Mahmoud Abbas

Israeli politician says two-state solution is at a 'dead end'

2013-06-18 00:00:00

JERUSALEM — The idea of a Palestinian state is at a "dead end," the Mideast conflict is an intractable problem and Israel has "to live with it," Israel's economy minister said Monday in some of the bluntest comments yet by a member of the country'...

Israel advancing large settlement construction plan

2013-06-12 07:33:00

JERUSALEM -- As U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry is poised to return to the region, Israel is advancing a plan for a large-scale expansion of a West Bank settlement, according to Israeli media reports. Plans for more than 600 housing units in the...

Palestinian Authority picks Rami Hamdallah as prime minister

2013-06-02 21:09:00

RAMALLAH, West Bank — The new Palestinian Authority prime minister is a British-educated academic with no political experience who will be charged with forming the fifth Palestinian government since 2006. But the tenure of Rami Hamdallah, 54,...

Mark Rylance to bring 'Twelfth Night' and 'Richard III' to Broadway

2013-06-07 07:02:00

Broadway will get a concentrated dose of comedy and tragedy this fall – brought on by acclaimed British actor Mark Rylance. The two-time Tony winner – formerly artistic director of Shakespeare's Globe in London – will star in Globe...

Palestinians name academic as new prime minister

2013-06-02 12:20:00

JERUSALEM — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas appointed university dean Rami Hamdulla as the Palestinian Authority’s new prime minister Sunday night, replacing Salam Fayyad, who resigned in April, officials said. Hamdullah, who is dean...

New Palestinian Authority government sworn in

2013-06-06 13:41:00

RAMALLAH, West Bank -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas swore in a new government Thursday headed by a British-educated academic with no political experience. New Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, who has served since 1998 as president of An Najah...

Palestinians mark 'nakba,' losses sustained in 1948 war

2013-05-15 12:13:00

RAMALLAH, West Bank -- Palestinians held rallies and protests Wednesday to commemorate 65 years of what has come to be known as the “nakba,” or catastrophe, a reference to their displacement in the first Arab-Israeli war in 1948. Thousands...

Turkey leader to press Obama for greater U.S. role on Syria

2013-05-15 15:40:00

WASHINGTON — President Obama faces a fresh test Thursday of his determination to steer clear of the civil war in Syria when he considers a desperate plea from a longtime U.S. ally. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to urge...

Israeli police question a top Palestinian cleric

2013-05-08 10:24:00

JERUSALEM -- Israeli police on Wednesday detained and questioned a top Palestinian cleric about clashes that took place a day earlier in Jerusalem’s Old City. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said Sheik Muhammad Hussein, also known as the mufti of...

U.S. effort for Mideast talks elicits praise, reservations

2013-05-23 15:39:00

JERUSALEM — Wrapping up his fourth Holy Land trip in three months, Secretary of State John F. Kerry voiced optimism Thursday that his low-profile campaign to relaunch U.S.-brokered peace talks is making headway. But although the top American...

Kerry pursues Mideast peace a bite at a time

2013-05-23 12:15:00

RAMALLAH, West Bank –- Secretary of State John Kerry nibbled away at a Mideast peace plan Thursday, taking time off from a busy political schedule to drop in to a West Bank restaurant for some regional specialties. After meeting with Palestinian...

Israelis, Palestinians say chances low for Kerry's peace effort

2013-05-23 08:22:00

JERUSALEM� -- Wrapping up his fourth Holy Land trip in three months, Secretary of State John F. Kerry voiced optimism Thursday that his low-profile campaign to relaunch U.S.-brokered peace talks is making headway. But while the top American diplomat...

Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, right, takes the oath of office in front of President Mahmoud Abbas, left, and other officials in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

2013-06-06 00:00:00

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Israeli President Shimon Peres, left, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, right, shake hands together during the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa at the King Hussein Convention Center at the Dead Sea in Jordan on Sunday.

2013-05-26 00:00:00

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry eats sweets inside a shop after his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday.

2013-05-23 11:24:14