*Jordanian monarch receives Meshaal (Al Ayyam)
*Israeli groups: facilitations introduced at Qalandiya checkpoint (Al Ayyam)
*Turkey reinforces its forces on the Syrian border; violence expands and claims 91 lives yesterday (Al Ayyam)
*Ulpana settlers complete evacuation and move into new settlement homes (Al Ayyam)
*The occupation begins measures to carry out the Ben Gurion village plan in occupied Jerusalem (Al Hayat Al Jadida)
*Ambassador Abdel Hadi: The president is following up developments daily in Syrian refugee camps Al Hayat Al Jadida)
*Al Qassam: we planned to shell the Knesset, the Ben Gurion Airport and settlers (Al Hayat Al Jadida)
*Revolutionary Council announces its acceptance of membership applications (Al Hayat Al Jadida)
*Bin Halli: settlements have no future in Palestine and Israel cannot twist the Palestinian cause according to its agenda Al Hayat Al Jadida)
*Israeli authorities precede Ramadan with tightened measures on citizens (Al Quds)
*Major breakthrough in movement across Rafah crossing (Al Quds)
*British labor party head criticizes settlement policy (Al Quds)
*Settlers bought most of the private land at the last minute on which the Migron settlement was built from Palestinian owners (Al Quds)
*The President participates in mass wedding in Silwad and reaffirms the need to support youth sector (Al Hayat Al Jadida)

Al Quds: Ramallah : Overview of the Migron settlement site which settlers claim they bought most of the land for; 2) Amman: Jordan King Abdallah II during his meeting with Hamas politburo chief Khaled Meshaal
Al Ayyam: 1) Israeli soldiers during their crack down on protest by supporters in front of Ofer prison; 2)Turkish military vehicles move towards Syrian border; 3) Martyr Ghanjeh; 4) Nativity Church, towards joining the list of world heritage sites
Al Hayat Al Jadida: 1) The president during his participation in a mass wedding; 2) The Nativity Church

Israeli settlement expansion is continuing
By Nazih Al Qasus
There is never a day when news agencies do not publish news of new settlement projects or attacks on the Aqsa Mosque compound or on other mosques in the occupied Palestinian territories. This is all happening under the noses of the United Nations, the Security Council and international human rights organizations. In spite of all this, we do not hear one statement condemning Israel’s measures as if this rogue state is above all international law and has the right to carry out its settlement expansion on this occupied land, one of the few remaining pieces of land in the world still under occupation.

The most recent news is that the Israeli army ministry, the finance ministry and the Israel land authorities department have signed an agreement by which some Israeli camps will be evacuated in order to build 25,000 settlement units instead. Israeli sources have hailed the agreement as historical.

Furthermore, there is an Israeli plan to take over the Mt. of Olives facing the Aqsa Mosque on claims that there is an old Israeli cemetery there. The plan has already been put into action by planting virtual Jewish graves in preparation for the complete takeover of the mountain.

The Israeli violations in the occupied Palestinian territories are ongoing and have not stopped for one day. Most recently, a group of Israeli naval officers, Jewish extremists and two Israeli Knesset members broke into the Aqsa Mosque on Monday, walking around its grounds under the protection of the Israeli army.
The break-ins into the Aqsa by Israeli groups has become an almost daily happening, which is proof that the enemy is continuing with its plans aimed at demolishing the mosque and building the alleged  temple in its place. The plans are securely in place to build this temple over the ruins of the destroyed mosque.

These repeated attacks on the Aqsa Mosque come in tandem with vast measures being taken in East Jerusalem by Israeli occupation authorities. The demolition of Arab homes is being carried out, they are evicted or their Jerusalem ID cards are revoked; Torah gardens are being built and entire neighborhoods are being wiped out in order to change the topographic nature of the city in preparation for its judiazation. Waqf buildings  are being destroyed and Omayyad places adjacent to the Aqsa Mosque are being torn down where apartment buildings for Israelis will take their place.

This is in the West Bank. As for Gaza, Israeli air raids are almost constant and they do not distinguish between children, the elderly or women. The raids and the frequent victims have become more like a ritual for the people of Gaza, who have been under siege for the past five years while the world looks on. Even the European Union, which always claims to be the protector of human rights, has not even made one strong statement condemning the siege.

