PM Olmert: Israel to 'make every possible effort' to support new PA government

The main item of Israel-related coverage in the UK media today is the expression of support by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and US President George Bush for the new PA government formed by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank. In related news, the Guardian looks into the situation in Gaza, and has an article recommending western engagement with the new, Hamas-dominated Gaza. The Daily Mail publishes a letter advocating a similar course. The Times, Sky News Online and the Independent have reports on the Gaza public's reaction to the new situation. In other news, the Daily Telegraph and the Financial Times look into Gordon Brown's positions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Daily Telegraph also notes a call by Fred Thompson, a republican presidential hopeful, for the 'blockading' of Iran. The Times, meanwhile, looks into Russia's Mid-East policy, and has a piece asking if the failure of the west to create democracy in the Middle East means that stability in the region will remain elusive. The Financial Times runs an additional piece on Ehud Barak''s appointment as Israel's Defence Minister. The Scotsman notes the naming by Hamas of the organisation holding Alan Johnston. Reuters reports on hopes for an end to the fighting in northern Lebanon, and Israeli plans to clamp down on funding to the Gaza Strip. BBC Online have a timeline of events since Alan Johnston's kidnapping, and also a piece on the entry of a food convoy into the Gaza Strip.

In the Israeli media, all papers focus on PM Olmert's meeting with President George Bush, and their joint support for PA Chairman Abbas's new government. All papers also note the decision by the UN Human Rights Council to make Israel a permanent item on its agenda. Haaretz has an additional piece on the death of its veteran correspondent Zeev Schiff, and, together with Ynetnews, an article on Israel's hopes that Egypt will agree to receive Palestinian refugees from Gaza. The Jerusalem Post notes Hamas condemnation of US and Israeli support for Mahmoud Abbas, and the downplaying by President Bush and PM Olmert of chances for rapid progress between Israel and Syria.

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