Both the Guardian and the Financial Times report confirmation from the White House yesterday that President Obama will not meet Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he visits the United States to address Congress in March, just two weeks before Israel’s general election. Netanyahu yesterday accepted the invitation from Republican Speaker John Boehner, which was issued without the knowledge of the White House, fuelling speculation that it could increase tension between Netanyahu and Obama. The White House explained that the two leaders would not meet so close to Israel’s election, to avoid being interpreted as an attempt to influence the poll. However, the Guardian contrasts the stance with Prime Minister David Cameron’s recent warm welcome in Washington just months before the general election. The Financial Times says Netanyahu’s Congressional address risks turning Israel into a bipartisan issue.

The Times covers comments made by US Secretary of State John Kerry, who relayed the opinion of a Mossad official who told him that Republican-spearheaded legislation to re-impose sanctions on Iran if a nuclear deal is not agreed, would be like “throwing a hand grenade” into the ongoing negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear programme. The apparent Mossad opinion would appear to contradict the view held by Prime Minister Netanyahu.

The Telegraph and the Guardian both report that Argentina’s President Cristina Kirchner has said that she believes prosecutor Alberto Nisman did not commit suicide, having been found dead in his flat earlier this week. Nisman investigated the 1994 bombing of a Jewish centre in Buenos Aires and had recently accused Kirchner and her Foreign Minister of “erasing” Iranian involvement in the terror attack for trade, commercial and political reasons. In commentary on the issue, Ben Macintyre in the Times says that Argentina must face this dark episode, comparing it to leaving an investigation into the 9/11 or 7/7 bombings unresolved after two decades. The Financial Times concludes that justice over the Jewish centre bombing is further away than ever before.

The Telegraph online says that human rights groups are claiming that Egyptian police are routinely using rape as a weapon against political opponents of the government.

The Israeli media continues to focus on controversy surrounding Prime Minister Netanyahu’s planned speech to Congress in March. Reacting to the announcement by the White House that Netanyahu will not meet with President Obama during his visit, both Yediot Ahronot and Maariv lead with the headline “Obama’s revenge,” while the US President’s apparent dissatisfaction with Netanyahu is also reported by Haaretz. The story is also covered by Israel Hayom. In Yediot Ahronot, Alon Pinkas accuses Netanyahu of having “created an unprecedented rift in the relations between president and prime minister,” while Yoaz Hendel defends Netanyahu’s actions, saying, “He has the elections hovering over him, the personal crisis with Obama threatens, but speeches in favour of Israel always sound better than a deafening silence.”

Israel Hayom’s lead item is what it predicts will be a “Tense weekend in the north,” in the wake of Sunday’s presumed Israeli air strike across the Syrian border which killed senior Hezbollah commanders and an Iranian general. Israeli forces have reportedly been massing in the north and are on high alert in case of any revenge attack. Yediot Ahronot also highlights the tension in the north, while Haaretz suggests that Israel may have initiated a clash with Iran.

Israel Radio news says that it was confirmed yesterday that the three parties which traditionally represent the Arab sector have agreed to unite in one joint Knesset list in advance of March’s election. In addition, the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party has also selected its list of candidates.