In the UK and international press today, all papers report on the growing pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, with papers reporting that King Abdullah of Jordan told the BBC that Assad should step down as president. The Daily Telegraph reports that the Arab press is predicting a regional war due to Syria’s growing isolation with its neighbours. Reuters reports that EU foreign ministers met in Brussels yesterday and decided to postpone any decision to impose sanctions on Iran until the next meeting on 1 December. The Times carries an opinion piece by Israeli opposition leader Tzipi Livni, who writes that a nuclear Iran will destroy the chances of an Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The Daily Telegraph, meanwhile, notes that French President Nicolas Sarkozy sent a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pledging friendship following a political gaffe last week at the G20 summit. The Independent reports that the Israeli cabinet yesterday decided not to release £63 million in tax collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority.

In the Israeli front pages this morning, the Jerusalem Post leads with King Abdullah of Jordan’s comments that Syrian President Assad should step down. All papers also note that two controversial reform bills that would change the makeup of the Judicial Appointments Committee passed its preliminary reading in the Knesset yesterday. Meanwhile, the Jerusalem Post notes that 40 people were killed in Syrian clashes near the Jordanian border. Haaretz and the Jerusalem Post note that French President Sarkozy wrote a letter to PM Netanyahu pledging friendship after his political gaffe last week at the G20 summit.