National newspapers dilute coverage on side stories; independent press criticize CAIRO: Newspapers in Egypt around the region are focusing intensely on the Israeli bombing of Lebanon, with national newspapers taking a calculated approach to coverage and the independent papers continuing to heap criticism on Arab states. Opinion columns in national papers make it a point to avoid shedding light on Egypt's or the Arab state's mild reaction to the war, now in its sixth day. "The reaction [of Israel] is excessive, and like a wild bull it shatters anything that stands in its way, says columnist Mohammad Abdel-Moneim in Al-Akhbar. "But the Israeli defense forces know exactly what they're doing. In their vengeful act called The Tempest of Fire . the main aim was to destroy the infrastructure of Lebanon: water facilities, power plants, roads and bridges and even the Beirut International Airport. Al-Ahram and Al-Akhbar newspapers featured pictures of President Hosni Mubarak and Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates meeting to discuss the escalating situation in Lebanon; Al-Masri Al-Youm carried a graphic picture of a young girl's corpse killed during the Israeli offensive on its front page. As the independent and opposition press focus primarily on the war, running feature stories on Hezbollah and the history of its conflict with Israel, Al-Akhbar and Al Ahram combined war coverage with less intense news: thanawiyya amma (secondary school) exam results, briefs on social issues and stock market updates topping their stories. "Egypt calls for an immediate and unconditional cease-fire in Lebanon, reads one Al-Akhbar headline, followed by statements by Mubarak during a Sunday press conference. "Israel will not be a winner in this war, on the contrary it is provoking [more] hostilities, said Mubarak. "We should use logic and reason to resolve the current situation. Mubarak was also quoted by Al-Akhbar as saying that "other sides that intervened in the Israeli-Lebanese situation have hampered Egypt's role as a mediator. The president also said that Egypt welcomes an Arab summit, "however, we have to agree on points first. Meanwhile, as anger grows, opposition forces including the Muslim Brotherhood have escalated their condemnation of the war while accusing Arab states of "apathy. "This crisis has unveiled the true weakness and the failure of the Arab systems, says Mohammad Mahdi Akef, supreme guide of the Islamic group. "The silence of the Arab states [in response to the Israeli offensive] is inexplicable; it shows that there is some kind of collaboration [with Israel]. In his statement, Akef, whose group uses "Islam is the solution as its slogan, says that refraining from religion and Islamic sharia (law) is one of the main reasons Arab states have reached this "sad state. "By shunning sharia . [the state] has lost the compass that shows it the way and the aim, said Akef, adding, "The only way out now is to go back to religion. Apart from refraining from Islamic rule, Akef says that Arab leaders have attained their legitimacy through coups, revolutions or foreign intervention, another reason for their weakness "in the face of Zionists. In the People's Assembly (Egypt's upper house of parliament), criticism of governments, mainly Egypt's, is no less intense. "Egypt, being the biggest Arab country, should start calling on the Arab states to respond to the arrogant and fierce attacks from the sons of Zion, said Mahmoud Megahed Ahmed, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood bloc in the house. "We should freeze all the treaties [that we have] with the Zionist enemy; all those treaties that weaken the Arab states and divide them . and we should expel the Zionist ambassador.
