The Guardian reports that Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas is determined to push for a United Nations (UN) Security Council resolution on Wednesday, which would mandate an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank within two years. However, the Guardian, Independent and Independent i all emphasise that the Palestinian initiative and a French-led counterweight proposal which would call for a peace agreement within two years, are both opposed by Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who met with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Rome yesterday. Both Israel and the United States have consistently argued that unilateral measures to dictate terms and negotiations undermine the prospect of Israeli-Palestinian bilateral diplomacy.

In the Financial Times, Gideon Rachman says that “Democracy is at issue in Israel’s election.” He argues that four issues are at stake in the election campaign, which impact Israel’s democracy – West Bank settlement, Jewish state definition, relations with Western democracies and tolerance for internal dissent.

Julian Borger in the Guardian online says that nuclear talks with Iran have resumed in Geneva. The P5+1 powers (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany) and Iran last month extended negotiations until July 2015. Borger says that yesterday saw the start of these “extra time” talks with US officials meeting directly with Iranian counterparts, although he describes the mood as “downbeat.”

Meanwhile, the Times reports that in Syria, government forces are close to capturing the country’s second largest city, Aleppo, in what would be a major advance for the Assad regime.

In the Israeli media, yesterday’s terror attack in Sydney is the lead story in Yediot Ahronot, Maariv and Israel Hayom, which leads with the headline “Terror even in Australia.” Writing in Yediot Ahronot, Ben-Dror Yemini asks rhetorically what Australia has done to deserve such as attack. He answers his own question saying, “Australia hasn’t done anything to them. They don’t need for anyone to do anything because the global jihad movement, from 1915 and up until this very day … shares the same ideology and seeks to see Islam rule the entire world.”

Meanwhile, Maariv, Haaretz and Israel Hayom all highlight Prime Minister’s Netanyahu’s meeting yesterday with John Kerry, speculating that Netanyahu asked Kerry that the United States veto the Palestinian-backed Jordanian draft resolution, which could be debated tomorrow. The reports also say that Netanyahu asked the French Prime Minister Francois Hollande to withdraw the French-led motion.

Haaretz notes that a Likud Party internal court yesterday overruled a decision earlier this week by the party’s Central Committee to bring forward the date of a leadership election which would be combined with the party’s primary for Knesset candidates. The Central Committee decision had been viewed as a victory for Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Meanwhile, Israel Hayom reports prominently on yesterday’s press conference by former-Shas leader Eli Yishai, who outlined the new party which he is heading. However, the event was disrupted by a number of alleged Shas supporters accusing Yishai of treachery. Israel Radio news says that Shas leader Aryeh Deri condemned their behaviour and distanced the party from the actions of the protestors.