Several UK dailies analyse the aftermath of President Obama’s electoral victory, including what it may mean for Israel. The Guardian devotes an entire article to the issue, arguing that in his second term Obama will be free to place increased pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to work towards an agreement with the Palestinians. An editorial in the Daily Telegraph predicts that Obama can be expected to take a tougher line with Israel over settlements during the coming months and years. In its coverage, the Times mentions the perception that Netanyahu brazenly supported Mitt Romney’s campaign, leading to accusations from Israeli opposition leaders that this has hurt US-Israel relations. The Independent i also focuses on the same theme, adding that Obama’s victory could signal the return to politics of Israel’s former-prime minister Ehud Olmert, viewed as a viable challenger to Netanyahu in the upcoming elections. Meanwhile, the Financial Times notes that Netanyahu congratulated Obama on his victory, but predicts that the attentions of both leaders will soon turn to combating Iran’s nuclear development.

The Independent i also includes a small item on Israel’s President Shimon Peres playing down speculation that he could sensationally join January’s election campaign at the head of a centre-left bloc. 89-year-old Peres announced that he plans to complete the final two years of his term in office. Coverage continues of David Cameron’s tour to the Gulf States and the Middle East. The Prime Minister travelled to Jordan yesterday and visited a Syrian refugee camp near the border between the two countries. As reported by the Telegraph and the online editions of the Times and the Guardian, Cameron took the opportunity to highlight the “appalling bloodshed” in Syria and indicated that the UK may consider arming opposition forces in Syria, conceding, “what we’ve done for the last 18 months hasn’t been enough.” The Telegraph online reports that a western-backed attempt to re-structure the Syrian opposition has fallen apart. Various factions have been meeting in Qatar this week to try to broaden the membership of the opposition Syrian National Council to include greater representation from activists within Syria itself.  Meanwhile, the online editions of both the Independent and Financial Times include reports that Turkey will request that NATO place Patriot missiles near its border with Syria to protect Turkey from the fighting, which has already seen several incidents of Syrian artillery landing on Turkish territory.

The Israeli media focuses on the aftermath of President Obama’s election victory. Maariv reports that the Obama administration might look to interfere with Prime Minister Netanyahu’s election campaign after it was perceived that he endorsed Mitt Romney and that Washington can be expected to take positions unpopular with Jerusalem. Writing on the same issue in Yediot Ahronot, Sima Kadmon predicts Obama’s “revenge” on Netanyahu, saying that it will “creep slowly in an ongoing series of small events that build up to a large-scale crisis.” Meanwhile, both Haaretz and Israel Hayom prominently report that the State Prosecutor’s Office has appealed to the Supreme Court over the acquittals given to former-prime minister Ehud Olmert on a number of charges over the summer. Olmert is thought to be mulling a return to politics in time for January’s election. Israel Radio News quotes Olmert’s spokesman who calls the appeal part of “an unbridled persecution campaign” by the State Attorney’s Office.