News stories by Pierre Klochendler, page 10

The man who, for the last eight years, embodied Israel's secret operations and had a penchant for the use of forged documents by his spies has been ordered by his former boss to relinquish his own diplomatic passport.

'September 2011 is knocking on our gates,' says an Israeli army officer who, under strict operation procedures, would not reveal his name. He was alluding to the United Nations General Assembly annual meeting expected to resoundingly endorse the Palestinian drive for recognition of statehood.

'Look, a swallowtail!' A 70-year old moustachioed man hops jubilantly between rocks and prickly flowers, chasing a butterfly. 'And look here!' What looks like a dragonfly hovers around in a mechanical whirr of transparent wings.

'The borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognised borders are established for both states.' The seemingly neutral and quasi-consensual principle laid out by U.S. President Barack Obama in his May 19 policy address on the current state of affairs in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region was all the more harmless that it was buried in the last quarter of his speech.

'Hop-a-li, Hop-a-la!' On the stage of the Arab-Hebrew Theatre established in the ancient Arab port of the vibrant Jewish metropolis, a troupe of Israeli men and women interlaces, belly dancing to a frenetic Hafla tune.

First Egypt, then Syria, finally the Palestinians — while most Israelis concur with their Prime Minister that the revolutions, upheavals and shifting alliances closing in on their country have postponed peace prospects, remarkably, the evolving events convulsing the region may yet restore their country's battered legitimacy.

Israelis woke up in the morning of Holocaust Remembrance Day, switched on their radio, and heard unexpected 'good news'.

A small rally by prominent Israeli left-wing intellectuals in support of Palestinian statehood revived the dormant debate about the morality and sustainability of Israel's 43-year occupation. Neither the choice of site nor timing was coincidental.

The 130,000 residents of this balmy Mediterranean city can breathe a sigh of relief. Their sky is now better protected against sporadic rocket attacks launched from the Gaza Strip, some 12 kilometres away.

A woman takes the driver's seat, turns on the radio, sliding through broadcasts of the tit-for-tat battles between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas till she finds a quiet music station.