Israel’s apology to Turkey in relation to the deaths of nine of its citizens in the Gaza flotilla incident was supposed to have paved the way to a rapprochement between the two former allies, but the Turkish government now appears to be dragging its feet.

With her youth, bright-red hair and eloquent idealism, Stav Shaffir makes a striking symbol of resistance.

The resignation of Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has thrown the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank into uncertainty. Mr Fayyad, who clashed often with President Mahmoud Abbas and refused to participate in official peace talks with Israel, was respected by western governments as a responsible administrator and economist.

Israel’s population has reached eight million on the anniversary of its 65th year of independence.

According to a report released on Sunday by the Central Bureau of Statistics, th e population increase d by 1.8 per cent over the last year.

Conflicting reports on the status of the Syrian army on the Golan Heights has increased concern over instability on what was for nearly four decades Israel’s quietest frontier.

American Secretary of State John Kerry sounded hopeful this week when he tried to relaunch the peace process between the Israelis and Palestinians — but it seems that so far he has only succeeded in highlighting the distance between the two sides and major differences within the Israeli cabinet.