Topic: Ramallah

Opinion: In the name of peace, Israelis and Palestinians should become European

Membership in the EU would be a win-win-win.

World

Obama tries to balance solidarity and neutrality

The latest stops in his Mideast tour included the rocket-besieged Israeli town of Sderot and the West Bank town of Ramallah.

Obama and McCain diverge on Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Obama likely to return US to role of 'honest broker.' McCain sees fighting Islamic extremists as paramount.

Obama and McCain diverge on Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Obama likely to return US to role of 'honest broker.' McCain sees fighting Islamic extremists as paramount.

Israelis weigh Jerusalem vulnerabilities in wake of bulldozer attack

For Palestinians in areas of Jerusalem seized in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, the attack reinforces their precarious status in-between their countrymen in the West Bank and Israel.

Low profile for Secretary Rice's Israel visit

In Israel, the media focused on possible breakthroughs in which the US played no role, highlighting low expectations for Rice's trip.

A year later: Hamas still defiant, but Gazans continue to struggle

The Islamist militant group has controlled the coastal strip for a year now and says it will not relent to international pressure.

Palestinian cell service still on hold

Mobile phone service in Gaza Strip and the West Bank could spur investment – and bolster prospects for peace.

World

In Israel, Bush outlines a blunt vision for the Middle East

At the Knesset on Thursday, the president spoke in visionary terms of Israel's future, saying that the core of the current regional conflict 'was an ancient battle between good and evil.'

Two ways of looking at the Middle East

Reporters on the Job

Palestinian festival of dance – and debate

The third annual Ramallah Contemporary Dance Festival showcases the growing cultural split between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

New Gaza tragedy threatens Cairo truce talks

Palestinian officials met in Egypt Tuesday to hammer out possible terms for a six-month truce between the Islamist militants and Israel.

Rice trumpets progress in Middle East

Israel agreed Sunday to dismantle 50 West Bank roadblocks after talks with Secretary of State Rice.

Can Egypt broker Hamas-Israel truce?

Cairo is working hard for a cease-fire, partly to curb Iran's growing clout.

Is a third intifada brewing?

Many Palestinians say they do not want to return to the regimen of daily violence.

Rice meets harder lines in push for Israeli-Palestinian peace

In the West Bank Tuesday, Secretary Rice urged Israelis and Palestinians to return to the negotiating table.

In the Middle East, women directors unspool social commentary

The Monitor talks to three female filmmakers about the trials and triumphs of moviemaking in conservative societies.

Palestinian group sounds like Al Qaeda but forgoes violence

Hizb ut-Tahrir moves to fill void left by Hamas in the West Bank

Palestinians little moved by Bush visit

In the Shuafat refugee camp in Jerusalem, residents say that Israeli interests will trump theirs despite Bush's vow of a peace deal this year.

On Mideast trip, Bush hopes to propel historic Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking

In Jerusalem Wednesday, the president called for two democracies, Israel and Palestine, to live side by side.

What Palestinians will do with $7.4 billion

About 70 percent of the money from international donors will pay public salaries, while 30 percent is expected to be used for development, food relief, and other assistance.