Newspapers Review: Fayyad's Statements on Budget Dominate Dailies.

RAMALLAH, January 10, 2012 (WAFA) -- Tuesday's issue of the three Palestinian Arabic dailies focused on Prime Minister Salam Fayyad statements to reporters on the Palestinian budget for 2012.

Al-Hayat al-Jadida quoted in red Fayyad saying that the government is considering a new retirement law among other austerity measures to face a $1.1 billion deficit that was carried from 2010. The paper also reported that the government is working to enact a new health insurance law and to modify the civil service law. Al-Quds main front page story highlighted the Jordanian Central Bank's seizure of assets of expelled Fatah Central Committee member Muhammad Dahlan amid his denial of having assets in Jordan. The story featured an exclusive with the head of the Palestinian Anti-Corruption Commission, Rafiq al-Natsheh, who stressed that the seizure order was issued by the Palestinian Authority against Dahlan following charges of embezzlement. Al-Ayyam reported on its front page that the Israeli forces closed the road leading to a Bedouin community southeast of Jerusalem with cement blocks that completely prevents vehicles from reaching the area in an attempt to force its dwellers to leave it. Al-Hayat al-Jadida featured Palestinian and Israeli comments following the second meeting with Quartet representatives in Jordan; Palestinian sources said the Israeli side did not bring anything new to the meeting while Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman attacked the Palestinians and questioned the possibility of achieving any progress. An op-ed by Hani Masri in al-Ayyam newspaper tackled the Palestinian-Israeli meetings with the Quartet in Jordan, specifying that these meetings aim to close the gap formed due to halt of negotiations and absence of Hosni Mubarak regime. Masri called to establish a new strategy, which should be less radical than Hamas' and stricter than Fatah's, to override the Oslo Accords. R.Q./M.S.

2012 Palestine News & Information Agency (WAFA). All rights reserved.

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Publication:	Palestine News Agency (WAFA) (Gaza, Palestine)
Date:	Jan 10, 2012
Words:	316
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