In UK news both the Guardian and Independent have obtained leaked documents from the European Commission to consider legislation that would discourage doing business with Israeli settlements. The Daily Telegraph and BBC online announce the successful appeal of Abu Qutada against deportation from UK to Jordan, on charges of terrorism at the European Court of Human Rights. BBC online also has a technology story about Israeli scientists developing microchips that might help repair brain damage. The Financial Times updates on cyber hacking as Israeli hackers target the websites of Saudi Arabian and Abu Dhabi stock markets. The Independent has a leader article supporting Nick Clegg’s position on settlements. Whilst the Times has a leader noting historical US- Egyptian relations, commenting on the 1979 peace accords – ‘while Sadat’s decision to sign an accord was undoubtedly courageous, it was courage deployed to recover territory, not – as in Israel’s case – to give up land for peace.

In the Israeli media both Yediot Achronot and Yisrael Hayom cover the Israeli cyber hackers on their front pages. Whilst Maariv flags up the next coalition ‘crisis’ over the extension of the Tal law, relating to ultra orthodox military conscription. This morning’s radio and TV news ran with the expected announcement of Kadima chairwoman Tzipi Livni to hold her parties leadership primaries at the end of March. Elsewhere the first hearing of draft indictments of Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman took place yesterday, whilst the Foreign Minister himself was on official duty in Poland. Also abroad, Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon is in London, where he criticised Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg’s comments, as ‘giving the Palestinians an excuse to pose preconditions for the negotiations with Israel’. All papers note that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also travelling later today on a two-day work visit to Holland and that the local authorities strike is now over.