Israeli and U.S. scientists said on Sunday that comatose ex-premier Ariel Sharon showed "significant brain activity" in an MRI scan, responding to pictures of his family seven years after a stroke left him unconscious.

Ben Gurion University, in the southern Israeli town of Beersheva, said its neuroscientists, an expert from the city's Soroka hospital and Professor Martin Monti from the University of California, Los Angeles ran two hours of pioneering tests on the former prime minister.

A Jerusalem court on Sunday set February 17 as the opening date for former Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman's trial on corruption charges.

The case is to be heard by a panel of three judges, according to a copy of the ruling by the Jerusalem magistrates court.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said he would seek a broad and stable coalition to deal with Iran's nuclear ambitions and the possible transfer of Syrian weapons.

"The entire region is raging and we must be prepared, strong, and determined in the face of any possible development," he told his cabinet ahead of its weekly meeting.

Israeli Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom hinted on Sunday that any sign of Syrian chemical arms transfer to Hizbullah could trigger military strikes.

Shalom told Israel's Army Radio that should Hizbullah or rebels battling forces loyal to President Bashar Assad obtain chemical weapons, "it would dramatically change the capabilities of those organizations."

Around 200 Palestinians demonstrating in solidarity with prisoners held by Israel hurled stones at troops in the West Bank on Saturday and soldiers responded with tear gas, Palestinian security officials and the Israeli military said.

Palestinians said the confrontation erupted when protesters tried to set up tents adjacent to Israel's West Bank security fence at Anin village, near the northern town of Jenin.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has offered Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, Israel's newest political star, the post of foreign minister or finance minister in a new government, a newspaper reported on Friday.

Yesh Atid, a centrist party formed only nine months ago, stunned the political establishment by winning 19 seats in Tuesday's election, taking second place to Netanyahu's Likud-Beitenu list which suffered which a major blow, securing only 31 of the 120 seats in parliament.

Senator John Kerry, on track to become the next U.S. secretary of state, is to visit Jerusalem and Ramallah in February to examine ways of reviving the peace process, an Israeli daily reported on Friday.

Quoting senior Israeli officials, the left-leaning Haaretz said Kerry was interested in visiting as soon as possible, even before a new Israeli government is appointed following Tuesday's general election.

Israeli officials said Thursday that military action against Iran needed to stay on the table, as former U.S. secretary of state Henry Kissinger warned of a crisis over Tehran's nuclear ambitions in the "very foreseeable future".

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Israeli President Shimon Peres and Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the threat of military action was vital to efforts against Iran's nuclear program.

The results of Israel's election keep premier Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud-Beitenu list the largest in parliament with 31 seats ahead of Yair Lapid's centrist Yesh Atid at 19, an official said on Thursday.

The central election committee spokesman said in a statement that the third largest party was Shelly Yachimovich's Labor with 15 seats, with the far-right Jewish Home winning 12 mandates in the 120-seat Knesset.

Yair Lapid, whose Yesh Atid party took second place in Israel's election, ruled out on Wednesday participating in any bloc to prevent incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu from forming a new coalition government.

"I've heard talk of an (anti-Netanyahu) bloc," Lapid said. "I suggest removing that from the table. There will not be a bloc; that will not happen."