There is no people in the world who suffer like the Palestinian people. They have been under the yoke of occupation since 1967 and must bear the measures this occupation metes out on them. Their lives have become like a living hell with close to 10,000 prisoners in Israeli jails including hundreds of women and children. (http://www.addustour.com/ViewTopic.aspx?ac=\OpinionAndNotes\2012\06\OpinionAndNotes_issue1716_day29_id423382.htm)

Recognition battle over Jesus' birthplace
By Nada Atrash

Bethlehem, occupied Palestinian territories - For millions of Christians around the world, the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is a place for worship and contemplation, a revered site worth travelling thousands of kilometres for a chance to kneel before the birthplace of Jesus Christ. A tiny door welcomes visitors to the church, forcing them to humbly bow before making their way inside. Mosaics and glass lamps adorn the dimly lit church and a narrow stairway leads visitors to the grotto where Jesus is believed to have been born.

Little do those pilgrims know that the church is about to become the centre of contention in St Petersburg, Russia, where Palestinians are hoping that a "Hail Mary vote" due on Friday, June 29 will mark the inclusion of Jesus' birthplace on the United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organisation's (UNESCO) World Heritage List.

Churches, monasteries and convents from Armenia to Uruguay are a part of the world-renowned list by UNESCO, which protects natural and cultural heritage that meet its criteria for "universal value to humanity".

In its meeting that concludes on July 6, the UN body's World Heritage Committee, comprising 21 member states, will consider whether to add the Church of the Nativity to its list.

Controversial vote

Palestinians feel that it is only natural that Jesus' birthplace be part of this list. "There are [more than] 900 locations at the World Heritage List - why not Palestine?" said Bethlehem's deputy mayor, George Saadeh. "What is more important than the Church of the Nativity and City of Bethlehem?"

In addition to churches and holy places, World Heritage Sites include the Pyramids in Egypt, the Grand Canyon in the United States and France's Notre Dame Cathedral.

Bethlehem's Church of Nativity, the Greek Orthodox Convent, the Church of St Catherine, the Latin and Armenian Convents and the surrounding route taken by pilgrims have all been nominated for inclusion on the list.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) filed to have these sites included in February 2011. Meanwhile, the PA applied to join UNESCO, and was admitted as a member nine months later. This caused the US and Israel to cut off their funding to UNESCO, causing the organisation to lose more than a quarter of its annual revenue.

Both countries viewed Palestine's membership bid as a unilateral attempt to gain statehood recognition in light of a moribund peace process. The upcoming vote on the Church of the Nativity is expected to be just as controversial, and many committee member abstentions are expected.

The PA has an amendable list of other sites that it will slowly add to the Heritage List, including the village of Battir and the old cities of Jerusalem and Hebron.

Little ghost town of Bethlehem

Bethlehem is a top destination for tourists and pilgrims visiting the Holy Land and is a major income generator for Palestinians. Tourism to this revered city has been hit hard in the past few years because of stringent Israeli military restrictions on movement, mushrooming illegal settlements, and the separation wall that has cut the city off from neighbouring Jerusalem.

Not only does Israel control the border points with Jordan and Egypt (the only exit and entry points to the Palestinian Territories), but it also controls movement between the West Bank and Jerusalem. Tourists and Palestinian guides alike are subject to this system and, accordingly, Israel dictates how foreign dollars are spent.

In effect, Bethlehem draws travellers who come here on short day visits, and go back to their Jerusalem hotels in the evening, depriving Palestinian hotels and establishments from reaping the full benefits of visiting groups.

In addition to the Israeli military chokehold on the city, there are 22 settlements on the land surrounding Bethlehem, four of which disconnect the city from Jerusalem, according to the PLO Negotiations Support Unit. Once complete, an additional settlement, Givat Yael, will complete the ring of settlements that encircle Jerusalem, virtually cutting it off from the rest of the West Bank.

The effects of the occupation on this holy city are glaring: closed shops dot the pilgrimage route along Star Street - believed to be the path taken by Mary and Joseph - with hardly any tourists in sight.

Deputy Mayor Saadeh said he thinks that gaining World Heritage status would not only protect and preserve the city, but also help market it as a destination worth visiting for much longer than a day. This would bring economic benefits to the city and attract much-needed funds for restoration and preservation.

