The visit of US Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney to Israel is widely covered in the UK media, which highlights his support for Israel against the threat of a nuclear Iran. The Guardian’s editorial analyses Romney’s trip and determines that it was not successful. The Daily Mail reports the claims that US National Security Adviser Donilon briefed the Israeli Prime Minister on US contingency plans to attack Iran. The Independent notes Hezbollah released footage of an attack on an Israeli patrol, which killed three soldiers and another resulted in the abduction of two. This incident led to Israel’s war against Hezbollah in 2006. The Independent assesses that although Assad regime is losing its grip, a post Assad Syria will not likely abandon the Palestinians. Former Israeli foreign minister and Kadima party leader, Tzipi Livni writes in the Times that Europe made a mistake “granting political legitimacy to those who use violence fatally undermines democracy”. The Guardian interviews the editor in chief of Huffington Post UK in which she refers notes a recent debate that included BICOM’s Head of Research Dr Toby Greene, who argued that Iran poses a threat to the West. The Financial Times profiles a small community of Iranian- Israelis south of Tel Aviv.

In Saturday’s UK media, the Daily Mail reports that UK security service officers are examining the DNA of the bomber who died in the Bulgarian terror attack, to see if the bomber was British. The paper also notes Israeli officials considering that the bomber may have been a “mule” who was duped into carrying the explosives that were detonated remotely. The US Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s visit to Israel is reported in the Daily Telegraph, Times and the Financial Times. The Daily Telegraph follows the US’s announcement that their air-force has 30,000lb bunker-buster bombs “ready to go”. These bombs could be critical for striking Iran’s heavily fortified nuclear facilities. The Independent carries extracts from the diary of the Palestinian author and lawyer Raja Shehadeh that discusses his people’s attempts to secure a state with a unilateral declaration in the UN. The Times reports on Prime Minister David Cameron’s attempt to build international pressure against Syrian President Bashar Assad during the talks he will hold with world leaders visiting during the Olympics. In other Olympic news, the Daily Telegraph follows the Lebanese Judo team’s refusal to train alongside their Israeli counterparts, demanding a curtain screen be erected to separate them.

Mitt Romney’s visit to Israel is also widely covered on Sunday. The Sunday Times notes the wealthy Jewish-American supporters who will be among the guests at a fundraising dinner. The paper also notes Romney’s longstanding friendship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Independent on Sunday raises concerns that Western democracies are more interested in acting against Iran than ending the bloodshed in Syria. BBC and Guardian online continue to follow the fighting in Aleppo.

In the Israeli media, Maariv leads on a report that Iran has accelerated the pace of uranium enrichment according to intelligence officials, despite the sanctions. All papers note Prime Minister Benjamon Netanyahu’s plan to raise income tax and VAT and to cut 700 million shekels from the state budget. These measures will be discussed in the cabinet today, and are expected to pass. All ministry budgets are expected to be cut except for Defence, Education, Welfare and Absorption. Mitt Romney’s visit to Israel is also widely covered. The Jerusalem Post reports that preparations are being made for a meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal in Cairo to discuss Palestinian reconciliation.

The Israeli media on Sunday focused on economic matters. Yediot Ahronot reported on a meeting held by the prime minister, the finance minister and the governor of the Bank of Israel on Friday, in which new tax hikes were announced, including increases in income tax and VAT, and cut in the state budget. Yediot Ahronot also noted concern within the PM’s Likud party that the new austerity measures will adversely affect the party’s standing ahead of the next elections. Maariv included harsh analysis of the Prime Minister. Maariv and Israel Hayom covered the video released by Hezbollah showing a 2006 cross-border attack on an Israeli patrol six years ago. Israel Hayom refered to the incident as “the wound that hasn’t healed”. All papers followed Republican presidential candidate Romney as he arrived in Israel over the weekend. Haaretz noted the concerns of the White House that Prime Minister Netanyahu is “helping to make the visit a success”. Haaretz reported that on US National Security Adviser Tom Donilon’s recent visit to Israel he shared Washington’s contingency plans for a possible attack on Iran with Israel’s prime minister. Haaretz reported that four rockets were fired into southern Israel on Saturday afternoon. No injuries or damage were recorded.