(22 Sep 1998) Arabic/Nat
The U-S President's grand jury testimony, aired on Monday, has had viewers worldwide glued to their television sets.
Among those gripped by the testimony were countless Palestinians, many of them amazed that the President of the United States could be openly judged on television.
One question on many Palestinian minds was whether the latest chapter in the Lewinsky scandal would impact in any way on American attempts to kickstart the Middle East Peace process.
President Clinton's televised testimony dominated the headlines of the Palestinian press on Tuesday.
In Gaza City, as elsewhere in the region, Palestinians were worried by the implications of the U-S President's very public admission of an inappropriate relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
VOXPOP: (Arabic)
"I can't believe a big leader like this guy (Clinton) can do things like these things, it's a great shame."
SUPER CAPTION: Voxpop
But at the forefront of many people's minds here was just what would the scandal mean to U-S involvement in attempts secure lasting peace in the region -- attempts which many Palestinians have blasted as tipped in Israel's favour.
VOXPOP: (Arabic)
"Now the American President is in a very weak situation both domestically and internationally. Now Netanyahu can....will do the same things he did in the past by wasting time and it's obvious that it will delay the peace process from moving forward."
SUPER CAPTION: Voxpop
The feeling that the Clinton administration is too pro-Israel will have many Palestinians rejoicing at the President's embarrassment.
But for many the problem is not simply centred on Clinton's admissions of guilt but also on what many Palestinians see as a rather too public humiliation.
That humiliation many feel could undermine his authority and his international standing.
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