President Bush arrives in Israel

The main item of Israel-related coverage in the UK media today is US President George Bush's visit to Israel. The Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, Times, Scotsman, Reuters and BBC Online offer reports and analyses of the US President's trip. In other stories, the Independent, Times, Daily Telegraph, Scotsman and BBC Online note the US release of a video showing yesterday's incident in the Straits of Hormuz during which US ships were approached by Iranian boats. The Daily Telegraph and BBC Online also note the launching of two Katyusha rockets at northern Israel from Lebanon yesterday morning. The Times features a critical account of the situation in the West Bank and Gaza by one of their reporters visiting the areas. The Financial Times reports that British Gas is withdrawing its involvement from an Israeli gas field project. BBC Online notes an attack by a group of Bedouin on a Sinai border post. And finally, the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail note the sale of Britain's most expensive home to Israeli tycoon Lev Leviev.

In the Israeli media, all papers focus on the visit of President George Bush to Israel. The Jerusalem Post notes US plans to sell smart bombs to Saudi Arabia. Ynetnews, meanwhile, reports on PM Olmert's drawing up of Israel's ‘red lines' in the diplomatic process with the Palestinians, which will be outlined to President Bush. Haaretz has additional pieces on the failure of Israeli early-warning systems to detect the Katyushas fired at northern Israel yesterday, and a statement by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urging Egyptian action on smuggling into Gaza. The Jerusalem Post notes high support for Israel among the US public, and Palestinian rejection of the possibility of international forces in the West Bank. Ynetnews quotes representatives of the Yisrael Beiteinu party who have threatened to quit the coalition and also has a quote from the Syrian Foreign Minister expressing his country's readiness for negotiations. Maariv, meanwhile, is reporting that five Qassam rockets have landed in the western Negev.

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