As-Safir (Lebanon): Obama is Admirer of Israeli Wall, Fall of Berlin Wall – US presidential hopeful Senator Barack Obama spoke to more than 200,000 people in Berlin yesterday on unity among the races and religions and called for tearing down all forms of "walls." His remarks contradicted the previous 15 hours he spent in Palestine as he coaxed the leaders of the Israeli occupation, declaring Jerusalem as Israeli, as he stood near the apartheid wall that he had completely ignored.
Al-Ayyam (West Bank): 13 Injured During Peaceful Protest Against Wall – Thirteen demonstrators, including a Frenchman, were injured by the occupation forces during a peaceful demonstration against the separation wall in Naalin village, west of Ramallah, which is being erected on Palestinian farmland. The Israeli soldiers attacked some 600 demonstrators, including Palestinians, Israelis and other nationalities, who marched unarmed toward the Israeli bulldozers to prevent them from digging up farmland in Naalin for the Israeli wall.
Al-Qabas (Kuwait): Israel to Build 20 New Units on Settlement Inside Jordan Valley – A year after the Jewish state froze 180 settlement units due to U.S. pressure, parliament's foreign affairs and defense committee agreed Thursday to build 20 new units in a settlement in the Jordan Valley. A senior Israeli official said the decision requires the endorsement of the defense minister, but found no reason for the minister not to sign it.
Ash-Sharq al-Awsat (London; Saudi Arabia): Iran: Lebanon, Iraq, Oil Prices and Afghanistan Pass Through Nuclear File – Iran linked its nuclear crisis to resolving other problems in the world, including Lebanon, international oil prices, Iraq and Afghanistan. Iranian Vice President Reza Aghazadeh, also the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, said in Vienna Thursday that if negotiations with the international community begin, "solutions could be found for many problems like Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan or fuel prices."
Al-Masry al-Youm (Egypt): Cairo Reduces Diplomatic Representation to Meeting in Tehran – Egypt has decided to reduce its representation at the foreign ministers preparatory meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement in Tehran on July 29-30, by which Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Ghait decided to delegate one of his deputies to attend instead. Meanwhile, the head of al-Azhar Muslim authority, Sheik Muhammad Tantawi, said he would not visit Iran until it removes the pictures and name of President Anwar Sadat's killer, Khaled Islambouli, from Tehran's streets.