Tel Aviv - Shaul Mofaz is the most hawkish member of Israel's ruling Kadima faction, something he hopes will propel him to the top spot when the centrist party holds its leadership primary on September 17.

A former military chief of staff who became defence minister almost as soon as he left the army, Mofaz is basing his campaign on Israel's security concerns.

Tel Aviv - The leadership contest for Israel's ruling Kadima party is a distorted mirror of the race to choose the candidate for the Democratic party in the US.

The main difference however is that in this case it is the male candidate, Shaul Mofaz, who is assailing his female opponent for her perceived lack of experience, and the female candidate, Tzipi Livni, who is promising to bring a new style of politics.

The other two candidates in the race, Meir Sheetrit and Avi Dichter, are not given much chance of winning.

Tel Aviv, Israel, Sept 12 : The European Union is willing to renew talks for a partnership pact with Syria once Damascus takes more steps to meet Western demands, the EU''s foreign policy chief said on Friday.

The signing of an already-drafted association accord has been stalled since the assassination three years ago of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri. Syria has denied assertions the attack was orchestrated from Damascus.

Tel Aviv  - One of Israel's most emotionally-charged and complex murder investigations appeared closer to a solution Thursday when police divers retrieved from a river a suitcase thought to hold the remains of a four-year old girl missing since May.

Divers have been searching the Yarkon river, on Tel Aviv's northern outskirts, for the body Rose Pizem since the main suspect in the case, her grandfather Ronny Ron, told police he had thrown the body there.

The red suitcase was found about 500 to 600 metres from where Ron said he had thrown it into the river, and contains a small skull, bones and shred of clothing.

"It looks like what we've been searching for," one of the divers told Israel Radio.

Tel Aviv - Two Israel Air Force pilots were killed when their helicopter crashed during a routine training flight Wednesday evening in northern Israel, the military confirmed.

The Cobra combat helicopter came down near a kibbutz in the Yezreel Valley, north of the town of Afula, some 10 minutes after taking off from a nearby Air Force base.

The two pilots were the only crew members on board. Their deaths were under military censorship until the families had been notified.