Yossi Alpher: Yes

The Israeli government is considering abrogating the Oslo Accords if the Palestinian Authority gains recognition of an independent state at the United Nations General Assembly in September.

The Oslo agreement, signed in 1993, aimed to create a framework for talks between the two sides.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called for large-scale Arab Spring style protests in the West Bank to build up support for the planned bid for statehood at the United Nations.

The former Israeli ambassador to Britain, now serving as his country's envoy to the United Nations, has launched an attempt to highlight the recent onslaught of rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip.

In a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Ron Prosor emphasised that the attacks were deliberately targeting Israeli civilians and represented "a serious danger to the population".

The members of the Middle East Quartet met on Monday for meetings on renewing peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and a long dinner in Washington.

Despite the urgency of finding a way to restart negotiations before the United Nations General Assembly meeting in September, the Quartet failed to reach an agreed framework and did not release a joint statement following their

Palestinian plans to bid for statehood at the United Nations in September are a distraction from the goal of peace negotiations, a US State Department official has said.

The Israeli author Amos Oz has joined six other intellectuals including the French Jewish philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy in calling on the UN Security Council to go further in its reaction to the government crackdowns in Syria.

The former Israeli ambassador to the UK has completed his first few days in his new role.

Ron Prosor, who was appointed as Israel's ambassador to the United Nations earlier this year, started work on Wednesday.

He said he considered it an "honour and a privilege to represent Israel - a vibrant, democratic state - in the halls of the UN".

Shimon Peres has described Palestinian plans to unilaterally declare statehood at the UN as "an illusion".

The Israeli President told the Associated Press that it could be possible to conclude an agreement with the Palestinians" before September. But even if that did not happen, he said such a move would be meaningless.

"It will remain on paper and it will raise false hopes," he said.

William Hague has called for Syrian President Bashar Assad to reform or step aside.

The Foreign Secretary said the Syrian leader was losing legitimacy.

In an address to the House of Commons, Mr Hague condemned the Syrian regime, which human rights groups blame for the deaths of 1,200 protesters since anti-government uprisings began in the country three months ago.