Arabic newspapers tackle UAE demographics and Assad's speech

Arab newspapers comment that Palestinians need democracy and the Goldstone retraction does not absolve Israel

The UAE has too many expatriate workers

In a comment article for the Emirati newspaper Al Ittihad, the columnist Aisha Sultan highlighted some startling figures contained in the last census report released by the National Statistics Centre.

The most important facts concerned the rising population among expatriates. There is a continuing trend to bring in more foreign workers despite the changing economic situation compared to the boom period before 2008.

It was expected that the UAE's population would decline as a direct repercussion of the global financial meltdown, and thus create a demographic balance.

"The apprehension we have concerning this situation should not be seen negatively. Logic requires an even population size. This is in order to ensure a political, economic and cultural balance. And this will be beneficial to both Emiratis and expatriates."

It is true that the UAE is a country attractive to investors and workers, but the millions mentioned in the report do not reflect at all a genuine need for them. In fact, they exceed the real needs of the country amid the current world economic situation. Investors remain a minority, however.

The UAE is facing a serious workers' surplus, which necessitates action to reduce their number and address many other pending issues, such as the rising number of bachelors, settling expired work contracts and illegal labour.

President's speech is disappointing

"The Syrian people were frustrated by the president Bashar al Assad's address to the nation, observed Jameel al Dhaybani in a commentary for the London-based newspaper daily Al Hayat. "They had expected a package of reforms as hinted earlier by his advisor Dr Bouthaina Shaaban. These would include lifting the state of emergency, introducing a multi-party system, and granting press freedoms."

These were, in fact, the core demands of protesters, ones which Syrians would like to see their leadership carry out quickly. For this reason, they waited impatiently for their president to launch a new phase of political, economic and social changes that would consolidate people's rights. They were let down by the same old discourse of conspiracy theories after Mr Assad asserted international interference in the country's internal affairs was behind the demonstrations that erupted throughout Syria.

This is an obsolete argument. It is hard to establish a link between the call by the people to introduce internal reforms with a conspiracy that is allegedly being knitted externally.

Mr Assad's last speech will only fuel wider protests and increase tensions. This will eventually force people to raise the ceiling of their demands.

Palestinians urgently need democracy

In an opinion piece for the UAE newspaper Al Khaleej, Naji Sadeq Sharab considered the Palestinians as among the Arab people who most need to develop democratic practices to serve their political system.

The need for democracy is not a luxury; it is a necessity because of continuing occupation and differences among various factions. Democracy is required also to unify the Palestinians' position. This would politically strengthen them in handling the new Arab uprisings and the changes that might ensue. Furthermore, without true democratic practices, it is most likely that the current state of division will widen further to the detriment of the Palestinian cause.

Leaders have to take serious initiatives that ensure that all sides take part in the decision-making process and contribute to political life through free and fair elections. Conflict over authority should be replaced by a competition to establish a strong social and political system that brings together Palestinians inside and outside the Occupied Territories.

Palestinians have failed to observe this in the past, resulting in endless differences. Their first democratic experience, five years ago, was unsuccessful. Had it been a success story, the 2006 elections would have been a model to follow in many Arab countries of how political forces of different allegiances can perfectly coexist.

Goldstone's retraction does not absolve Israel

In his daily article for the Qatari Al Watan daily, Mazen Hammad wrote: "The South African judge Richard Goldstone announced that his report for the UN Human Rights Council accusing Israel of war crimes against civilians in Gaza was inaccurate."

Mr Goldstone claimed earlier this week in an article for the Washington Post that he received new evidence confirming that Israel did not target civilians intentionally during its three-week offensive on Gaza in 2008.

"But, what about his earlier uncontested findings that clearly showed that Israel killed 1,400 Gazans and destroyed infrastructure along with 4,000 homes?"

Mr Goldstone saw no shame in retracting his report two years later, absolving Israel of blame. His retraction came as a shock to respectable international forums while it overjoyed Israeli officials. They called on the UN to get rid of the report once and for all.

"However, the world realises that Goldstone's revocation doesn't suffice to acquit Israel of crimes against Palestinians in Gaza."

* Digest compiled by The Translation Desk