders for three housing projects in the illegal settlements of Pisgat Zeev and Har Homa, both built on Arab land in occupied East Jerusalem.

The three papers said the United Nations adopted a draft resolution stressing Palestinian sovereignty over the occupied land, including East Jerusalem and all its resources.

Al-Ayyam said the Israeli army held four children between the age of 5 and 9 years for one hour and terrified them in the village of Kufr Qaddoum.

The paper also said French President Francois Hollande is going to visit the region from Sunday through Tuesday. He is scheduled to meet President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday in Ramallah.

M.S.

http://english.wafa.ps/index.php?action=detail&id=23632