In today’s UK media the Times, Independent, Guardian and Telegraph online all report on the IDF officer suspended for striking an unarmed Danish protestor. They include the Prime Minister’s condemnation that his behaviour ‘’does not characterise IDF soldiers and officers’’.  The Guardian reports that Denmark’s Ambassador has asked for an explanation whilst also quoting IDF Chief of Staff describing it as ‘’a severe incident, which contravenes the IDF’s values’’.  The Times has an opinion piece by Amr Darrag, Secretary General of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party in Egypt, aimed at putting western minds at ease with their brand of Islam. Whilst the Financial Times online notes the Muslim Brotherhoods prospect of winning the presidential election has fallen with their candidate’s disqualification.  The Independent reports 1600 Palestinian prisoners will today begin a hunger strike protesting administrative detention. The Financial Times online covers the continued violence in Syria as the UN monitors arrive.

The Israeli media heavily focuses for a second day on the incident in which an IDF officer struck a protestor in the Jordan valley. Yediot Ahronot includes the officer’s version of events as he was questioned by investigators from the military police.  He admitted he made a mistake but insists he was attacked first.  The paper also includes accounts of his bravery including rescuing fallen soldiers under fire, and examples of his humanity, when he helped a Palestinian woman give birth on the Jordan valley road. All the papers also focus on the meeting today between Palestinian Prime Minister Fayyad and Prime Minister Netanyahu.  Ma’ariv recounts efforts made last night to prevent Prime Minister Fayyad from pulling out of the meeting over a dispute over the transfer of Palestinian tax funds. Israel Hayom and Haaretz note that 12 Iranian rocket scientists attended the North Korean missile launch last week.  Ma’ariv reports on the kidnapping in Damascus of Mustafa Ladawi, a former senior Hamas official and fierce critic of Hamas political bureau chief Khaled Mashal.  Yediot Ahronot and Jerusalem Post reports Sheikh Raed Salah is now back in Israel after winning his appeal in the UK.  Jerusalem Post also includes the story of UK Lord Nazir Ahmed’s suspension for allegedly offering a bounty for capturing US Presidents.