- Thousands of Israeli protesters may have linked hands
from the Gaza Strip to Jerusalem to protest against Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon's plan to pull out of Gaza, but Israeli papers are unconvinced by
the apparent show of solidarity.
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- Both Israeli and Arabic papers fear that this and other
developments may lead to a fresh upsurge in violence.
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- "The chain was ultra impressive, but it was not
a true representation of the people of Israel," says a commentary
in Maariv .
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- "It was rather a monotonous display of religious
Zionism", the paper says.
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- Considering the "almost total absence" of new
immigrants, as well as of secular and Orthodox Jews in the protest, the
settlers should consider their own isolation.
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- "In this important struggle in their history, perhaps
in its final straight, they arrive alone. With faith, courage, much determination,
but alone," the commentary says.
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- Despair
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- A commentary in Haaretz makes the same point. The protest,
it says, may have comprised 90 kilometres of humanity, but "the homogeneity
of the protesters stood out".
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- Haaretz quotes one Orthodox Jew as saying that the absence
of secular people in the chain "signifies a surrender to the challenges
and threats against Israel".
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- "The secular people built the country, but the knitted
skullcaps are strengthening life here. The secular people have lost interest,"
he says.
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- Another commentary, in Yediot Aharonot, worries that
the settlers may eventually resort to more violent methods of protest,
if the plan to withdraw goes ahead.
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- "Look what happened to the Palestinians in recent
years. The extremists among the settlers only delude themselves that they
are any different," it says.
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- "Despair is a lethal escort. Combined with messianic
belief, it could become a production line for people ready to commit suicide,"
the paper warns.
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- To illustrate the point, it speculates that the months
preceding former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's murder will appear "child's
play by comparison with what is expected here in the coming months".
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- Mosque
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- Arab papers are also anxious that a new wave of violence
may erupt.
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- Palestinian al-Quds notes that the chain protest comes
just after a warning that Jewish extremists might attack the al-Aqsa mosque
to foil the Gaza pullout plan.
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- "The far right in Israel is not ready for any concessions,"
the paper says. Instead it is "playing with the region's security
and stability" and pushing Israelis and Palestinians "towards
a spiral of confrontation and bloodshed".
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- UAE's al-Khalij also believes that "those who carry
out genocide against the Palestinian people will by no means refrain from
targeting the sanctity of the al-Aqsa holy mosque".
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- Other papers point the finger of blame firmly at the
Israeli government.
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- The UAE daily al-Bayan believes that Prime Minister Sharon
"was the first to dream about destroying the al-Aqsa Mosque".
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- "We do not rule out a green light issued by him
to Jews to do what they have been dreaming of," it says.
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- The Saudi Ukaz likewise accuses Israel of "marketing
aggression" against the al-Aqsa mosque.
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- "The international community holds the Israeli government
and its leader responsible for any criminal act against the mosque,"
the paper says.
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- © BBC MMIV http://NEWS.BBC.CO.UK/2/hi/middle_east/3927117.stm
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