JERUSALEM — Israeli leaders on Thursday delivered one of the bluntest warnings to date of possible airstrikes against Iranian nuclear sites, adding to the anxiety in Western capitals that a surprise attack by Israel could spark a broader military conflict in the Middle East. Read full article > >

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U.S. officials concerned by Israel statements on Iran threat, possible strike

Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Monday cited “baby steps” of progress after two weeks of talks between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators, and said he is convinced that both sides are looking for a way to break the impasse that has stalled peace negotiations for more than two years. Read full article > >

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Jordan’s Abdullah sees glimmer of hope in Mideast talks

The indictment was the first sign of a promised crackdown on settlers whose increasingly provocative actions have been described by some Israeli officials as homegrown terrorism.

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Israel Charges 5 Settlers in Clash at Army Base

AMMAN, Jordan — No breakthroughs emerged Tuesday from the first meeting between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in more than a year, the foreign minister of host Jordan said, adding the two sides agreed to keep talking. Talks have been stalled since late 2010 over the issue of Israeli settlement construction. Read full article > >

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Jordan says no breakthroughs on substance in 1st Israeli-Palestinian negotiations in 15 months

When it comes to national security issues in 2012, the person who faces the toughest choices is Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta. Look at what’s on his plate: the Pentagon’s budget crunch, the war in Afghanistan, the postwar period in Iraq, Iran’s nuclear ambitions , Israeli issues, U.S.-Pakistan relations, China’s growing military and the biggest challenge of all — Congress. Read full article > >

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Defense Secretary Panetta faces tough choices on national security in 2012

Palestinian and Israeli negotiators will meet in Jordan on Tuesday in an effort to revive moribund peace talks, although none of the sides involved suggested any reason to view the meeting as a sign of significant progress.

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Palestinians and Israelis Will Talk This Week

Chilean authorities arrest an Israeli tourist on suspicion of negligently causing a massive forest fire in the country’s south.

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Chile detains tourist over fire

A man who killed his former employer and five members of his family in the Israeli town of Rishon Lezion is jailed for life.

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Jail for man who stabbed family

Some 550 Palestinian prisoners are being released in the second half of a swap that freed one Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, who had been held by Hamas for more than five years.

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Israel Begins Second Part of Prisoner Swap

Several rockets fired from southern Lebanon landed in northern Israel, the Israeli army says, but no casualties are reported.

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Rockets from Lebanon hit Israel

The efforts have been bolstered by speculative news reports and leaks about possible plans for an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities.

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News Analysis: Israel Cautious After Report on Iran’s Nuclear Program

A weird but wonderful feature of Israeli democracy is that even fateful decisions about national security — like whether to carry out a military attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities — are publicly debated and covered in the press as if they were questions about road building or water rates, complete with vote counts in the cabinet and speculation about political motives. Read full article > >

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For Israel, a tough call on attacking Iran

Understanding the exchange of a single Israeli prisoner for 1,027 Palestinians.

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Magazine Preview: Gilad Shalit and the Rising Price of an Israeli Life

A threatened Israeli attack on suspected Iranian nuclear sites would be a “very serious mistake”, warns Russia as the UN prepares to issue a new report.

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Russia warns against Iran attack

The Israeli navy intercepts and boards two boats carrying activists and medical supplies as they attempt to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip.

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Israel boards Gaza protest boats