Defense chief's resignation pushes Israel toward election

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's defense minister on Wednesday abruptly resigned to protest a new cease-fire with Hamas militants in Gaza, throwing the government into turmoil and pushing the country toward an early election. Avigdor Lieberman's decision was ostensibly a show of anger over Tuesday's informal...

The Latest: Group says strikes damaged dozens of Gaza homes

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Latest on the cease-fire between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers (all times local): 8:35 p.m. A prominent Palestinian human rights group says dozens of homes were damaged or destroyed in Israel's two-day offensive in the Gaza Strip this week. The Israeli military says it hit 160...

Architects, activists slam Jerusalem Old City cable car plan

JERUSALEM (AP) — An Israeli plan to build a cable car to Jerusalem's historic Old City has united architects and Palestinian activists in opposition to a project they say is both an eyesore and a ploy to entrench Israeli control over the city's contested eastern sector. Developers say the proposed project...

Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman resigns over Gaza cease-fire, making early elections likely

Lion elected Jerusalem mayor in victory for ultra-Orthodox

JERUSALEM (AP) — Longtime political activist Moshe Lion has been elected mayor of Jerusalem in a victory for ultra-Orthodox Jewish residents. Lion, who was backed by much of Israel's top leadership, claimed victory over Ofer Berkovitch early Wednesday in a closely contested race. Lion enjoyed the support...

The Latest: UN Security Council takes no action on Gaza

JERUSALEM (AP) — The latest on the outbreak of violence between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers (all times local): 4 a.m. The U.N. Security Council has failed to agree on any action on the fighting between Israel and the Hamas militant group in Gaza. Kuwaiti Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi told reporters after...

Texas ed board votes to restore lessons on Clinton, Keller

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Texas Board of Education preliminarily voted Tuesday night to restore Hillary Clinton and Helen Keller to the state's history curriculum and to slightly soften language about the Arab-Israeli conflict — surprising moments of bipartisanship for members who have long waged...

Handwritten Einstein letter auctioned off for nearly $40,000

JERUSALEM (AP) — A handwritten letter written by Albert Einstein warning of the dangers of growing nationalism and anti-Semitism years before the Nazis rose to power has been sold for nearly $40,000. The Kedem Auction House says the previously unknown letter, brought forward by an anonymous collector,...

Cease-fire takes hold between Israel and Hamas

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas and other militant groups said Tuesday they had accepted an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire to end two days of intense fighting with Israel that had pushed the sworn enemies to the brink of a new war. The sudden announcement brought relief to a region that had been paralyzed...

Underlying issues keep Israel, Hamas locked in violent loop

JERUSALEM (AP) — A slew of grievances and major underlying issues have Israel and Hamas locked in a spiral of violence that has caused three wars in the last decade and repeated rounds of deadly fighting. With an Israeli-Egyptian blockade, a riven Palestinian leadership and a militant Hamas, Gaza's...