Arab press review: Israeli official justifies arms sales to Myanmar

Israeli official justifies arm sales to Myanmar

Israel's deputy consul general in New York told a delegation of rabbis this week that Tel Aviv knows the situation in Myanmar better than international organisations and the media - and is therefore justified to sell the country arms, according to the London-based newspaper al-Quds al-Arabi.

Since late August, a Myanmar military operation has driven more than 600,000 Rohingyas - a largely stateless Muslim minority based in the country's western Rakhine state - out of the country.

According to al-Quds al-Arabi, Amir Sagie told the six American rabbis, who raised concerns about Israeli arm exports to Myanmar, that the current situation in the country began "after Muslims attacked the positions of the Burmese army" and that "two sides in Burma are committing war crimes".

Sagie, however, also said that Israel denies any connection to Myanmar's position towards the Rohingya or what is happening to them.

"Israel has adopted a policy of non-interference in internal issues of Burma or any other country," he was quoted as saying.

PA: Hamas must disarm 

The Palestinian Authority (PA) insists that members of Hamas in the Gaza Strip must be disarmed in order for the landmark Palestinian reconciliation agreed last month to succeed, Saudi newspaper al-Sharq al-Awsat reports.

Palestinian officials have previously referred to the need to control and neutralise weapons, but Palestinian police Chief Hazem Attallah said definitively that the group must have all weapons taken away.

"How can I take security when there are all those rockets, pistols and others? Is this possible?" Attalah was quoted as saying.

According to the newspaper, disarmament was not discussed between Fatah and Hamas during their negotiations in Cairo last month.

There was no immediate response from Hamas to Attallah's remarks.

Egypt to launch television channel

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has announced plans to launch a "world class" television channel, according to al-Mesryoon newspaper.

Sisi revealed the project in a meeting with a group of media representatives who were attending to the World Youth Forum, held in Sharm al-Sheikh this week. He said that a channel of its quality will require significant investment. 

Algeria: Significant jump in illegal immigration to Europe  

The number of Algerians killed while trying to cross the Mediterranean is reached unprecedented levels in the past two months, according to the Algerian newspaper Alchorouk el-Yawmi.

One of those killed was an 18-month-old child from the city Oran. 

Just in the past few days, Spain has received more than 1,500 illegal Algerian immigrants who arrived in boats.

Arabic press review is a digest of reports that are not independently verified as accurate by Middle East Eye.