Yaum and Al-Madinah newspapers said that as it is expected, Israel has rejected extension of the freezing of settlements as a sign of good intentions towards the peace process, or an encouragement for continuation of direct negotiations with the Palestinians. "But, such overtures are nothing more than continuation of the policy of intransigence, which has been consistently followed by the extremist Israeli government. "It will be wiser to withdraw from the peace process as a whole so as to show our expressions of protests and discontent as well as to put before the world its real responsibilities in this context." Commenting on the start of legislative elections in Afghanistan today, Al-Watan newspaper said that despite Taliban threats and security concerns, which are expected to accompany the elections, the elections reflect people's desires for change and their thirst for democracy through electing their representatives to achieve their aspirations in security and decent lives.
