The Guardian reports that Israel’s government has shelved a controversial plan designed to regulate Bedouin settlement in the Negev region of southern Israel. The so-called Prawer plan would give many Bedouin access to amenities and public services and compensate those Bedouin who have land claims with a combination of land and up to £1.24billion. However, the plan is vehemently opposed by those who object to moving Bedouin from land which they consider their own and say that plan was constructed without adequate consultation with the Bedouin community.

The online edition of the Guardian says prominent Israeli politicians including President Shimon Peres have sharply condemned an incident in the Knesset during which Yesh Atid MK Pnina Tamano-Shata, who was born in Ethiopia, was not allowed to participate in a blood drive, due to regulations which stipulate that blood is not taken from people born or who have lived in a country for more than a year since 1977 where there is a high prevalence of HIV. The blood bank was swiftly removed from the Knesset.

The Telegraph online reports that Israel has begun using a new open detention facility in the southern Negev region to house illegal migrants for up to a year, after the Supreme Court struck down a law permitting their detention for up to three years. It is estimated that more than 50,000 migrants mainly from Eritrea and Sudan have entered Israel illegally since 2006 via the country’s border with Egypt. Many claim to be fleeing persecution although the Israeli government says most are economic migrants.

The Financial Times online says that there are fears in Israel of a growing European boycott movement, especially after a Dutch water company recently cut ties with an Israeli counterpart over activity in the West Bank. The Guardian online includes a feature on Palestinian attempts to draw parallels between apartheid South Africa and Israel’s relations with the Palestinians in the wake of Nelson Mandela’s death.

Both the Times and online edition of the Guardian say that international agencies are concerned for the welfare of Syrian refugees in Lebanon and elsewhere due to the severe winter storm which has struck the region. The Times online also reports that the Western-backed opposition umbrella group, the Free Syrian Army is in disarray while two blocs of Islamist opposition fighters increase in strength. The online editions of the Guardian and Independent both report that United Nations inspectors have concluded that chemical weapons were probably used this year in Syria in four additional locations to those previously known.

The online editions of the Guardian and Financial Times say the United States treasury has issued penalties against more than a dozen companies for breaching sanctions guidelines and doing business with Iran. At the same time, both reports note that the Obama Administration is lobbying Congress not to introduce additional sanctions against Iran.

In the Israeli media, Maariv, Haaretz and Israel Hayom highlight the decision to suspend legislation implementing the Prawer plan to regulate Bedouin settlement. Israel Hayom says the plan has been “abandoned” while Haaretz describes it as “shelved.” In Maariv, Bedouin activist Huda Abu Obeid writes that although the decision is somewhat of a victory for the Bedouin community, “the struggle” will only stop when the Israeli government recognises Bedouin ownership over all the land claimed.

All dailies lead though with the inclement weather which has struck Israel. A huge snow storm has covered parts of the country, leaving major routes to Jerusalem blocked. Israel Hayom leads with the headline “White Jerusalem.” School in some parts of the country has been cancelled for a second day and the wintry conditions are predicted to continue into the weekend.

Israel Radio news says US Secretary of State John Kerry will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem this morning, having met Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah last night. Apparently Abbas said no agreement could be reached if Israeli troops remain in the Jordan Valley as Kerry is thought to have proposed. Meanwhile, Channel Two suggests that Kerry will push for a three-way summit alongside Netanyahu and Abbas to broker a framework agreement.

Israel Hayom reports that Israel was last night accepted unanimously as a full member of the prestigious Centre of European Nuclear Research (CERN), based in Switzerland.