israel

The Orwell Prize, Britain's most prestigious award for political writing, has named its winners for 2008. Raja Shehadeh won the Orwell Prize for Books with Palestinian Walks. The book describes, through a series of six walks over 26 years - the destruction of the Palestinian landscape, and how it mirrors the destruction of Palestinian identity and culture.

Walt and Mearsheimer decided to write a book on how the Israel lobby works, noting that it is as effective as the N.R.A. or the A.A.R.P. But the Israel lobby hits back. In the process, I think, proves some of Walt and Mearsheimer's points.

Shimon Peres, now 83, finds himself, yet again, facing an election. Once more he is in the humiliating position of wanting to be president of Israel and unsure whether those in the Knesset who say they support him will then vote against him in secret.