Yesterday’s meeting between US President Barack Obama and Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas is covered by the online editions of the Guardian and Telegraph. Both report that Obama urged Abbas to make tough choices for peace and Abbas stressed the importance of a scheduled Israeli prisoner release next week. The Telegraph online says that during his meeting with Obama, Abbas expressed his continued opposition to the recognition of Israel as a Jewish state. The Guardian online reports that Israel’s President Shimon Peres publicly endorsed Abbas as a “man of principles.”

The Times says that Iran is refusing to discuss its ballistic missile programme as part of the latest round of talks with the P5+1 powers (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany) which get underway in Vienna today, insisting that missile development is unconnected to its nuclear ambitions. The article suggests that Iran blames Israeli pressure for attempts to put the issue on the agenda. The Independent i says that an Iranian official has accused “foreign agents” of attempting to sabotage the Arak heavy water plant by tampering with pumps imported for use there.

In the Independent, Robert Fisk provides an eyewitness account of developments in the Syrian town of Yabroud, strategically situated near the Lebanese border, which was captured earlier this week by troops loyal to President Assad and Hezbollah fighters. He documents deliberate damage to the town’s churches caused by Islamist opposition groups and also comments that Hezbollah fighters are equipped with new weaponry and equipment. The Guardian online includes a feature on the Syrian refugee crisis in the Lebanese town of Qabaait.

Meanwhile, the Times says that large numbers of Palestinians in the West Bank attended auditions for the Arab Idol reality show in Ramallah, following the victory last year of a Palestinian from the Gaza Strip.

In the Israeli media, Israel Hayom, Haaretz and Makor Rishon all report on yesterday’s meeting between US President Obama and PA President Mahmoud Abbas. All say that Abbas publicly skirted the issue of recognising Israel as a Jewish state by emphasising that the PA recognised the state of Israel by signing the Oslo Accords in the 1990s. Israel Radio news this morning reports that former-Fatah official Nabil Shaath suggested that the PA would be willing to re-examine the issue at the end of negotiations when other issues have been resolved.

The headline story in Haaretz covers comments made yesterday by Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon, who appeared to express support for an Israeli military operation to tackle Iran’s nuclear development, if necessary. He had previously indicated that any military action would be led by the United States. Meanwhile, Maariv-NRG includes a prominent analysis of the government’s first year in office and argues that Ya’alon and Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett are the two big winners of the term in office so far.

The top item in Yediot Ahronot is a plan by Finance Minister Yair Lapid to dramatically lower the cost of housing in Israel. The plan includes a 0% VAT charge on first apartments of up to average price for married couples where at least one partners served in the IDF, are employed and have children. Such a reform would cost the government a significant amount in lost revenues. Economics commentator Sever Plocker says in Yediot Ahronot that Lapid’s plan could be a “real revolution.”