BBC News and Reuters report that an Iranian diplomat is set to go on trial in Belgium today over a July 2018 plan to attack a rally held by an exiled Iranian opposition group in France. This marks the first time an EU country has put an Iranian official on trial for terrorism. Belgian prosecutors charged the third counsellor at Iran’s embassy in Vienna, Assadolah Assadi, and three others in connection with a plot to bomb the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran. French officials said that Assadi was in charge on intelligence in southern Europe and was acting on orders from his government.

BBC News, The Guardian and Reuters report on freed British-Australian academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert. Moore-Gilbert was reportedly freed in a prisoner swap when Thailand released three Iranians jailed over a 2012 bomb plot against Israeli diplomats. While Australia refuses to confirm whether a swap took place, Iranian media reported the release of the jailed Iranians in Thailand was a swap for Moore-Gilbert. This morning, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that Moore-Gilbert was detained in 2018 on espionage charges after Iranian authorities found out her partner was an Israeli citizen.

The Telegraph reports that Richard Ratcliffe – Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s husband – said the UK needs to recognise his wife’s detention in Iran as a state sponsored hostage taking. Ratcliffe said: “I think it would protect her and protect others in the future to call Iran out for taking hostages. Hostage taking and torture is no different than any other kind of abuse, you do not protect people from abuse by euphemising it away. You need a clear accountability so people do not do it with impunity.”

The Times reports that jailed Saudi women rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul had her case transferred to a terrorism court. The decision to move her case to the terrorism court occurred more than a year and a half after her trial began. Al-Hathloul has been on a hunger strike and after an appearance in court, her sister told the press that she looked weak and that “her body was shaking uncontrollably and her voice was faint and shaky”.

The Telegraph notes that the Australian army is moving to discharge 13 soldiers following a report into their conduct in Afghanistan that may have constituted war crimes. A years-long investigation released a damning report last week claiming that Australia’s elite special forces ‘unlawfully killed’ 39 civilians. Army Chief Rick Burr said 13 soldiers had been served with ‘administrative action notices’ following the report and that the military will now look to bring those responsible for wrongdoing to justice.

The Guardian reports that the UAE’s mission to Mars is on course to reach its destination on 9 February 2021. Once it arrives on the red planet, the spacecraft, known as Hope, will make the UAE the fifth region (following the US, Russia, Europe and India), and first Arab nation, to reach Mars. A Chinese orbiter and rover along with a US rover were launched at the same time.

The Times reports that the UAE has stopped issues visas for citizen of 13, mostly Muslim, countries. With the exception of Kenya, all countries are majority-Muslim, including Pakistan, Turkey, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, Somalia and Algeria are all part of the list. It is unclear what prompted the decision, and Emirati authorities have refused to comment.

The Economist argues that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s secret meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman earlier this week was a clear signal to Iran and President-elect Joe Biden. While “neither side has offered official confirmation, both seem happy enough that the news has leaked out because of two key messages it sends. The first is a warning to Iran: as it steps up its nuclear activities, the regional alliance against it is becoming bolder… The second message the meeting sends is to America and the incoming administration of Joe Biden. Israel and the Saudis seem to have put the president-elect on notice that they intend to pool their considerable diplomatic and political capital in Washington to oppose major changes in America’s Middle East policy.”

The Economist writes that the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran has barely changed the country’s behaviour. While the sanctions may have been a tactical success as Iran’s oil exports dipped extremely low and the country’s currency lost 85 per cent of its value, the economic pain has not brought political change. “Sanctions have not compelled Iran to halt its support for militias nor convinced Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian dictator, to stop bombing his people.”

All the Israel media relay the latest Health Ministry stats that for the first time in weeks there were over 1,000 new coronavirus cases detected in Israel yesterday, representing 2 per cent of those tested. In total 1,072 Israelis tested positive out of 53,667 tests conducted. There are currently 9,575 active carriers in Israel, 275 are in serious condition and 117 patients are on ventilators. The new coronavirus commissioner, Prof. Nachman Ash, said Israelis should prepare for at least a year of living in a coronavirus routine. In the best-case scenario, effective vaccination of the population will be carried out around mid-2021, and in a less optional scenario, towards the end of next year. In a press briefing last night, Prof. Ash said a third lockdown was definitely on the table. He also confirmed a report by Kan Radio regarding a “green passport” to be given to people who had coronavirus antibodies identified in their blood. People who receive a green passport will not be required to enter quarantine upon coming into contact with a coronavirus patient or upon returning from a red country, and they will not have to undergo a coronavirus test at the entrance to red countries or “green islands.”

Yediot Ahronot exclusively reports on the secret depositions by former major generals in the IDF in the submarines affair. According to the paper, “All four—Udi Adam, Dan Harel, Amos Yaron and Ilan Biran—ran the Defence Ministry in 16 out of the past 24 years. Despite the differences in those years, they agree on one thing: the manner in which the decisions were made to purchase the submarines, to purchase the naval vessels to protect the gas rigs and the permission to sell advanced submarines to Egypt is unacceptable and “odd.” That is why they are demanding that an in-depth investigation be conducted, and some of them are even demanding a state commission of inquiry to learn why Israel bought, at a cost of billions of shekels, submarines that it is not certain that the IDF even needs, and how it is that the prime minister, on his own, gave permission to the Germans to sell two advanced submarines to Egypt and concealed this from the chief of staff, the Israel Navy and the Defence Ministry.”

Haaretz reports on comments made by Yisrael Beiteinu chairman and former defence minister Avigdor Lieberman who told the Knesset, “Hamas is developing cruise missiles, cluster bombs and unmanned aerial vehicles with jet engines… Do you know what it means for the residents of Israel if, God forbid, a conflict breaks out? Do you know what price we will pay? Why is the prime minister hiding it? If I was you I would have summoned all the (regional council heads of Gaza border communities) to a meeting with the Defence Minister, so he could explain to them what he intends to do to fight against cruise missiles and cluster bombs.” He asked, “How does Gantz intend to deal with this? I repeat: Mr. Minister, today in the Gaza Strip at least two missiles are produced a day, some of which can reach Hadera.” 

Israel Hayom covers the first direct commercial flight from the UAE to Israel arrived yesterday. Dubai’s state-owned flydubai will  now operate twice-daily fights between Dubai and Tel Aviv. UAE and Israeli citizens are now able to visit each others’ country without applying for a visa before travelling. The paper quotes Prime Minister Netanyahu at the welcoming ceremony at Ben-Gurion International Airport, “This opens up trade, economy, tourism and makes for a truly new Middle East, it is a meeting of two people.”  In addition, El Al Airlines said on Monday it would operate 14 weekly flights from Tel Aviv to Dubai from Dec. 13. Smaller rivals Arkia and Israir have said they plan to begin flights to Dubai next month.  El Al and Etihad signed a deal last week to explore deeper cooperation such as joint code-sharing between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv and other destinations. Etihad has said it intends to start daily flights between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv on March 28 next year.