NPR People: Lourdes Garcia-Navarro

President Obama has weighed in on the crisis in U.S. relations with Israel, reaffirming what he called the special bond with the Jewish state, despite the disagreement over Israeli plans to build new Jewish housing in East Jerusalem. The president was interviewed on Fox News Channel.

Residents of the Jewish community of Ramat Shlomo, located in East Jerusalem, say they are unfazed by the international furor surrounding the announcement that 1,600 homes will be built there. But Palestinians say Israel is trying to push the Arab population out of the area.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is confronting growing political problems following last week's announcement that more Israeli settlements would be built in East Jerusalem. The announcement was made while Vice President Joe Biden was in the Middle East promoting peace talks.

Vice President Joe Biden met with Palestinian leaders in Ramallah as the U.S. prepares to mediate talks between the Palestinians and Israel. Biden and the Palestinians condemned a newly announced Israeli plan to build more housing in East Jerusalem.

"A moment of opportunity," that's what Vice President Joe Biden is calling the announcement that Israelis and Palestinians will be engaging in indirect negotiations brokered by the United States. Biden is on a visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories. He is the highest ranking member of the Obama Administration so far to make that trip.

After last year's provincial elections, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was the big winner, and his State of Law coalition looked unbeatable. But in the Shiite heartland of southern Iraq, support for Maliki is waning as the March 7 vote approaches.

Iraq is in the midst of an election season already marred by acts of intimidation. Everything from deadly shootings and bombings, to posters being ripped down and defaced. This election season is filled with less spectacular acts of intimidation than previous campaigns, but they are still having an effect.

While once a close ally of the U.S., Iraqi politician Ahmed Chalabi is viewed with wariness and apprehension by Americans. Chalabi seems to be Iraq's ultimate political survivor, making headlines again with his involvement in the recent purge of candidates linked to Saddam Hussein's Baath party ahead of the elections. Chalabi heads the Justice and Accountability Commission.

Campaigning officially began Friday. But an appeals court Thursday banned prominent Sunni candidates from the March 7 parliamentary election, citing alleged ties to Saddam Hussein's Baath party. The move has Iraqis further doubting the legitimacy of the election.

Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki publicly took U.S. Ambassador Christopher Hill to task for what he called overstepping his diplomatic role. The most recent disagreement centered on Malaki's support for the decision to ban more than 500 candidates in next month's parliamentary elections for alleged ties to Saddam Hussien's Baath party. The U.S. had been trying to get the banned candidates reinstated.

Ahead of national elections in March, residents of Anbar province say they're disillusioned with the current government and look back on the late Saddam Hussein with nostalgia. For all of his shortcomings, they say Saddam was a leader who inspired fear and respect.

Close to 100 Shiite pilgrims have been killed and dozens wounded this week by a spate of bombings in Baghdad and the holy Iraqi city of Kerbala. The violence comes as millions of pilgrims flock to the city to mark the 40th day after the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, one of the most revered figures in Shiite Islam. The pilgrims culminated their journey Friday with gatherings in both cities.

An Iraqi appeals court overturned a move to disqualify some 500 candidates in next month's parliamentary elections because of their alleged ties to Saddam Hussein's Baath Party. The controversy over the Baathists raises questions about who else is being allowed to run for office.

The Palestinian minister of economy tells NPR that in the next few months it will become illegal for Palestinians to work in Israel's West Bank settlements. Palestinians who flout the new rule will be jailed and or fined. It's the next phase of plan currently underway to boycott settlement products. But thousands of Palestinians earn their livelihood in settlements, many of them in construction.

A wave of bombings this week killed more than 60 in Iraq's capital and left residents jittery, fearing that attacks will increase as the March elections approach. Iraqis are dubious that Baghdad's hundreds of checkpoints and unreliable bomb-detecting devices can protect them.