The veteran American journalist Helen Thomas has questioned why Israelis cannot accept that the people of Palestine elected Hamas in a democratic poll. She made her statement in an interview published in the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, during which Ms Thomas responded to Israel's listing of Hamas as a "terrorist organisation". She is, she said, against violence, but can understand Hamas's desire to regain what was taken from them, a reference to the loss of Palestine by the creation of the state of Israel.

Israel's Foreign Ministry has announced that two Israeli soldiers are missing in Bolivia. According to the Israeli Embassy in the Bolivian capital La Paz, the two were on a holiday in the north-east of the country and were supposed to have returned to Israel five days ago after a 20-day trip. Reports in the Hebrew media say that the Embassy has hired a private company to help in the search for the missing soldiers.

The Canadian government headed by Stephen Harper has said that it will reconsider its relations with and financial support for UNESCO following the election of Palestine as a full member. Harper's right-wing administration said that it is looking at punitive measures against the UN body as it regards this week's announcement about Palestine to be a hindrance to the Middle East peace process.

Reports in the Israeli media claim that around 100,000 American Jews have signed a petition to be presented to President Barak Obama, asking him to use the US veto at the UN Security Council against a resolution giving Palestine full member status. President Mahmoud Abbas presented the Palestinian Authority's application for UN recognition as an independent state last week.

According to Israel Radio, the petition says, "Since the establishment of the state of Israel, Arab countries have refused to recognize its right to exist as a Jewish state, and the Palestinian Authority holds on to that stance. And therefore, the US veto must be used against the PA's application for full member status for Palestine at the UN."