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Media Summary

IED roadside bombs discovered in the West Bank

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The Independent, BBC News Online, the Telegraph, Politico Europe, the Daily Mail, the Times and the Evening Standard report on the criticism voiced by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over draft legislation in Poland that would make it illegal to accuse Poles of complicity in the Nazi Holocaust. The bill, which is an amendment to an existing Polish law, would also make it illegal to describe Nazi death camps in Poland as Polish. Israeli officials are opposed to the proposed law, suggesting it will limit discussion of Polish involvement in the Holocaust.

The Times and the Financial Times report on the release of Saudi Prince and Kingdom Holding’s Chairman Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. The billionaire, a first cousin to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was one of more than 200 businessmen and royals held in a crackdown on corruption in November. Rumours circulated that he was being tortured and that the authorities had insisted he hand over $6 billion of his estimated $17 billion fortune before being freed.

The Daily Mail via AP reports that Jordan’s king affirmed his support for establishing a Palestinian capital in East Jerusalem. King Abdullah II spoke at the start of a meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who also expressed concern about US President Donald Trump’s recognition last month of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Yahoo News via AP reports that India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make what is described as a historic trip to the West Bank next month. Majdi Khaldi, an adviser to President Mahmoud Abbas said on Monday that the visit will take place on 10 February, with Modi due to visit Ramallah.

The Daily Mail via AP reports that a recording of Sara Netanyahu raging at an aide surfaced on Sunday. Sara Netanyahu is heard complaining that a gossip column about her from 2009 did not mention her educational credentials.

All the Israeli media cover the fallout from the Polish parliament’s decision to advance legislation which stipulates that the term “Polish extermination camps” and statements implying that Polish citizens were involved in any way in the extermination of the Jews during the Holocaust, would constitute criminal offenses, potentially punishable by imprisonment.

Haaretz and Maariv report on IDF assessments that that Iran is once again building a missile plant in Lebanon with Maariv headlining that “Israel Assesses that Hezbollah is building its strength ahead of clash with IDF”

Israel Hayom reports on today’s upcoming meeting between Netanyahu and Russian President Valdimir Putin.

Maariv reports updates in the story of several bombs that had been planted alongside a road linking two villages near Tulkarm last week. The bombs, which were one of the largest groups of IEDs to be discovered in recent years in the West Bank, appear to have contained at least 12 bombs that had been buried underground, each weighing between 20 to 30 kilograms. The IDF launched an investigation but its initial assessment is that the bombs were planted on the site recently and were intended to be used against IDF forces.

Kan Radio News this morning reported that security forces are trying to establish whether the two Palestinians who tried to infiltrate into the settlement of Itamar last night were planning to commit a terror attack. One of them, who was wearing uniforms and had binoculars, was caught while a second man managed to escape.

Yediot Ahronoth, Maariv and Haaretz headline a recording from almost a decade ago in which Sara Netanyahu is heard shouting at a media advisor over an article in which she appears. This is the first time that an audio recording of this kind of the Prime Minister’s wife has surfaced and been widely published. Prime Minister Netanyahu responded on Facebook to the publication of the recording of his wife, writing: “The secret recording that was published today by the media is the continuation of the wild and violent persecution campaign that is raging against my family.

Haaretz reports that the government plans to “expel 600 asylum seekers every month for three years”.

Maariv reports that the Jewish Home and the Likud clashed after Netanyahu decided yesterday to strike from the cabinet’s agenda a motion to legalise the status of the Havat Gilad outpost, in which Rabbi Raziel Shevah was murdered two weeks ago. The subject was postponed due to Netanyahu’s meetings with US Vice President Mike Pence and today’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Likud issued a statement: “This is the Jewish Home’s familiar behaviour – they demand something from the Prime Minister that they know he will do in any case so as to present it as their own achievement. It will be discussed next week as was arranged with its author, Defence Minister Lieberman.