Star-studded party for Israeli president's 90th
JERUSALEM (AP) -- Israeli and global leaders, local celebrities and Hollywood superstars celebrated under one roof Tuesday to honor Israeli President Shimon Peres for his upcoming 90th birthday, reflecting world respect for one of the country's peace pioneers....

UN likely to expand Golan peacekeeping force
UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- The Security Council president says the U.N. is likely to expand its peacekeeping force in the disputed Golan Heights with more troops and heavy weapons....

Turkey's Erdogan meets top Hamas officials
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is taking a break from his troubles at home to meet top Hamas officials for talks on Palestinian reconciliation....

Israeli premier: pressure on Iran must continue
JERUSALEM (AP) -- Israel's prime minister says the international community must not ease pressure on Iran because of the election of a reformist president....

Israeli general warns of unrest if no peace talks
JERUSALEM (AP) -- Failure to restart Israeli-Palestinian negotiations could stir unrest in the West Bank, Israel's top army commander in the territory warned Tuesday....

Seeking influence, China hosts Mideast peace forum
BEIJING (AP) -- The Palestinian envoy to the United Nations praised China's growing involvement in the Mideast peace process, saying it enhances the efforts of other nations and should continue to expand....

Ex-South Africa ambassador criticizes Israel
JERUSALEM (AP) -- The recently retired South African ambassador to Israel has taken a parting shot at the country's treatment of Palestinians, calling it a "replication of apartheid."...

AP Interview: Peres, at 90, still going strong
JERUSALEM (AP) -- As Shimon Peres turns 90, the indefatigable Israeli president is doing what he has always done: looking ahead, preparing for the next challenge and believing that he will see Middle East peace in his lifetime....

In Israel, Streisand criticizes treatment of women
JERUSALEM (AP) -- Entertainer Barbra Streisand waded into one of Israel's touchiest issues Monday on the first major stop of her tour of the country - Jewish religious practices that separate men and women....

Hamas urges former ally Hezbollah to leave Syria
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) -- The Palestinian militant group Hamas on Monday urged Lebanon's Hezbollah militia to withdraw its fighters from Syria and accused it of stoking sectarian tensions, leveling unprecedented public criticism against a former ally....