Spain expels Israelis from architecture contest because their university is in West Bank

MADRID — Spain said Thursday it has disqualified a group of Israeli academics from a solar power design competition because their university is in the West Bank, the latest in a series of low-level European sanctions against Israel over its settlement policy.

Analysis: Obama’s high-stakes attempt to relaunch peace talks risks stoking Mideast strife

JERUSALEM — Rather than getting Israelis and Palestinians back to negotiations, President Barack Obama’s high-stakes attempt to relaunch Mideast peace talks runs the risk of cementing Israeli intransigence and exacerbating Palestinian weakness.

Israel’s Netanyahu welcomes Obama call for Mideast talks without preconditions

JERUSALEM — Israel’s prime minister welcomed Thursday President Barack Obama’s call for the resumption of Mideast peace talks without preconditions despite Palestinian demands for a halt to new Jewish settlements in the West Bank before any new negotiations begin.

Israelis, Palestinians to meet with US officials, not each other

NEW YORK — Israelis and Palestinians said Wednesday that their envoys would meet with U.S. officials but not with each other, cementing the impression that a U.S.-sponsored meeting between their leaders had fallen flat.

Israeli FM: Netanyahu talks with Obama, Palestinians a victory for firm stand on settlements

JERUSALEM — Israel’s foreign minister said Wednesday that the summit of Israeli, U.S. and Palestinian leaders proved Israel could successfully fend off international pressure to freeze West Bank settlement construction.

Gaps loom large as Obama exhorts Israel, Palestinians to make peace

NEW YORK — Despite a blunt admonition from President Barack Obama to stop wasting time, Israeli and Palestinian leaders gave little indication they’re willing to narrow the gaps that have crippled Mideast peacemaking.

Palestinian PM: broad international support for plan to get state ready in 2 years

NEW YORK — Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said in an interview Tuesday that he has won broad international support for his plan to ready the Palestinians for statehood within two years.

Not enough common ground between Abbas and Netanyahu to relaunch peace talks at summit

NEW YORK — The Israeli and Palestinian leaders shook hands at the start of their first face-to-face meeting Tuesday, hosted by President Barack Obama, but the small gesture was unlikely to translate into a quick resumption of peace talks.

Carter says Israel must stop building settlements in Palestine to achieve Middle East peace

HARRISONBURG, Virginia — Israel must stop building settlements in the Palestinian territories if peace is ever to be achieved in the Middle East, former President Jimmy Carter said Monday night as he received an award at a Virginia university for his humanitarian efforts.

Netanyahu aide says Israeli leader won’t bend on settlements at meeting with Obama, Abbas

JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won’t bend on his opposition to a settlement freeze when he meets the American and Palestinian leaders in New York, a top aide said Monday.

Obama faces tough task in getting Israelis, Palestinians talking again

JERUSALEM — Barack Obama will try to get Mideast peacemaking back on track this week in a meeting with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders, hoping the weight of the U.S. presidency can resolve a showdown over Israeli settlement construction and get the sides talking again after months of deadlock.

Obama to host meeting with Israeli and Palestinian leaders to lay groundwork for Mideast peace

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama will host a meeting Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in an effort to lay the groundwork for renewed negotiations on Mideast peace.

Obama to host meeting with Netanyahu and Abbas

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama will host a meeting Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in an effort to lay the groundwork for renewed negotiations on Mideast peace.

Israelis welcome Jewish New Year while skeptical that peace with Palestinians is near

JERUSALEM — Israelis celebrated the Jewish New Year Friday evening, grateful for the recent calm spell in the region but skeptical that the coming year would see the achievement of ever-elusive peace.

Ending latest mission, US envoy fails to win agreement on restarting Israeli-Palestinian talks

RAMALLAH, West Bank — The United States’ top Mideast envoy failed to bridge wide gaps between Israelis and Palestinians as he ended his most intensive attempt yet on Friday, raising questions over President Barack Obama’s efforts to revive peacemaking.

Israelis welcome Jewish New Year while skeptical that elusive peace is near

JERUSALEM — Israelis were welcoming the Jewish New Year on Friday, grateful for the recent calm spell in the region but skeptical that the coming year would see the achievement of ever-elusive peace.

Palestinian official: US envoy ends Mideast trip without agreement for renewed talks

RAMALLAH, West Bank — President Barack Obama’s special Mideast envoy was unable Friday to bridge wide gaps between Israelis and Palestinians on the terms of renewing peace talks, the chief Palestinian negotiator said.

Palestinian official: US Mideast envoy ends shuttle without deal on terms for new peace talks

RAMALLAH, West Bank — A Palestinian official says the U.S. Mideast envoy has ended his latest shuttle without agreement on terms for renewed peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

US envoy presses on with efforts to revive Mideast peace talks, meets Israeli PM

JERUSALEM — The U.S. Mideast envoy is pressing on with efforts to revive Mideast peace talks and extract Israeli concessions on settlements.

Israel’s Netanyahu denounces UN Gaza report, calls on world to back right of self-defense

JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday rejected the U.N. report alleging Israeli war crimes in its Gaza war this year, warning world leaders that they and their anti-terror forces could be targets for similar charges.

US envoy fails to wrest Israel concession on settlements, will press Israeli PM more this week

JERUSALEM — Washington’s special envoy to the Mideast on Wednesday wrapped up his second meeting this week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu without reaching an agreement on curtailing Israeli settlement construction.

2nd round of US envoy-Israeli PM talks over with no progress reported, 3rd meeting on Friday

JERUSALEM — Washington’s special envoy to the Mideast and Israel’s prime minister ended a second round of talks without reaching a compromise on their showdown over Israeli settlements.

US envoy to meet with Netanyahu after failing to wrest hoped-for concessions on settlements

JERUSALEM — Washington’s special envoy to the Mideast will press Israel on Wednesday for further concessions on settlement construction, having failed a day earlier to reach an accommodation palatable to the U.S. and the Palestinians.

US envoy on mission to wring Israeli concessions on settlements, revive Mideast peacemaking

JERUSALEM — Washington’s special Mideast envoy pressed Israel to curtail West Bank settlement construction but announced no breakthroughs after talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders on Tuesday.

Israeli, Palestinian experts present detailed manual for Mideast peace, say deal is possible

TEL AVIV, Israel — Jerusalem divided by a series of fences, trenches and walls. The West Bank and Gaza linked by a sunken highway. Palestinians and Israelis trading land that would require 100,000 Jewish settlers to move.

Mitchell on mission to wring Israeli concessions on settlements, revive peacemaking

JERUSALEM — Washington’s special Mideast envoy launched a last-ditch push Tuesday to wring an Israeli promise to curtail settlement construction and persuade the Palestinians to attend a high-profile U.S. meeting meant as a prelude to peacemaking.

US envoy Mitchell to meet with Israeli, Palestinian leaders, hoping to revive peace talks

JERUSALEM — The Obama administration’s special Mideast envoy will be huddling with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders, hoping to wring an agreement on Jewish West Bank settlements that would get moribund peace talks back on track.

Netanyahu tells lawmakers: West Bank settlement construction will not be completely frozen

JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday rejected U.S. calls to freeze all settlement construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, angering Palestinians and putting a New York summit in question.

Netanyahu tells lawmakers: Settlement construction will not be frozen

JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rebuffed U.S. demands for a total West Bank settlement freeze on Monday, digging in his heels before a crucial meeting with Washington’s special Mideast envoy.

Israeli PM Netanyahu: Differences remain with US over restarting peace talks with Palestinians

JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking before a key meeting with the White House Mideast envoy, said Sunday that differences remain with the U.S. over resuming peacemaking with the Palestinians.