All or nothing in talks on Palestine

"Lately, the Palestinians have over-used the expression 'all or nothing'," Ureib al Rintawi wrote in an opinion piece for Jordan's pro-government Ad Dustour daily. "President Mahmoud Abbas, along with a number of negotiators, has repeated this saying, which we hope will be respected until a comprehensive deal is reached." Some might ask what harm would come of compromise on the limited exchange of territories and the suspension of the refugees issue, among others. But the Israelis, al Rintawi said, are not so stupid as to compromise on their desire to maintain part of the occupied lands and get the Palestinians to relinquish the refugees right of return. "Therefore, it might be in the Palestinians' best interest to reach an agreement over all the final status items before signing the final deal or the 'full package' while attempting, as much as possible, to improve the conditions related to issues such as the state, sovereignty, water, refugees, the sanctuaries and the Old City [of Jerusalem]". * Digest compiled from Mideastwire.com

Dr Abdul Hamid al Ansari, a regular columnist for the UAE's independent newspaper Al Ittihad, wrote that religious political groups in the Arab world aim to dismantle modern states. "All these groups have allegiances that span borders and transcend nationalities with their unrealistic realistic ideology," he wrote. Maybe the most prominent modern example is the Hammas movement. "Hamas uses foreign support and financing and doesn't believe in democracy, since it confiscated the elections after managing to reach power by following the axiom 'one vote forever' and rebelled against legitimacy." Those who believe that Hamas will accept the Cairo dialogue and national reconciliation in order to allow Gaza to return to what it was before are delusional, Dr al Ansari wrote. "Why did Hamas boycott the dialogue? Because the 'rejectionist' axis, which is supported by Iran, does not believe that Palestinian national reconciliation will serve its interests at this juncture and it refuses to allow Egypt to regain its national role by achieving Palestinian reconciliation."

Turki al Assiri, a regular columnist for Saudi Arabia's pro-government newspaper Okaz, wrote on November 12 that according to the Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, "indiscretions" against women form the majority of incidents they record, reaching 59,000 cases a year. "We Saudi males are the product of a male chauvinistic culture that looks at women merely as bodies and not as human beings with minds and dignities and roles of their own," he wrote. "Our culture narrows down the job of women to reproduction and producing children and doesn't consider them to be creatures that can, and must play an important role in advancing their societies." Young men are not taught chivalry or wisdom towards women. "Thus I admit that we older men are the ones responsible for cementing the concept of women as a commodity and an item. We are the ones that caused the phenomenon of harassment and indiscretions against women to spread, as young men are now in the habit of chasing them in malls and parks."

Syria's state-controlled Teshreen daily ran an opinion piece by Issam Dari saying those who think "Arab solidarity" is an obsolete expression are wrong. "Solidarity was never so needed by the Arabs and while Arab policy is going in all directions except toward solidarity. The Arab street still believes in it, regardless of those who bend before the storm and ask us to bend as well," he wrote. A speech delivered before the Arab parliament by President Bashar al Assad reflected those aspirations, he added. Far from being obsolete, Arabism is being adhered to by the younger generation. They are the ones fighting an insurgency in Iraq. They launched an Intifada in the Palestinian territories and fought Israel in southern Lebanon. "In short, Arabism will not die and solidarity is underway, no matter how hard they try to assassinate it. "As for resistance, it is a confirmed choice and a legitimate right. "So, let the message reach those trying to wager on dreams and illusions." "A letter to those betting on illusions" Syria's state-controlled Teshreen daily ran an opinion piece by Editing Director Issam Dari saying those who think 'Arab solidarity' is an obsolete expression are wrong. "Solidarity was never so needed by the Arabs and while Arab policy is going in all directions except toward solidarity, the Arab street still believes in it, regardless of those who bend before the storm and ask us to bend as well," he wrote. A speech delivered before the Arab parliament by President Bashar al-Assad reflected those aspirations, he added. Far from being obsolete, Arabism is being adhered to by the younger generation, which is fighting an insurgency in Iraq, launched an Intifada in the Palestinian territories and fought Israel in southern Lebanon. "In short, Arabism will not die and solidarity is underway, no matter how hard they try to assassinate it. As for resistance, it is a confirmed choice and a legitimate right. So, let the message reach those trying to wager on dreams and illusions."