The online editions of the Guardian, Telegraph, Independent and Financial Times all report that the United Nations (UN) Security Council late last night failed to pass a Palestinian-led resolution which would have mandated an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank within three years. The vote was called on a more hard line motion amended from an original resolution earlier this month, and included more rigid language on Jerusalem, refugees and Palestinian prisoners. Although eight countries voted in favour of the revised motion, it fell short of the nine endorsements required for adoption. However, in such a scenario the United States would have vetoed the resolution. The UK abstained during the vote.

The Telegraph online also provides an analysis of what the vote and the failed Palestinian initiative might mean. The article suggests that the Palestinian leadership could as a next step join international organisations and conventions to take steps against Israel. Such action would be considered a serious escalation in diplomatic activity threatening Israel.

Commentary in the Independent from Ben Lynfield describes the leadership of Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas as being stuck in a “strategy crisis.” He says that Abbas faces the need to stay relevant to the Palestinian public, but that he also fears the Israeli repercussions of joining bodies such as the International Criminal Court, which could undermine his own authority.

In a Guardian review of 2014, Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin is selected as one of the year’s heroes by Jonathan Freedland, who praises Rivlin for his “standing up for the civil rights of Palestinians.” Since taking office in June, Rivlin has taken a strong stance in support of equality for all Israeli citizens, especially those from minority communities.

The Independent i reports that a 21-year-old man was arrested yesterday by Israeli police after vandalising a cross at the Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem, where Christian tradition holds Mary died.

The Telegraph online reports that the publisher Harper Collins is selling English-language atlases to customers in the Arab world, which exclude Israel from the map entirely. The publisher said that it is merely taking into account “local preferences” for Gulf state clients.

In the Israeli media, the top story in Yediot Ahronot, Haaretz and Israel Hayom is the vote last night at the UN Security Council which failed to approve a controversial Palestinian-led resolution. Yediot Ahronot claims that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State John Kerry carefully coordinated their diplomatic efforts to prevent the motion from being adopted. Israel Radio news suggests that the Palestinian leadership could respond to the vote by joining international bodies almost immediately, with the Rome Statute first on the list.

Haaretz highlights today’s Likud primaries in which party members will select the party leader and list of Knesset candidates. Prime Minister Netanyahu is expected to easily defeat MK Danny Danon in the leadership race although the article suggests that Netanyahu is concerned that the parliamentary candidates’ list will be dominated by the right-wing of the party.

The continuing implosion of Shas is widely covered with Yediot Ahronot, Maariv and Israel Hayom all prominently reporting party leader Aryeh Deri’s resignation yesterday from the Knesset. Although largely symbolic, given that the Knesset dissolved several weeks ago, Israel Radio news says that all Shas MKs have requested from the party’s religious leaders that they follow Deri’s lead. It remains unclear whether Deri or the current MKs would be candidates for the March election, leaving huge uncertainty surrounding the party.