Our cover story in most of the world this week looked at Israel as it turns 75. Since its founding on May 14th, 1948, it has constantly defied doomsayers. Today it is one of the richest, most innovative countries in the world. It is the Middle East’s only vibrant democracy, and its relations with Arab countries have started to improve, as shown by the Abraham accords of 2020. Yet it has failed to resolve its oldest problem—the grim plight of the Palestinians—and now faces new ones, such as political polarisation, which demographic shifts will surely accentuate, and a fading of bipartisan support in America.

Our first idea was to put a collage of historical photos into a big “75”. It was elegant, but a bit static. We need more of a sense of drama. We also considered an image of an Israeli soldier on night patrol, faintly illuminated by a distant flare. We worried, though, that it might be too downbeat, especially if some readers mistook the flare for a deadly rocket.

What if we showed balloons in the shape of a 75, surrounded by needle-wielding hands poised to pop them? Despite the playful tone, this was an even more negative message, so we shelved it. Next we tried an outline of Israel, overlaid on the headline, encapsulating Israel’s most intractable problem: many who live on this tiny (and to some, holy) patch of land furiously dispute who owns it.

Perhaps the most visually stunning image that our art team produced was one of an Israeli flag in a desert sandstorm. But it conveyed completely different messages to different eyes. Some of us saw a tough, resourceful country surviving under difficult circumstances. Others thought the flag was about to fall down, and that the image suggested imminent calamity.

So we returned to the idea of a collage. But we needed to balance backward-looking elements (such as black-and-white photos of historical figures) and forward-looking ones (such as digital circuitry). So we added the skyscraper-filled skyline of Tel Aviv and a hopeful headline..

Leader: As Israel turns 75, its biggest threats now come from within
Middle East & Africa: Israel’s angsty 75th anniversary
By Invitation: Avi Shlaim calls for critical reflection as Israel turns 75
By Invitation: As Israel turns 75 there is much to celebrate—and worry about—says Yair Lapid
United States: Why Israel is becoming a partisan cause in the United States

Our British cover advertised a package built around an in-depth interview with Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of Britain’s Labour Party. We asked him how his party would govern were it to win the next election, as seems probable. He made a persuasive case that, unlike his predecessor, he is neither incompetent nor dangerously left-wing. The big remaining question is whether he has what it takes to tackle Britain’s most entrenched problems, from low productivity growth to creaking public services.

We considered an image that looked like it was buffering, to suggest that voters have only a hazy picture of him, which we would like to make clearer. It was clever, but it made his face almost unrecognisable.

Another idea was to use two images, in black and red, to pose the question of whether he is a moderate or a closet Corbynite. We also posed the same question using text, with a bold close-up photograph in which he gazed straight out at the reader.

But in the end we plumped for a cartoon. Sir Keir is quietly doing up his tie, preparing for the biggest challenge of his life. Is he ready for it? We hope our coverage will help readers decide.

Leader: Is Keir Starmer ready for office?
Britain: Sir Keir Starmer on “Starmerism”
Britain: Transcript: An interview with Sir Keir Starmer
Britain: To understand Labour’s shadow cabinet, read its books
Britain: Fighting climate change is not the same as curing Britain’s economic ills
Britain: Would Labour turn to the left in office?