Most of the UK press dedicates its Middle East coverage to last week’s assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. The BBC reports that the motive for the assassination – which no one has claimed responsibility for – would appear to have been political, rather than relating to Iran’s nuclear activities. “Two possible motives stand out: firstly, to jeopardise potential improvements in relations between Iran and the new Biden administration in the United States. And, secondly, to encourage Iran to engage in a retaliatory act.” The Telegraph notes that the Iranian parliament has called to increase the level at which it is enriching uranium to 20 per cent, well above the 4.5 per cent it is producing, and for an end to the voluntary nuclear inspections as agreed in the JCPOA nuclear deal. The Times and the Financial Times report that Fahkrizadeh was assassinated in his car with gunfire from remote-controlled automatic weapons in an operation that took less than three minutes. The Independent notes that an opinion piece published by a hard-line Iranian newspaper has suggested that Iran must attack the Israeli port city of Haifa if Israel carried out the assassination. Iranian officials have roundly blamed Israel for the attack, raising the spectre of major tensions in the region, the paper adds.

The Telegraph reports that controversial figure Effie Eitam is one step closer to being appointed head of the Holocaust memorial after a government appointments committee approved his candidacy. The report states that “the nomination of a former Israeli minister who once called for the expulsion of the Palestinians from the West Bank to head the country’s official holocaust memorial has sparked outrage, with critics maintaining his appointment would undermine the apolitical institution’s moral credibility.”

In The Times, Anshel Pfeffer writes the Israeli army has kept some of its missile-defence batteries on high alert. However, over the weekend senior officers stressed that they are not on a war-footing and believe that there is only a “low probability” of a rapid military escalation. Iran is not expected to use its missile arsenal around Israel to avenge the death of one man, no matter how senior he was.

In the Financial Times, David Gardner argues that the assassination of Fakhrizadeh is a gift to Tehran’s hardliners and makes a deal harder for US President-elect Joe Biden.

The Guardian reports that White House senior adviser Jared Kushner is heading to Saudi Arabia and Qatar this week for talks. A senior administration official said on Sunday that Kushner is to meet the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, in the Saudi city of Neom, and the emir of Qatar in that country in the coming days. Kushner will be joined by Middle East envoys Avi Berkowitz and Brian Hook and Adam Boehler, chief executive of the US International Development Finance Corporation.

The Telegraph reports that a senior Syrian official who was denied asylum in France due to concerns of possible involvement in war crimes was extradited out of the country to Austria with help from the Israeli secret service Mossad, where he was helped to start a new life.

The Financial Times reports that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is pushing back elections in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip despite two months ago telling the UN General Assembly that he agreed to talk to Hamas about holding new elections in the Palestinian territories. Now, emboldened by Joe Biden’s victory in the US presidential elections, he is worried that he would lose another election to Hamas.

The Guardian has published a personal account of the situation in Gaza by Palestinian photographer Jehad al-Saftawi. The Palestinian says: “You’re caught between the two sides of the conflict: the rulers of Gaza limit what you can photograph and write about, imprisoning and torturing those who disobey. At the same time, the Israeli army sees you as a potential threat that must be eliminated, as has been the fate of many Palestinian journalists.”

In the Israeli media, Kan Radio News reports this morning that around 150,000 Israelis will receive the COVID-19 vaccination before the end of the year. However, there is some disagreement within the Health Ministry as to which members of the public should receive it first. This week the coronavirus cabinet will discuss the option of imposing more restrictions ahead of the holidays season. The ministers will discuss imposing either a new lockdown in an as-yet undecided format or a ban on intercity traveling. The restrictions could be imposed to prevent large gatherings. Despite the rise in the infection rate, there has been no change in the plan to reopen schools.

According to Maariv, Blue and White leader and Defence Minister Benny Gantz is “fed up” with the coalition government. Gantz reportedly told his close associates: “I went into politics to contribute, not to suffer. I feel as if I am constantly blocking what Netanyahu and his people are trying to advance. But I didn’t come to block. I came to promote. I honour agreements and expect the same from the prime minister. A budget is a matter of principle and I’m fed up with the game that Netanyahu is forcing on me and on the entire country”. However, the report says that behind the scenes talks have continued between the Likud and Blue and White and there is an understanding that this government remain in power because the alternatives for both are much worse. The Likud are hoping to reword the coalition agreement in case the High Court of Justice stops Netanyahu from serving as alternate prime minister whilst facing criminal charges of corruption.

Channel 12 News reports that the government could fall this Wednesday if Blue and White decide to vote in favour of Yesh Atid-Telem’s bill to dissolve the Knesset. A group of MKs from Blue and White are considering severing practical ties with the faction, though not formally quitting the faction of the party, if Gantz backs down and grants Netanyahu and the Likud another extension on passing the budget.

Another report in Maariv claims that Finance Minister Yisrael Katz is due to present Prime Minister Netanyahu the 2021 budget this week. Katz is trying to create trust between Gantz and Netanyahu and is determined to have next year’s budget passed in keeping with the Finance Ministry’s timetable, by end of February 2021. The Likud is also considering proposing to Gantz that the government passes most of the 2021 budget except for a small part of it (no more than 10 per cent), which would be left for March. In such a scenario, Gantz will be able to claim victory that the 2021 budget will be passed, and Netanyahu will retain the option of calling elections in March because since the budget will not have been passed in its entirety, the government, by law, cannot continue to govern.

Yediot Ahronot follows the latest events in Netanyahu’s trial. The Prime Minister’s lawyers filed a 200-page document motions to the Jerusalem District Court yesterday that demanded the court order the charges against Netanyahu dropped and the indictment withdrawn. The defence team cited what it described in a statement as a “long list of severe failures and flaws in the course of the investigative process.” The State Attorney’s Office issued a statement noting that it was “familiar” with most of the allegations, adding that it would respond in court as required.

Walla reports that Yoram Ben Zeev, Israel’s former ambassador to Germany, stated in his signed affidavit to the High Court of Justice about the so called “Submarine Affair” that :“For a long time, in keeping with instructions from Mr. Netanyahu, I relayed reports on the progress of the submarine purchase (the sixth submarine) only to Avriel Bar Yosef and not to my superiors in the Foreign Ministry, including the minister. Those were the instructions that were given to me from Mr. Netanyahu during his visit to Germany on August 27, 2009.” Avriel Bar Yosef, the former deputy chairman of the National Security Council, is today one of the prime suspects in the affair and has been charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust.