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Media Summary

Patel apologises for undeclared meetings in Israel

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BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, the Times, Guardian, Independent and BBC News Online all report the story of International Development Secretary Priti Patel’s undisclosed meetings in Israel and her meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in August that was disclosed on Friday. Patel has apologised for giving a false impression that the UK Foreign Office knew about it in advance. The Guardian reports that Patel has been “rebuked” personally by UK Prime Minister Theresa May. The BBC is reporting that PM May has suggested that the Ministerial Code should be tightened up.

The Times reports that a trustee of one of Britain’s most prominent mosques is a member of Hamas’s political bureau, a designated terrorist organisation in the UK. Mohammed Sawalha’s position was revealed when he was part of a Hamas delegation to Moscow in September.

The Express reports that Israel has launched it’s “largest-ever aerial military drill”. The exercise is behind described as preparation for an “extreme combat scenario”.

The Independent’s Indy/go section features a report by Jasmine Phull on how Tel Aviv has become the “vegan capital of the world”.

The Sun follows up yesterdays Times letter from Simon Schama, Howard Jacobson and Simon Sebag Montefiore criticising the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for “tolerating anti-Jewish views” within the Labour party, which are disguised as opposition to the State of Israel.

BBC News Online and the Times both report that the arrest of dozens of Saudi royal family members, ministers and businessmen is just the start of an anti-corruption drive, according to the country’s attorney general.

The Guardian contains a special report from Martin Chulov, who argues that the anti-corruption purges in Saudi Arabia are part of a wider liberalisation of the Kingdom under King Salman.

Yediot Ahronot,  Maariv and Haaretz all lead with the story that the Prime Minister’s former advisor and envoy Yitzchak Molcho is under investigation.  Molcho is suspected of a conflict of interest and breach of trust, and the police are examining whether he took steps to promote the submarine deal on behalf of his partner David Shimron. Molcho’s lawyer, Zvika Agmon, is quoted saying he “never took any actions for himself, but only for the sake of the country. He has no connection to the submarines affair”. Also in the submarine case, Israel Hayom reports the police engineered a confrontation between David Shimron and Ganor, the state witness.  Ganor had recently provided more material about how the deal was approved by the cabinet, exploiting Shimron’s position as the Prime Minister’s close confidant.

Yediot Ahronot and Maariv both report a corruption investigation involving telecom giant Bezeq.  The investigation is looking into possible criminal actions, which included the submission of false reports, acquisition through fraudulent means, fraud and breach of trust in a corporation as well as obstruction of justice. Senior officials in the communications ministry and the Bezeq CEO are being questioned.

Haaretz reports that Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister has accused Hezbollah of firing a missile at the capital Riyadh on Saturday, under the orders of Iran.  They claim the missile was manufactured in Iran and smuggled in parts into Yemen, where it was assembled and launched with the help of “operatives from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah”.

 Maariv and Yediot Ahronot report that Israel Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin appointed a woman as a Deputy Commander of a combat squadron for the first time in the IAF.  She is currently an F-15 navigator and will be promoted to the rank of Major in the summer.

Haaretz reports the story of Priti Patel and her meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a family holiday in Israel in the summer. The paper speculates that her political future is now in jeopardy.

Kan Radio News follow Israeli President Reuven Rivlin’s visit to Spain.  He will speak today tSenatesenate in Madrid and is expected to mention the Catalonia crisis. Last night, at a dinner hosted by the Spanish King, the President said that he hoped that the political crisis would be resolved peacefully. The King began and ended his remarks in Hebrew and, among other things, said that Spain was at the spearhead of the battle against antisemitism.