BBC News, The Telegraph, The Independent, The Guardian and The Financial Times all report on the normalisation of ties between Israel and Morocco in a US-backed deal. US President Donald Trump announced the news in a series of tweets last night. As part of the deal the US will recognise Morocco’s claim over the disputed Western Sahara region, a former Spanish territory. Morocco’s claim to the region was unrecognised internationally, making US recognition a break from international norms.x

BBC News, The Independent, The Telegraph and The Guardian report that Italy has formally accused four Egyptian state security officers for the 2016 murder of Giulio Regeni, a postgraduate student in Cairo. At the time of his murder, Regeni was a postgraduate student at Cambridge University studying independent trade unions in Egypt, considered a sensitive issue in the country. General Tariq Sabir, Athar Kamel Mohamed Ibrahim, Captain Uhsam Helmi, and Major Magdi Ibrahim Abdelal Sharif are accused of kidnapping, torturing and murdering Regeni. The 28-year-old Italian was detained by security services after the head of a street sellers union accused him of being a spy. Italian prosecutors have repeatedly asked that Egypt hand over the suspects, but Egyptian authorities deny any involvement in the student’s murder.

BBC News, The Guardian, The Telegraph and The Independent report that a Lebanese judge has charged caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab with negligence over the Beirut port explosion in August. Diab, along with three other ex-ministers will be questioned next week about warnings they received on the unsafe storage of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate in the warehouse that caused the devastating explosion and left over 200 people dead. Diab’s office responded to the charges, saying: “He is confident that his hands are clean and that he has handled the Beirut port blast file in a responsible and transparent manner.”

Amid recent rumours surrounding the health of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Rana Rahimpour writes for BBC News about who might succeed Iran’s Supreme Leader. Describing the importance of the role, Rahimpour writes: “The Supreme Leader has ultimate power in Iran. He has the final say on the most important issues and shapes its policies and approach to the outside world. Iran is the most powerful Shia country in the world and under Ali Khamenei’s leadership it has sought to expand its influence in the Middle East.” Speculating about the current Supreme Leader’s successor, Rahimpour writes: “Anecdotal accounts say Ali Khamenei’s preferred candidate could either be his son Mojtaba or the Judiciary Chief Ebrahim Raisi – which if true could carry some weight. Mr Raisi’s predecessor, Sadeq Larijani, and the current President Hassan Rouhani, are also believed to have aspirations of becoming the next Supreme Leader.”

Reuters reports that the US is set to sanction Turkey over its purchase of the Russian S-400 air defence system. The acquisition was seen as a further deterioration of already fraught ties between the two NATO allies. The proposed sanctions will reportedly target the country’s defence industries and its head, Ismail Demir.

The Guardian reports that a special trial for Saudi women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul has commenced, two years after she was first detained. Her trial is being held in a special court set up to handle terrorist cases. According to Saudi Arabia’s state news agency, al-Hathloul along with several others are accused of activities that “undermine the kingdom’s security, stability and national unity”.

The Economist writes about the irony of Emirati Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Nahyan purchasing a 50 per cent stake in Beitar Jerusalem, an Israeli football team known for its racism. Supporters of the club proudly say they are “the most racist team” in Israel. Some of the team’s supporters have protested against the Emirati purchase, going so far as to spray paint the walls of the stadium that the war has just begun.” Some supporters have expressed hope that will lead to change, and even field Arab players.

The Associated Press reports that Saudi Arabia has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination, while Bahrain announced plans to give free coronavirus vaccines to its population. While not specifying which vaccine, a statement from the state-run Bahrain News Agency read, “A safe vaccine will be provided free of charge to all citizens and residents within the kingdom.”

