The Daily Mail via AP and the Daily Mail via Reuters both report that US Vice President Mike Pence will travel to Egypt, Jordan and Israel this month. He postponed a trip to the Middle East in December after US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The White House said Pence will travel to the region from the 19 to 23 of January, starting with a meeting in Cairo with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. Pence will also meet with King Abdullah II of Jordan and then hold two days of meetings and events in Israel. Pence’s agenda in Israel includes meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin, an address to the Knesset and visits to the Western Wall and the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial.

The Guardian and the Daily Mail via AP report on the broadcast of an embarrassing audio recording in which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s son Yair suggested his father helped push through a $20bn deal to the benefit of gas tycoon, Koby Maimon. According to the reports, Yair and friends, with his government-provided security guard and driver in tow, were going from one strip club to another. He and Ori Maimon, the son of Koby, can apparently be heard arguing about 400 shekels as they leave the club, with Yair reportedly telling his companion: “Bro, you got to spot me. My dad made an awesome deal for your dad, bro, he fought, fought in the Knesset for this, bro.” He continues: “Bro, my dad now arranged for you a $20bn deal and you can’t spot me 400 shekels?” The recording was apparently made in 2015, at a time when Israel was in the midst of a political controversy over newly discovered natural gas deposits and the rights to drill in them.

The Guardian reports that Jared Kushner’s business dealings are under renewed scrutiny amid reports that the US’s top financial watchdog is looking into his family’s business dealings in Israel. The Kushner real estate company has reportedly entered into business relationships with Israeli financial institutions since Jared Kushner sought to establish himself as the administration’s Middle East peace broker. Kushner’s family company received an investment nearing $30m from Menora Mivtachim, one of Israel’s largest insurers, in the spring of 2017, shortly before Trump and his son-in-law visited the country. The funds were reportedly directed into a Maryland development company. Kushner, who has been tasked with brokering peace between Israel and Palestine, has taken out at least four loans from Bank Hapoalim, Israel’s largest bank. A White House spokesperson denied that government ethics laws had been broken in the Menora Mivtachim deal.

The Telegraph reports that the nephew of French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe was among three tourists repeatedly stabbed in the Israeli seaside resort of Eilat. The wounded holidaymakers, who have not been named, were found lying on the promenade last Wednesday after being targeted by a gang of Israeli men. A criminal investigation into the attack has been launched in Israel, with police attempting to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The Independent, the Daily Mail via Reuters and Yahoo News UK via AP report Israel attacked Syrian territory three times early on Tuesday with jets and ground-to-ground missiles, Syria’s army said in a statement carried by state television. The army said Israeli jets fired missiles at the al-Qutaifa area near Damascus from inside Lebanese airspace at 2:40 a.m. (0040 GMT) and that Syrian air defences hit one of the planes. Israel then fired ground-to-ground rockets from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, but the Syrian defences brought the missiles down, the Syrian army said. It said Israeli jets fired a final barrage of four rockets from inside Israel and that the Syrian air defences brought down one, but that the others caused material damage. An Israeli military spokeswoman declined to respond to the Syrian statement.

The Daily Express reports Israel’s central bank has said that it would not recognise virtual currencies such as Bitcoin as an actual currency. Deputy Governor Nadine Baudot-Trajtenberg said there had been public complaints Israeli banks were making it difficult for some customers to transfer money from their accounts to buy Bitcoin. But this was something the central bank would not be able to address. Other central banks faced the same problem. Baudot-Trajtenberg told a meeting of Israel’s parliamentary finance committee, noting that there was no government responsibility for investors in Bitcoin. He added: “The Bank of Israel’s position is that they should be viewed as a financial asset”.

The Independent continues its report on Israel’s decision to release a list of organisations whose members will be barred from entering Israel over their support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), one of the organisations on the list, said it would continue to work for “peace and justice”. The group, together with the Friends Service Council, a British Quaker organisation, won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1947 for assisting Second World War refugees.

The Financial Times has produced a story on natural gas production in the Mediterranean Sea, and the development of the Leviathan gas field and other infrastructure to transport the gas.

The BBC News Hardtalk Programme interviewed a member of Hamas’s political bureau, Mahmoud Zahar. He stated in the interview that Palestinian land and holy places have no price. He was responding to recent tweets by Trump which bring into question US aid to the Palestinian territories and related UN agencies.

The Daily Express reports that French President Emmanel Macron reaffirmed France’s commitment to a two-state solution in Jerusalem as a shared capital, after meeting with a Palestinian delegation. Macron it remained the only viable option to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. In a statement he said: “The Palestinian delegation led by Azzam Al-Ahmada thanked France for its unwavering support and for its repeated calls for a fair and negotiated peace with Israel. The president, who is to travel to Israel and the Palestinian territories in 2018, reaffirmed France and Europe’s support for a two-state solution, and stressed the urgent need to draw up a political road map to peace, as recently mentioned by President [Mahmoud] Abbas”.

All the Israeli newspapers comment on recordings revealed last night on Channel Two News with Yair Netanyahu, the Prime Minister’s son, in conversation with his friends after visiting a strip club two years ago.  Among the friends was the son of natural gas tycoon Koby Maimon. Yair Netanyahu is quoted as saying to the younger Maimon that his father, meaning Prime Minister Netanyahu, “arranged $20 bn” for Maimon’s father, making reference to the natural gas arrangement that was passed at that time. Yediot Ahronot notes statements made by Yair Netanyahu are reflective of who he is, “a 26-year-old who does not work and lives at the state’s expense. A young man who drags after him, 24 hours a day and seven days a week, an entire array of bodyguards that costs the Israeli public millions. Someone who on one hand is involved up to his neck in state affairs, participates in state events, is photographed with influential figures—but is not aware of the price that all this has, and behaves like a spoiled and pampered child.”

Maariv quotes a range of politicians from the opposition, including Labour Party Chairman Avi Gabbay saying, “When I fought within the government against the corrupt natural gas arrangement, I said that it was clear to me there was something big that we didn’t know. There’s what’s been said and there are the things that are invisible to the eye. I can tell you that Netanyahu’s alacrity to hand out billions of dollars’ worth of gifts at our expense to the owners of the Tamar natural gas field struck me as being very strange. Very. I never understood what prompted him to act against the public’s interest and in favour of Tshuva, Noble Energy and Maimon’s interests.”  Meanwhile, Israel Hayom, sees the incident as part of the war against the prime minister.

Haaretz reports the White House has issued a statement saying that US Vice President Mike Pence will visit Egypt, Jordan and Israel from January 20^th to 23^rd.  He will hold talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Jordan’s King Abdullah and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.  While in Israel he will also meet President Rivlin, address the Knesset and visit the Western Wall. He is not scheduled to meet with Palestinian representatives.

Army Radio reports that following a debate through the night, early this morning the Knesset approved the minimarkets bill’s second and third reading. The legislation gives the interior minister authority to strike down municipal bylaws—including those permitting some businesses to open on Shabbat.  It passed with a very narrow majority of 58 in favour and 57 opposed.

Haaretz note the IDF has been making considerable efforts to prevent a military flare-up on the Gaza border. The paper cites three reasons; the absence of a clear alternative to the Hamas administration and the desire to continue building the barrier against the tunnels.  However the main reason relates to ongoing concern over the northern arena and Iran’s influence there, an issue currently at the top of Israel’s strategic priorities.

Yediot Ahronot  and Israel Hayom prominently report Education Minister Naftali Bennett’s initiative to cut school breaks for 1^st to 3^rd grade children and extend the summer school programmes. The plan is meant to help alleviate the pressure on working parents.