Rejecting Barak's apology for the events of October 2000 Ayman Odeh says, "We have already seen your cynical election apology to Mizrahi Jews. A real show of responsibility would be stepping down from the public stage. In order to replace the right-wing government and fight for a future [Israeli-Arab] partnership, you must be left in the past."

Israel is a sovereign state with its own legitimate interests that it must protect. Until recently, the Democratic Party understood that, but the party's recent support for these two radical representatives is a testament to some in the party, and not Israel, having lost their way.

Haim Katz is facing charges of fraud and breach of trust for allegedly using his office to advance his own financial interests as well as those of his friend, businessman Mordechai Ben-Ari. Katz denies any wrongdoing.

Aya Naamneh, 22, from the Galilee town of Arraba, had apparently fallen to her death while hiking in Ethiopia’s Danakil Desert on Saturday. Temperatures in the area reached 50°C (120°F), authorities say. The Foreign Ministry is assisting the family in ensuring her body is returned to Israel for burial.

For the first time in a long while, Israel must contend with heightened tensions in Judea and Samaria and Gaza. The recent terrorist attacks in Judea and Samaria can be tied to Hamas' efforts to fan the flames but the Palestinian street in Gaza is still largely apathetic, and Israel must choose its responses wisely.