Centre will showcase Israel's rich collection of 2m artefacts including world's largest collection of Dead Sea scrolls Israel is building a national archaeological centre to store and showcase its rich collection of 2m ancient artefacts, including the world's largest collection of Dead Sea scrolls, Israel's antiquities authority said on Tuesday. Most of Israel's state antiquities collection, currently...
Israel's PM speaks on army radio in response to blast that wounded three soldiers on Israeli-Syrian border Israel will act "forcefully" to defend itself, the country's prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, said after a blast wounded three soldiers in the occupied Golan Heights on Tuesday. "We will act forcefully to preserve Israel's security," he said in remarks broadcast on army radio, saying there...
Saeb Erekat said delegation showed US president ‘very ugly map’ of recent Israeli settlements at ‘candid’ meeting Paul Lewis ...
US president pressed visiting Palestinian leader as hundreds of Abbas supporters across West Bank staged rallies calling for him to stand up to Obama ...
In today's multipolar world, events in Ukraine may well reverberate as far away as Afghanistan and North Korea EU imposes sanctions on 21 Russians and Ukrainians If international relations are a seamless web, then the crisis over Russia's actions in Ukraine risks entangling other knotty current issues – from efforts to contain Iran's nuclear ambitions, through the continuing carnage in Syria to wider...
Despite row with Oxfam, star is 'not swayed' by condemnation over drinks plant on West Bank in Israel The film star Scarlett Johansson, a former Oxfam ambassador, has questioned the charity's position on political boycotts of Israel and told the Observer that she has no regrets over her decision to promote SodaStream, a company headquartered in Israel, with a controversial factory in a settlement...
The prime minister was right to remind politicians that Israel's reputation depends on respect for international law When David Cameron arrived at the Knesset to deliver an inoffensive, even fulsome, speech to Israel's lawmakers, he could hardly have expected walk-outs, boycotts and heckling . The walk-out came from representatives of the ultra-orthodox religious parties protesting about a bill that...
Prime minister David Cameron speaks on Thursday at the British consulate in Jerusalem alongside former PM Tony Blair ...
Egyptian-brokered truce follows Israel pounding Gaza with air strikes in return for militants firing rockets over border Gaza's Islamic Jihad group said on Thursday that an Egyptian-brokered truce had been restored following a brief but intense confrontation a day earlier when Israeli warplanes pounded the Strip after heavy cross-border rocket fire. Although there was no immediate confirmation from...
While the former prime minister regards peacemaking as his area of expertise, the current one prefers small, practical steps After Tony Blair and David Cameron met in East Jerusalem to discuss Blair's six-year efforts to build a functioning Palestinian economy, Cameron politely said his relationship with Labour's most famous donor was "not about friendship", and said he had never described himself...
Quartet Middle East envoy updates Cameron on state of peace talks and Palestinian economy before PM sees Mahmoud Abbas David Cameron has been briefed by Tony Blair in East Jerusalem on the state of the Palestinian economy and the Middle East peace talks before a meeting with Mahmoud Abbas. Cameron has been in Israel to address its parliament, the Knesset, and meet Israeli leaders. His visit has coincided...
Documentary film-maker and political activist best known for Blacks Britannica and Occupied Palestine The Oscar-nominated documentary-maker and political activist David Koff, who has died aged 74, was remarkable in that his work made waves on four continents. Best known in Britain for his film Blacks Britannica (1978), which portrayed the UK as a profoundly racist society, he also caused controversy...
British PM pessimistic about prospects for agreement but says Netanyahu and Abbas are 'willing to be partners for peace' David Cameron has renewed his criticisms of the humanitarian situation in Gaza, four years after he caused controversy in Israel by describing the Palestinian territory as a prison camp. Speaking at the end of his visit to Israel and the occupied territories, the British prime minister...
Prime minister to use set-piece speech to Knesset on first visit to Israel to urge compromises on Israeli and Palestinian sides David Cameron is to use a set-piece speech to the Israeli parliament on Wednesday to try to map out a vision of how the fortunes of Israel and Palestine could be transformed if both sides could reach agreement on a two-state solution. In a two-day visit he will urge both...
Law passed in Knesset on Wednesday will require army to conscript increasing number of ultra-Orthodox Jews each year Israeli lawmakers passed a contentious law on Wednesday meant to draft ultra-Orthodox Jews into the military – the culmination of a drive for reforms that has resulted in mass protests by the religious community in Israel and beyond. The issue of conscription of the ultra-Orthodox is...
British PM sets out vision of peace but avoids discussion of upcoming talks as he addresses Israeli parliament David Cameron has made a passionate appeal in the Israeli parliament for its leaders to recognise the dividend of peace as he poured praise on Israel's values and vowed that Britain would steadfastly oppose any boycott of Israel. He also denounced Iran as a despotic regime still intent on...
The prime minister, David Cameron, holds a joint press conference with the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, during a visit to Israel ...
Andrew Sparrow ’s rolling coverage of all the day’s political developments as they happen, including Ed Miliband’s speech on an EU referendum, Nick Clegg and Harriet Harman at PMQs and David Cameron’s speech to the Knesset in Israel Andrew Sparrow ...
British PM's two-day trip to include Palestinian territories and speech to Knesset warning that time running out for deal David Cameron is to fly to Israel on Wednesday to deliver an appeal to its parliament to recognise time is running out on one of the best chances for a Middle East peace deal in decades. The US secretary of state, John Kerry, has invested huge amounts of time and energy in trying...
The rhythms, sights, sounds and smells of Jerusalem's Old City are centuries old Treading on the footprints of a thousand years or more, I walk through Damascus Gate , the entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem. Within the walled city, cobbled alleyways brim with market stalls selling anything from spices to gold. Two soldiers slouch against a wall, their youthful faces painted with boredom. A group...