Events in Syria continue to dominate Middle East related coverage in the UK media. The Guardian, Reuters, Daily Telegraph, Independent, Times, Financial Times and Scotsman note the latest developments, including the visit by US Ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, to the city of Hama at the end of last week. The Guardian notes that the Syrian opposition is planning to boycott regime-sponsored talks on reform. The paper has an additional article on electric cars, noting the prominent role played by Israeli entrepreneur Shai Agassi in their development. The Times reports criticism that a cousin of Syrian President Bashar Assad has been invited to address a meeting of MPs in London. The Financial Times has a piece suggesting that young Arabs have stepped in where Islamist movements failed to challenge authoritarianism in the Arab world. The paper also notes a dispute between Israel and Lebanon over their maritime border, and reports that Arab-Israeli Islamist Sheikh Raed Salah is due to be deported from the UK in the coming days. Reuters notes renewed protests in Egypt and also reports that international arrest warrants have been issued for the four men named as suspects in the 2005 murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri. The Daily Mail has a piece noting the cargo carried by the Irish boat MV Saoirse, one of the ships that was due to take part in the planned naval flotilla to Gaza. The Independent reports plans to deport activists detained over the weekend in Israel after entering the country to take part in disruption at Ben-Gurion airport. Metro-London notes the role played by monitoring of Facebook by Israel in discovering the identity in advance of many activists.

Over the weekend, the ongoing unrest in Syria dominated Middle East related coverage. The Guardian on Saturday, Sunday Telegraph, Daily Mail, Sunday Times, Independent on Sunday, Financial Times and Sky News Online all noted the visit of US Ambassador Robert Ford to the city of Hama and the ongoing repression of protests. The Scotsman on Saturday had a report on an Israeli archeological project. The Independent and the Guardian on Saturday noted Israel’s arrest of a number of pro-Palestinian activists seeking to enter the country at Ben-Gurion airport. BBC Online and the People reported the arrest of British pro-Palestinian activists by Israel over the weekend. Reuters, meanwhile, on Sunday noted Israel’s demarcation of its maritime border with Cyprus and Lebanon’s objection to the proposed maritime border between Israeli and Lebanese waters. Reuters also noted Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s contention that Turkey has ‘closed the door’ on rapprochement with Israel because of its insistence on an Israeli apology for the deaths on the Mavi Marmama ship last year. The Sunday Times noted renewed unrest in Egypt.

In the Israeli media today, all papers focus on the Quartet summit. All papers also note a planned Knesset second and third reading a controversial bill which states that any boycott against Israel or any group located within its territory, including in the West Bank, will be labeled a civil offence and its initiators will be subject to litigation. Haaretz speaks to soldiers involved in protests following the Second Lebanon War five years ago. The Jerusalem Post and Ynetnews note a new dispute between Israel and Lebanon over the maritime borders between the two countries. The Jerusalem Post reports the deportation of a number of ‘flytilla’ activists from Israel. Ynetnews, meanwhile, has a piece on claims by al-Jazeera that the Syrian authorities are harassing its journalists.

Over the weekend, all Israeli papers focused on the ‘flytilla’ and its failure to carry out predicted large-scale disruptions at Ben-Gurion airport.