Press caution on Palestinian vote

Palestinian newspapers view Wednesday's election with a mixture of hope and doubt, with several commentators warning of the many potential pitfalls ahead.

In Israel, while one leading daily carries a headline reflecting cynicism over the participation of Hamas, another gives the Palestinians credit for seeking to find internal solutions to their problems, rather than simply blaming them on Israel.

Editorial in Palestinian Al-Quds

The whole world is focusing on the Palestinian territories today and is divided into two groups: one identifies with the Palestinian people and hopes that it will choose to go down the difficult path of democracy, along which many more experienced nations have failed. The other group wants nothing good for the Palestinians and expects the worse.

Commentator in Al Quds

Today is a real and democratic Palestinian wedding which challenges the arrogance of the Israeli occupational arrogance. It is the duty of every Palestinian to go to the ballot box in great numbers, especially in the flower of cities, the dear capital of Palestine, Jerusalem.

Commentary in Palestinian Al-Hayat al-Jadidah

New MPs won't have time to celebrate and enjoy a period of personal prosperity as they will inherit an empty treasury and political, economic and social problems the current government was unable to solve. They will face lurking danger and the remains of Oslo and the roadmap.

Columnist in Al-Hayat al-Jadidah

Today, we stand before a new chapter in the Palestinian epic. The pioneers have made mistakes, but they wrote the introduction and thus we won't start from scratch. But we are nevertheless required to be careful, alert and responsible or we could return to scratch.

Columnist in Palestinian Al-Ayyam

Today is a wedding day, a day for a real test for the Palestinian people, its factions and parties. But we are afraid this democratic wedding might turn into the bride's funeral because of the parasites that have emerged in the past few years with the help of some factions and parties no longer capable of controlling them. This wedding turned into funeral is what every Palestinian citizen wants to avoid.

Commentary in Al-Ayyam

The people are set to gain one their most important experiences ever in practicing their right to self-determination, even under the yoke of occupation. The Arab peoples will learn from the Palestinians that resisting the occupation with force is possible, that resisting it with negotiations is possible, and resisting it with democracy is feasible too.

Headline in Israel's Yediot Aharonot

Elections in the shadow of the Kalashnikov - 1.3 million Palestinians will decide today whether to hand over government to Hamas.

Commentator in Israel's Ha'aretz

Palestinian voters know well that the ballot slip they choose today will have no influence over the Israeli occupation. But their concern about the elections shows their understanding that it is impossible to blame the occupation for all social ills, that there are internal matters that they themselves can influence and for which they are responsible.

Palestinian commentator in Israel's Ma'ariv

Today we see Hamas entering political life and the Palestinian parliament. Whether Israel wants to conduct negotiations with Hamas or not, the result is the same. When Ariel Sharon was elected, the Palestinians and the rest of the Arabs were angry. But he is the man who withdrew from Gaza, not Shimon Peres. Therefore, the things we failed to achieve will be achieved by Hamas and Kadima. Perhaps through negotiations, perhaps by war. Anyway, this is a rare historical opportunity that perhaps will not be repeated. We Palestinians do not fear a worse future for we have already been through the worst.

BBC Monitoring selects and translates news from radio, television, press, news agencies and the internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages. It is based in Caversham, UK, and has several bureaus abroad.