"Bethlehem is the capital city of the Christian world. It is a place of great historical, religious and cultural importance," he said. "We want to protect and preserve [it]. This is very important for the Palestinian people, for us as Christians and for the world."

Restoring the church

The last restoration made on church property was in the 1950s, and conservation methods acknowledged by the World Heritage Committee were not used.

"The roof of the church is leaking and causing deterioration to the icons and mosaics on the walls," said Nada Atrash, an architect at Bethlehem's Centre for Cultural Heritage Preservation.

"The main entrance is damaged and has had to be supported by wood panels since the mid-19th century. Bethlehem is deteriorating and we need immediate intervention," she said.

In addition to renovation and restoration issues, the church suffered extensive damage when Israeli troops and tanks besieged it for more than a month in 2002.

Israel has opposed the Palestinians' attempt to list the church's location as "Palestine", saying that the attempt to have it listed is "a unilateral act" that could only be taken once final status negotiations have resumed. But the Palestinians argue that, as a member of UNESCO, they have the right to protect their heritage.

Officials have made it clear that this move also comes under the umbrella of self-determination, and they are moving ahead with their bid, despite a committee of UNESCO experts saying that the move should be delayed by at least a year on the grounds that the church is not in any imminent danger.

But in an open letter to UNESCO's world heritage committee, 15 Bethlehem organisations said the "international community has a legal and moral responsibility to protect our sites [after] 45 years of illegal Israeli occupation".

They urged the 21 party states due to vote on Friday, including France, Germany and India, to "lend Bethlehem your voice and vote in favour of [its] inclusion as a World Heritage Site. The time for our long overdue admission is now." (http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/06/2012628125823852846.html)

The Palestinians should not become victims of the Arab Spring
Al Quds Editorial
The Palestinian cause was not the direct reason for the uprisings that took place over the past year and are still continuing, even if it was dormant under the ashes of the dictatorial Arab regimes burnt by the flames of Arab revolutions. The Tunisians and also the people in Egypt, in Libya, Yemen, Bahrain and Syria all wanted to put an end to the dictatorial regime that had suppressed their freedoms in order to start over again under democracy and economic and social flourishing.

And while there were many things in common between them, the Palestinian cause has always remained in the minds of the Arabs as they protested their regimes’ subordination to foreign wills and their bending even to Israeli dictates.

The siege on Gaza, for example, was a source of anger, not just in Egypt but in the entire Arab world. Husni Mubarak’s regime played an active role in this siege and dealt with this siege and with the Palestinian cause and  the so-called peace process from a point of detached neutrality instead of from a standpoint of partnership with the Palestinians, who paid a heavy price in people and in money during the Arab wars with Israel.

It can be assumed that the Arab countries which are still in the transitional stage from the era of dictatorship to one of democracy and freedom have not yet reached the stage of stability in their country’s rule of government. Some are even suffering from a kind of counter revolution with disputes between the religious and liberal trends. Hence, they are busy with internal issues and cannot yet turn to those outside of their own concerns, even if they have to do with their national external security and with the Arab’s most central cause, or at least what should be the central cause.

In some of these countries, some poisonous vibes have been coming out about Palestine and the Palestinians aimed at spreading hatred and spite against our people using a variety of falsehoods and lies. The goal is clear, which is to appease the United States and Israel; they are offering these two free advertisement services or perhaps they are paid, but which are being shunned by the majority of Arab peoples.

It is unfortunate that this Arab isolation of the Palestinian cause, which we hope is temporary, comes at a time that is so decisive for this cause. And this can only serve Israeli plans, especially in regards to settlements and land confiscation, forcefully taking over homes in Jerusalem and expediting the judaization of Palestinian land.  

Even with the Palestinian realization that this Arab preoccupation elsewhere will not last long, some interest in the Palestinians and Palestine through real and effective Arab initiatives and stances that would show Israel that the Arab and Islamic world is behind the cause, would help to alleviate some of the intensity of Israel’s measures against our people. It would also show Israel that continuing their practices will have grave consequences sooner or later after the Arab revolutionary regimes settle in and achieve at least the minimum ceiling of their own local goals.