Frank Lampard's goal-that-never-was against Germany has been debated ad nauseam. But now the Chelsea and England playmaker is being used as a metaphor for the Middle East conflict.

Israeli ambassador Ron Prosor compared Lampard's disallowed effort to those people who fail to see that Israel's critics have "crossed the red line" in demonising the state. Perhaps we could do with goal-line technology in both cases.

Meanwhile, Prosor has revealed that he was not even supporting England. Five weeks ago, reveals an embassy spokesman, the lucky ambassador pulled out Holland in the diplomatic sweepstake.