A roundup of commentary from Arab newspapers September 19.
Hamas government should resign
The Palestinian Al Hayat Al Jadeeda said in a commentary that it was not strange for angry Palestinians to protest in front of the Legislative Council in Gaza for not having been paid in months, saying that it was a natural reaction.
The daily, which is close to the Fatah faction, insisted that it was natural for the striking employees to stop the convoy of Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya because it is within the same democratic expression that brought the prime minister to power in elections.
"Citizens have the right to peacefully protest against the government policies and decisions, a right that is protected by the Palestinian constitution," it argued.
The paper said that when Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas was prime minister, something similar happened, after which he submitted his resignation when he realized that he could not do anything, adding that Haniya should do the same as soon as possible.
The resignation of the government, it opined, is much better than to "see our cause being contained to mere power struggles and humanitarian assistance."
Don't punish Hamas
The London-based Al Quds Al Arabi said that it was natural for the "hungry" to protest in Gaza because it was a democratic expression, but resorting to violence is illegal.
The independent Palestinian-owned daily said that the failure of not being paid salaries for months is not the responsibility of Haniya's government, but that the United States and the West are to blame after they imposed sanctions against the Palestinian people for having democratically voted "against corruption."
It complained that the United States had threatened sanctions against anyone who transferred money to the Palestinian Hamas government, which led to the financial crisis and inability to pay salaries.
"Therefore, the Palestinian anger should be directed at the American administration, which is imposing a starvation policy to achieve political aims, not against Hamas, which is facing blackmail to back out of its political program on which it won in the elections," it insisted.
The daily, distributed in many Arab capitals, said that the Palestinian rage should not be directed at a national government that was chosen by the people and is being punished with its ministers being arrested by Israel because it refuses to hand over two-thirds of Palestine.
Palestinians hostage to US, Israel
The United Arab Emirates' Al Khaleej said in its editorial that the Palestinians and Arabs were hoping that the talks between Abbas and Haniya would have led to an agreement on forming a national unity government to "cool off the Palestinian street."
The pro-government daily added that agreement on a national unity government would have been a launching pad for closing Palestinian rifts and ending the US-Israeli sanctions against the Palestinian people.
"It was hoped that all Palestinian parties inside and outside the authority would have realized after much suffering that internal differences are the biggest danger to the Palestinian cause," it argued.
The paper said that Abbas' decision to freeze dialogue with Haniya until he returns from a US visit where he will meet with President George W. Bush indicates that the Palestinian decision is "hostage to the outside and is no longer a national decision."
The American-Israeli conditions are clear, it said, as they demand the Palestinian people "surrender and recognize their killers and occupiers, which never happened in history."
The paper insisted that only a Palestinian national unity government can put the cause on the right track, not submitting to American-Israeli conditions.
US rules the world
Kuwait's Al Qabas commented that no country in the world today, especially an Arab one, could do anything with its resources or policies without permission from the United States, saying that if it did so, it would be considered a rogue state in the international community.
Even Israel, the paper said, is "within the international consensus despite its crimes, ugly behavior and defiance of the world."
The pro-government daily added in its commentary that all countries are today interlinked more than ever before, adding that the world map has been continuously changing since the 1940s, when some countries merged and other nations "were wiped out from the map completely."
It said that more changes were to come, especially in the Arab world and the Arab Gulf region, expecting "an exchange of some maps and countries will enter other nations."
Therefore, it argued, no small or poor countries can agree or disagree to such changes in any new equations, saying that whoever disapproves should expect to be erased from the map or to have a mass exodus to other countries more safe and stable.
New Middle East
Jordan's independent Al Ghad published a cartoon of what the new Middle East will look like on the map according to what is believed to be the US administration's plan for the region.
The cartoon, titled "A new Middle East," shows the map of the region with each country labeled "Iraq."
On the side of the map is a compass showing the four directions; but instead of n, s, e, and w indicating north, south, east, and west, "w" is written on every direction.
Review of Arab Editorials
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