Israel Hayom reports on IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi’s review of the calendar year. Kochavi is quoted saying, “This year, we upheld the IDF’s most important mission, to provide protection and security…We prevented all attempts of infiltration into Israel and saw a substantial decrease in casualties and rocket attacks on Israel.” According to military statistics, 174 rockets, missiles, and mortar shells were fired at Israel this year, compared to the 1,296 rockets fired in 2019 and 1,164 in 2018. Two Israelis were killed in terrorist attacks this year, Staff Sgt. Amit Ben Yigal and the Rabbi Shai Ohayon. There were two military and seven civilian casualties the year before, and two military and nine civilian casualties in 2018. Kochavi stressed that the IDF’s operational activities weakened Iran’s ability to establish a foothold in Syria, Kochavi said, “We have attacked 500 Iranian targets and carried out multiple clandestine operations on all six fronts… We see a clear slowdown in Iran’s efforts to establish a presence in Syria as a result of IDF activity. But we still have a long way to go to achieve our goal.”  

Maariv notes that with less than two weeks until the Knesset will be dissolved by law, in the absence of a budget, it appears that the coalition crisis is not even close to being resolved. Sources on both sides say that the complete breakdown of communication between the Likud and Blue and White continues. Blue and White Faction Chairman MK Eitan Ginzburg said yesterday: “We’re on the way to dissolving the Knesset.” However, senior Likud figures say that Gideon Saar’s declaration that he is leaving the Likud and forming a party creates a new reality, with the option to preserve the existing government, based on the common interest of the Likud and Blue and White to stop Saar.

Maariv also reports Minister Yoaz Hendel and Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee Chairman MK Zvi Hauser (Derech Eretz), who announced that their faction would join forces with Saar’s new party, are prepared to step down from their posts if Gantz demands it, but will not resign from the Knesset. In an interview to Kan Radio, Hauser said: “The next prime minister who will replace Netanyahu will come from the right wing, and Saar is the most suitable. I have known him personally for 37 years.”  Today, Saar’s resignation from the Knesset will go into effect, and he will be replaced in the Likud by Nissim Vaturi, who served in the past as an adviser of MK David Bitan.

In the commentary Sima Kadmon in Yediot Ahronot writes ”If until now Bennett was the prime minister’s great problem, it appears that from this week there is a race over the right to compete with Netanyahu for the post of prime minister. There are three on the starting line, two of whom, Bennett and Saar, belong to the right-wing camp. Not just right wing, but farther right wing than Netanyahu. The third is Lapid. Whoever succeeds in gaining more than 20 seats will be the alternative candidate to Netanyahu… Bennett is now in a situation that those who want Netanyahu will not vote for him (they will vote for Netanyahu) and those who do not want Netanyahu will also not vote for him (for he will sit with Netanyahu). Saar does not intend to leave this dilemma unresolved. He offers right wing, and staunch right wing, but a right wing that will serve as an alternative to Netanyahu, not as his partner.”

The papers include their latest polling examining a range of scenarios. In Maariv, they ask, If elections were held today, for which party would you vote for in a scenario in which former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot runs with Saar.  The Likud receives 27 seats, Gideon Saar: 21, Yamina: 15, Yesh Atid: 11, Joint List: 12, Shas: 9, Yisrael Beiteinu: 7, United Torah Judaism: 7, Blue and White: 6, Meretz: 5.   With the same scenario in Israel Hayom, Likud has 26 seats, Gideon Saar: 22, Yamina: 13, Yesh Atid: 12, Joint List: 12, Shas: 9, Blue and White: 8, United Torah Judaism: 6, Yisrael Beiteinu: 6, Meretz: 6. The paper also asks; Who do you believe is best suited to be prime minister? Binyamin Netanyahu: 38 per cent, Gideon Saar: 18 per cent, Yair Lapid: 15 per cent, Naftali Bennett: 13 per cent, Benny Gantz: 8 per cent, Ron Huldai: 6 per cent, Gadi Eisenkot: 2 per cent.

Haaretz reports on Hamas’s cyber capabilities, noting, “Hackers affiliated with Hamas have launched a complex cyberespionage campaign targeting Arab officials and political leaders across the Middle East…The attackers made use of legitimate platforms like Facebook, Dropbox and Google Docs to send out the spyware, in what the researchers claim is a show of new capabilities which have previously been attributed to state actors.”

Israel Hayom and Ynet report that Norway’s parliament has voted to cut aid to the Palestinian Authority over antisemitic textbooks. They reportedly cut $3.4 million aid package to PA and Palestinian territories for promoting antisemitism and violence against Jews in their school curriculum and in educational materials.