On July 27 1976, pro-Palestinian hijackers seized an Air France flight that was en route to Israel. 250 passengers were on board and most were Jewish or Israeli citizens.

Michael Schwerner, or "Mickey" as he was known to his friends, and Andrew Goodman, were political rights activists – a job that caused their untimely death by the Klu Klux Klan.

Mr Schwerner and Mr Goodman met when they both joined the Congress on Racial Equality in Meridian, Mississippi to take part in Freedom Summer.

Palestinian activists have set up a Facebook campaign to "abduct a partner for Shalit".

The page, set up earlier this week, calls for the capture of a female prisoner to use as bait so that the Israeli authorities will release Palestinian prisoners.

The group's profile photograph has been edited to show an Israeli soldier chained and held by an armed woman in a veil.

A group of Israelis have launched an online protest over the soaring price of cheese.

More than 75,000 people have joined a Facebook group called "Eight shekels for such a basic product? Don't buy cottage cheese for a month".

The price of cottage cheese has skyrocketed in the last few years and a 250g container is now sold in many supermarkets at £1.40.

Growing up with a tough upbringing, music was Manilow's only solace. At the age of seven he learned to play the accordion and the piano, and after sampling a taste of the music world, he decided he wanted to be in it. By the year of his barmitzvah he was singing.

Friends of the missing Jewish student Lauren Spierer attended a special synagogue ceremony to pray for her safe return.

Ms Spierer, 20, was last seen on June 3 after attending a party with friends at Indiana University.

The ceremony, held at Scarsdale Synagogue in her home county of Westchester, New York, was lead by Rabbi Sheldon Zimmerman.

Coming from two generations of rabbis, Erich Segal was expected to attend yeshiva and follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.

But desperate to pursue a career in writing, he struck a deal with his father as a teenager. He would be allowed to attend a mainstream school, as long as he agreed to spend his evenings studying the Bible at the local Jewish Theological Seminary.

A Christian leader has refused to apologise for suggesting that disgraced Jewish Congressman Anthony Weiner could only find redemption through Jesus.

The legend who made his name as one of Israel's most celebrated fighting men and went on to become president of Israel was born in Tel Aviv. Unpredictable, quixotic and cantankerous were just some of the words the press used to describe him over the years. However, he was well-known for playing the roles of military hero and an architect of peace.