Benjamin Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak tried to persuade Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to press the Palestinians to agree to a delay in Israel's promised hand-over of more West Bank land. But Barak said after talks in Alexandria that he would implement the U.S.-brokered Wye Plantation land-for-security deal, signed and suspended by his right-wing predecessor, Benjamin Netanyahu, if the Palestinians continued to oppose its modification.

Pope John Paul II received Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Netanyahu reiterated his invitation for the pontiff to visit Jerusalem. The pope made no public commitment to Netanyahu's invitation to make a "pilgrimage to the Holy Land as soon as possible." "We look forward to receiving you in Jerusalem," Netanyahu told the pope, to which John Paul responded, "God bless Israel."

An envoy of new Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly met Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat for the first time since Israel's May 31 election, an Israeli newspaper and a Palestinian security official said today. Israel's Yediot Aharonot newspaper and the official said political advisor Dore Gold and another Israeli met Arafat in the self-ruled Gaza Strip. They did not say when. A spokesman for Netanyahu refused to confirm or deny the report.

No stranger to the burning issues of the day, Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu was really fired up during a radio interview Sunday. "Can't you smell the smoke?" an Army Radio reporter suddenly asked Netanyahu, the finance minister, as they spoke about a recent controversial decision to replace Israel's army chief. "What do you mean?" Netanyahu shot back. "Your cigar is on fire. The one inside your suit jacket.

Re "The Mideast on rewind," editorial, Feb. 11 The Times yields to no person when it comes to moral relativism. There is a difference between Israel and Iran: One of those nations is an aggressive, murderous regime that supports terrorism; the other is vilified for its occasional desire to defend itself from those attacks. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's de facto submission to Hezbollah and Hamas has not merely cleared the way for Benjamin Netanyahu's return; it has necessitated that return.

Benjamin Netanyahu said today he resigned as Israel's U.N. ambassador to protest Secretary of State George P. Shultz's meeting with two Arab-Americans linked to the PLO. Netanyahu said the meeting Saturday in Washington endangered Israel's security and "raises a larger question of the value of American commitments to us when we have made huge concessions to obtain these guarantees." "I could not speak freely (about this) as long as I was ambassador. So I had to make a choice," he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Jordan's King Hussein on Thursday that he is ready to move ahead quickly in peace talks with the Palestinians provided that the Jewish state's security is not endangered. Jordan has been trying to play a greater role in the stalled Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, and the surprise meeting came just before U.S. special envoy Dennis B.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu got a boost Sunday in his bid for reelection after a top contender within his Likud Party dropped out of the race. Ehud Olmert, the mayor of Jerusalem and Netanyahu's only serious threat within his party decided Sunday to bow out after failing to get the support of Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai.

Striking back after being blamed for hindering Mideast peace, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the Israeli president Tuesday of siding with Arabs and Israel's opposition in a ploy to oust the government. President Ezer Weizman caused a major political incident Monday when he went on national television to blame Netanyahu for the deadlock in peace negotiations with the Palestinians, saying it was time to call early elections.

Chanting "Bibi resign," tens of thousands of Israelis demonstrated against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday in the Tel Aviv square where former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated. The protest organized by the Movement For Early Elections, which says it is unaffiliated with any political party, was the biggest anti-Netanyahu demonstration in Israel since the right-wing Likud Party leader became prime minister a year ago.