The BBC and the Daily Mail report that Israeli forces blocked the UK’s Middle East minister from visiting the al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem for 30 minutes before allowing him to enter. Lord Ahmad, a practising Muslim, was visiting the occupied east of the city during an official trip to the region. The Islamic authority administering the site called it “unacceptable”, saying: “Whether he came as a minister or as a Muslim he shouldn’t have been blocked.” Speaking to the BBC afterwards, Lord Ahmad played down the wait. He described it as “security checks, whatever they needed to do”.

The BBC also reports that the UK has held trade talks with Israel during the first ministerial-level visit to the country since the most nationalist government in its history took office. The discussions focused on a free trade deal and “regional security issues”. British Foreign Office Minister Lord Ahmad said they took bilateral ties and trade partnership “to new heights”. But a group promoting British-Arab relations accused the UK of “turning a blind eye” to “racist positions”.

The Guardian has published an editorial on Israel’s new government, saying The Guardian’s view on democracy in Israel is that it is “under assault from the top” and that “many will suffer from the encouragement of authoritarianism, but some far more so: the LGBTQ community, asylum seekers and Palestinians most of all”.

The Guardian also publishes a piece on the US and Israel, saying “Miller said that while there are red lines for the White House – including if Israel exploits the growing weakness of the Palestinian Authority in order to annex territory – the administration’s immediate response is containment”.

The New Statesman releases a podcast on Israel, saying “the new governing coalition, led once more by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (who is still on trial for criminal charges of bribery, breach of trust and fraud), has been busy pushing judicial reforms that his opponents say will erode the country’s democracy”.

The BBC reports that Eight ostrich eggs believed to more than 4,000 years old have been found next to an ancient fire pit in Israel. A prehistoric camp site used by desert nomads was discovered underneath the Nitzana sand-dunes of the Negev region, the Israel Antiquities Authority said.

The Telegraph publishes an obituary on Irenaios (dead at 83), who was elected 140th Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem in 2001. He was dismissed four years later after being accused of selling church properties in the Old City of Jerusalem to Ateret Cohanim, an Israeli Right-wing NGO which seeks to “reclaim” land in Jerusalem for Jews. He was the first Patriarch in two centuries to be removed from office.

The Economist releases a podcast on oil, comparing the 1970s to today, saying “in the 1970s Arab oil producing nations cut shipments to punish America and other countries that supported Israel in the Yom Kippur war. This sent prices sharply higher. How do these crises compare, and have we learned any lessons from the past?”

All the Israeli media cover the speech of Supreme Court President Justice Esther Hayut. She issued scathing criticism of the constitutional reform that Justice Minister Yariv Levin is planning. Hayut said the plan would lead to the destruction of the justice system, deal a critical blow to the independence of the judicial branch and turn it into a silent branch. Speaking at a conference in Haifa she said that if Levin’s plan comes to pass, the state’s 75th anniversary would be remembered as the year when Israel’s democratic identity suffered a critical blow. Yediot Ahronot notes that she received full backing from Leader of the Opposition Yair Lapid who said he, ”agreed with every word.”  The paper also notes that seven former attorneys general who served in the past five decades – including two appointed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu –  signed a letter of protest. The letter denounced the proposed changes, saying they are destructive to the country’s legal system.  “We call on the government to withdraw the proposed plan and prevent serious harm to the justice system and the rule of law.” Justice Minister Levin responded, telling Kan News that her remarks sounded like familiar rhetoric from the Black Flags demonstrations (anti-government protestors). Levin said Hayut’s statements had the same political agenda and a call to set the streets on fire. He said that “Her Honour’s” automatic support of Lapid was the best proof that the justice system had lost its way.

Yediot Ahronot also includes comments from former President Rivlin who said that the government should come to an understanding with the judicial system instead of trying to alter it. “We can’t draft legislation out of revenge or personal interest… When you imply that the Knesset will elect judges it means that politicians could decide who will head the Supreme Court, and that would be an unprecedented change. What is proposed for the courts will end Israeli democracy. Former Chief Justice Barak said so and I agree with him.”

Outgoing IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi, who retires from the military next week gave a series of wide ranging farewell interviews. Maariv and Israel Hayom highlight his warnings over Iran’s nuclear programme. Kochavi revealed, “Iran has an active weapons team…This team has been working at a very slow pace, and this is in violation of the nuclear deal.” According to Kochavi, Iran currently has enough fissile material for four bombs – three that would have uranium enriched to only 20% purity, and the fourth would have highly enriched uranium with a purity of 60%. “Their progress today is at a very slow gradient, but the significant change is in the scope of their centrifuges – especially the advanced models.” Under Kochavi, the IDF has devised three operational plans to attack Iran. “These extend from a retaliatory strike on Iran that would be unrelated to the nuclear issue, to the taking out of the Iranian nuclear installations and auxiliary sites in that project, and if the situation eventually escalates into a full-fledged campaign then these plans also include the targeting of military sites and other assets.”

Maariv reports on the first meeting yesterday between Defence Minister Yoav Galant, Finance Minister and Minister in the Defence Ministry Bezalel Smotrich, and Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) Maj. Gen. Ghassan Aliyan.  They met to discuss the division of authority and guidelines to govern the way the ministries will work with COGAT’s office. The paper concludes, “it would seem that both ministers want to send a message that there is full coordination and collaboration on issues that are likely to be controversial, while the military hierarchy is pointing to substantive problems that could arise as a result of the new division of authority.”

This morning Kan News quotes IDF Chief of Staff Kochavi saying, “The IDF could not function when two ministers were giving orders to the military. We take orders strictly from the defence minister and I believe that the situation will stay that way.” The chief of staff confirmed that he had spoken to Prime Minister Netanyahu about the Civil Administration and the Border Police companies, adding that the IDF recommended leaving things as they are. Kochavi added, “I leave everything to do with the political echelon’s makeup to him: It’s his consideration, it’s his prerogative. I have to verify that the IDF’s operational fitness is maintained and that it stays a military with values.” Values were also the theme of his interview in Haaretz, who lead with his quote, “If IDF doesn’t remain moral, officers are likely to say they don’t want to serve.”

Haaretz also reports that according to the Palestinian Health Ministry two Palestinians men aged 18 and 25 were killed and two more wounded by the Israeli military operating in the Jenin area yesterday. In a separate incident another Palestinian man was killed, according to his wife while trying to stop the arrest of his son in Qalandiya, north of Jerusalem. In a third incident on Wednesday night, troops entered the Old City in Nablus to arrest a member of the Lion’s Den terror cell, prompting clashes. The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that 10 people were wounded, including two journalists. Ynet notes that in the first two weeks of 2023, nine Palestinians have been killed in the raids, including three teenagers, according to Palestinian officials. No Israeli soldiers have been killed in the operations.

Israel Hayom also highlights a Newsweek report about Israeli efforts to prevent Iran establishing a comprehensive aerial defence network in Syria. The information is based on “an intelligence source from a nation allied with the United States.” According to the source Iran has shifted its strategy over the past two years, “promoting the deployment of aerial defence capabilities on its behalf in Syria at a cost of tens of millions of dollars in order to deal with the Israeli airstrikes.” The source further added, “The promotion of these capabilities is carried out as a project shared with the Syrian army and possibly even with the aim of enabling independent Iranian operation of the aerial defence systems from within parts of Syria.” In fact, the source said, “the Iranians assisted the Syrians in upgrading their radar array, designed to aid in detection and prevention of Israeli attacks – mainly against the Iranian establishment in Syria.”