The EU is weighing whether to add Hezbollah to its list of designated terror organisations. Such a move is long overdue both in the European Union and in Britain.

If reports in yesterday's Daily Mail are to be believed, Sir John Sawers was forced to make a special secret trip two weeks ago to Israel in a desperate bid to prevent this country from carrying out its most recent threats to launch a unilateral strike against Iran's nuclear targets.

Reflecting upon the verdict given at a Haifa district court on Tuesday morning, essentially blaming the victim for her own death, the intransigency of Israel's politicised justice system was immediately exposed when the judge legitimised a legal avenue for Israel to exploit now and in any similar future case.

It is difficult to accept that Rachel, in standing guard in front of the bulldozer's path, unarmed, posed any threat to the IDF personnel and could be found to have been taking a "direct part in combat", such that would qualify her as a combatant under international law.

This devastating verdict raises new questions over whether this ruling will allow the IDF to misuse their ability to simply declare everywhere a closed military zone in order to be absolved from prosecution for harming civilian life.

While it is unlikely that anyone bar Silverstein's source and perhaps a few insiders could state with any authority whether or not his alleged leak is a sure thing or a red herring - and in the long run, it doesn't matter.

So, the fence sitting is over. The special relationship twins (UK and USA) are making their move in backing Syrian rebels with dollars, pounds and weapons. Yes, weapons...It's naive to think that weapons won't be bought or bartered for with western aid.

When Ankie Spitzer, widow of Andre Spitzer, stretched out her hands to Jacques Rogge, the International Olympic Committee president, and begged him to hold a minute's silence, he refused. "My hands are tied" he said. "No," Ankie replied: "Your hands are not tied. My husband's hands were tied, so were here his feet, when he was murdered. That was having your hands tied."

Given the degree of hostility between Israel and Syria, it might seem odd that for much of the past year, Israel's leaders have been fairly quiet about the uprising taking place within its northern neighbour.