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Israel

July 12, 2026

Tel Aviv 1:23 pm

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Analysis

As US-Iran fighting resumes, Israel weighs 3 options with restraint winning, for now

Despite Israel's military readiness to resume strikes on Iran, officials say looming elections make Netanyahu more likely to stay out unless Tehran forces his hand.

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Former Israeli army chief of staff Gadi Eizenkot speaks during the launch of the Yashar party's election campaign in Hod Aharon, in central Israel, on June 30, 2026.

New Israeli election poll puts Eisenkot ahead of Netanyahu: What to know

Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party has now bypassed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud in the polls, cementing his status as Netanyahu’s main opponent.

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (not shown) for bilateral talks at Beştepe Presidential Compound during the NATO Summit on July 08, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey. Leaders from NATO's 32 countries, plus NATO allies like Ukraine, gathered in the Turkish capital to discuss a range of issues involving spending targets, defense industrial production, and support for Ukraine, among other topics. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Trump declares MoU with Iran 'over' as Hegseth cancels trip to Israel

Trump said diplomacy with Tehran was “a waste of time” after renewed attacks around Hormuz, as US defense chief reportedly cancels Israel visit.

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Lebanon's latest damage estimate outlines reconstruction challenge

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Analysis

Trump's F-35 push for Turkey runs into CAATSA — and Israel

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) welcomes US President Donald Trump (R) upon his arrival on Air Force One at Etimesgut Air Base near Ankara, on July 7, 2026, before attending the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Israel, Greece conduct military drills ahead of NATO summit in Turkey

ABIR SULTAN / AFP via Getty Images

Samuel Wendel

Senior Market Research Analyst

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Adam Lucente

News and Business Correspondent

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Jack Dutton

Chief Business Correspondent

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Ben Caspit

Israel Columnist

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

Rina Bassist

Associate Editor (Israel)

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

Motorists plough their vehicles through flooded streets after a winter storm hit the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv, on January 25, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / - / Israel OUT (Photo credit should read -/AFP via Getty Images)

Netanyahu sets new climate, renewable energy targets for Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sets new, high targets for Israel on battling climate change; but can Israel really achieve these targets?

The El Al Boeing 737 aircraft carrying the Israeli delegation lands at the Bahrain International Airport on October 18, 2020, to formalise US-brokered normalisation deal between the two states. - Israel and Bahrain will officially establish diplomatic relations at a ceremony in Manama, an Israeli official said, after the two states reached a US-brokered normalisation deal last month. (Photo by Mazen Mahdi / AFP) (Photo by MAZEN MAHDI/AFP via Getty Images)

El Al to make first flight from Israel to Morocco

The Israeli airline will take a US-Israeli delegation from Tel Aviv to Rabat following Israel and Morocco agreeing to establish relations.

A Hanukkah menorah is seen as Israeli entrepreneurs celebrate the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah for the first time at a hotel in Dubai on December 10, 2020. - Hanukkah commemorates the rededication of the holy temple in Jerusalem after the 165 BC Jewish victory over the Hellenistic Seleucid armies of Antiochus IV Epiphanies, who had outlawed Jewish rituals and ordered Jews to worship Greek gods and adopt their customs. (Photo by Karim SAHIB / AFP) (Photo by KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images)

Israel's Sephardic chief rabbi returns from Emirates

Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel Yitzhak Yosef paid a historic visit this weekend to the United Arab Emirates, inviting several ministers to visit Jerusalem.

United Arab Emirates

Gideon Saar (C), Israeli Member of Knesset for Likud, accompanied by his wife Geula Even Saar (L), leave a polling station after casting his ballot during a primary election vote to elect the party chairman, in the coastal city of Tel Aviv, on December 26, 2019. - Saar is the only challenger for incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the Likud party leadership ahead of the scheduled general elections in 2020. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP) (Photo by JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

Pro-settler Saar: the new hope of Israel's center-left

Likud-rebel Gideon Saar is against a Palestinian state and is close to the ultra-Orthodox politicians, yet voters from the center-left camp support him in the polls.

A Moroccan man walks next to a Palestinian flag during a demonstration against the US Middle East peace plan in the capital Rabat on February 9, 2020. - Morocco has warming but quiet relations with Israel, although they do not enjoy formal diplomatic ties. Israel and Morocco opened "liaison" offices in each other's countries in the mid-1990s but Rabat closed them after an escalation of Palestinian-Israeli violence in 2000. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP) (Photo by FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images)

Why Palestinians found Moroccan normalization easier to take

Unlike Israel's normalization deals with the UAE, Bahrain and Sudan, the most recent one with Morocco caused little anger among Palestinians.

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL - DECEMBER 03: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara Netanyahu attend the welcoming ceremony for Ethiopian Jewish Immigrants who arrived on a special flight from Ethiopia at Ben Gurion International Airport on December 3, 2020 in Tel Aviv, Israel. Several hundred members of the Falash Mura community of Ethiopian Jews arrived in Israel as part of ongoing relocation initiative. Ethiopian Israeli activists are pressing the Israeli government to admit more Ethiopian Jews t

Netanyahu dislikes rotation deal, but also fears elections

By Dec. 23, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must decide what scares him more: elections with Gideon Saar as contender or rotation with Defense Minister Benny Gantz.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) and Health Minister Yuli Edelstein (L) arrive at the Maccabi Healthcare Services vaccine complex, handling the COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine, in Israel's Mediterranean coastal city of Tel Aviv on December 13, 2020. (Photo by Marc Israel SELLEM / POOL / AFP) (Photo by MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

As vaccinations begin, Israel may offer Palestinians surplus

Israeli health authorities are signaling they might offer the Palestinian Authority surplus vaccines against the coronavirus.

Israeli duo looks to recreate Biden-Harris dynamic to pull off win

With Knesset member Yifat Shasha-Biton joining him, Likud-rebel Gideon Saar may be presaging a campaign similar to that waged by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

US treasury secretary to tour Middle East in final push for Abraham Accords

Steven Mnuchin plans to stop in Israel, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan and Qatar.

United Arab Emirates

A picture taken on June 5, 2017 shows a man walking past the Qatar National Bank (QNB) branch in the Saudi capital Riyadh, following a severing of relations between major gulf states and gas-rich Qatar. - Arab nations including Saudi Arabia and Egypt cut ties with Qatar accusing it of supporting extremism, in the biggest diplomatic crisis to hit the region in years. (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP) (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)

Second US lawsuit hits Qatar National Bank over terrorist finances

A new lawsuit filed in the United States naming institutions tied to Qatar's royal family is seeking damages for victims of terrorist attacks in Israel

Israel, US, UAE, Bahrain to cooperate on energy

Israel’s Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz participated in a first-of-its-kind meeting with his counterparts from the United States, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to create a platform of cooperation.

Israeli Arabs break glass ceiling to become flight attendants

After many years where Arab citizens were barred from courses for flight attendants, the Arkia airline decided to change its policy.