Sen. Rand Paul's call to end U.S. foreign aid, including to Israel, set off a debate not only within Mr. Paul's Republican Party in America, but also among Israelis, for whom decades of U.S. financial backing have become an accepted norm.
Secretary of State John F. Kerry on Monday pushed for the resumption of the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process, saying the status quo is not sustainable and time is running out.
A Hamas spokesman said abducting Israeli soldiers and using them to barter for the release of militant fighters is the heart and soul of the group's operations, and they would not stop, no matter the political pressure.
Israel's president on Sunday urged Israeli and Palestinian leaders to overcome differences and resume peace negotiations, saying the sides could not afford "to lose this opportunity."
The United States and Israel raised hopes Thursday for a restart of the Middle East peace process, despite little tangible progress so far from U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry's 2-month-old effort to get Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table.
A leading Palestinian Authority said in an interview broadcast earlier this month that he supported violence against Israel, including a nuclear attack.
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas again insisted at a two-day "Freedom and Dignity" conference in Ramallah last week that Palestinians who murder Israeli Jews cannot be punished.
U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry on Sunday urged Turkey to speed up and cement an American-brokered rapprochement with Israel, and he explored with Palestinian officials new ways to relaunch Mideast peace efforts.
Turkey has become the first state to appoint and recognize an ambassador to Palestine.
