Amid the scandal surrounding FIFA, world football’s governing body, the Telegraph, Independent and Evening Standard all report that a vote is expected at today’s congress on a Palestinian motion to suspend Israel from FIFA and effectively from the sport itself. Although the motion appears unlikely to pass, Israel would prefer to reach a compromise and avoid a vote altogether. Reflecting on the situation, Jim White in the Telegraph says, “Only FIFA could make its own venality a more critical issue than the current state of Middle Eastern politics.”

Following the decision by former Prime Minister Tony Blair to step down as the Quartet’s Middle East envoy, the Times reports that Blair will continue to serve as an unofficial liaison between Israel and the Arab world. Writing in the Sun, Ian Birrell says that Blair was the wrong man for the Quartet job from the start. A Times editorial calls for Blair to be replaced by someone without business ties in the region and who will receive a salary for serving in the role.

The Independent i reports that France’s Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius will soon travel to Israel and the Palestinian territories in an attempt to revive the peace process. He will call for both sides to back a French resolution at the United Nations Security Council which would mandate an agreement to be reached within 18 months.

The Times and the online editions of the Guardian and Independent cover an interview given by the head of the al-Nusra front in Syria, which is affiliated to al-Qaeda. He pledged that al-Nusra would not use Syria as a launching pad to attack the West and is solely interested in the overthrow of President Assad. Meanwhile, the online editions of the Times and Independent report that ISIS forced local residents to watch as 20 men were shot in the Roman amphitheatre in the historic city of Palmyra.

In the Israeli media, the top item in Yediot Ahronot, Israel Hayom and Maariv is today’s FIFA vote on a Palestinian initiative to suspend Israel. Israel Football Association Chairman Ofer Eini said that he is confident that the motion will not be carried, especially as he has agreed to compromises on a number of issues. Israel Hayom focuses on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s comment yesterday, in which he said a vote to suspend Israel would lead to the downfall of FIFA.

Maariv highlights a briefing given yesterday by Netanyahu to a number of political and diplomatic correspondents, in which he covered a wide range of regional issues. He emphasised his desire to reach an agreement with the Palestinian Authority (PA) based on the idea of a Palestinian state which recognizes a Jewish state. Netanyahu also said that he supports the idea of cooperation with Arab states on regional security and to help reach a deal with the Palestinians.

Another significant item in Yediot Ahronot and Israel Hayom is an impending strike on Israel’s railways starting on Sunday. Workers claim that management has failed to address a number of grievances and yesterday announced the industrial action.