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Israel

July 12, 2026

Tel Aviv 3:39 pm

32°C

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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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Explainer

Lebanon's latest damage estimate outlines reconstruction challenge

Froun

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

Ex-Israeli space program head claims aliens exist and Trump is aware

Haim Eshed told an Israeli newspaper that the US government had struck an "agreement" with the extraterrestrials.

Amnesty blasts Airbnb for settlement listings as company goes public

The London-based rights group called on Airbnb to unlist around 200 rental properties in the West Bank.

TOPSHOT - US President Donald Trump looks on during a ceremony presenting the Presidential Medal of Freedom to wrestler Dan Gable in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on December 7, 2020. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump announces Israel-Morocco normalization deal

Under the deal, the United States will also recognize disputed Western Sahara as Moroccan territory.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a statement to his Likud party MKs (members of Knesset), at the Likud centre in the Knesset in Jerusalem on December 2, 2020. - Israel's precarious coalition government took a first step towards collapse on December 2, as lawmakers gave preliminary approval to a bill dissolving parliament, raising the risk of a fourth election inside two years. (Photo by Yonathan SINDEL / POOL / AFP) (Photo by YONATHAN SINDEL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Netanyahu hails historic decision by Moroccan king to normalize ties with Israel

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this evening thanked President Donald Trump and Morocco King Mohammed VI for the announcement over normalizing ties with Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a ceremony to mark the arrival of a plane of the international courier company DHL, carrying over 100,000 of doses of the first batch of Pfizer vaccines which landed at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, on December 9, 2020. - According to media reports, the launch of a national COVID-19 immunisation campaign is set to begin on December 20. (Photo by Abir SULTAN / POOL / AFP) (Photo by ABIR SULTAN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Greatest threats to Netanyahu come from right

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has succeeded in eroding the Israeli political left, but in doing so alienated his own right wing as well.

Arab Israeli MP and Arab Joint List candidate Said al-Harumi votes in the Bedouin town of Segev Shalom or Shaqib al-Salam near the southern Israeli city of Beersheva on March 2, 2020. - Israelis were voting for a third time in 12 months today, with embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeking to end the country's political crisis and save his career. (Photo by HAZEM BADER / AFP) (Photo by HAZEM BADER/AFP via Getty Images)

Arab-Israeli woman announces presidential run

Elham Khazen has become the first Arab woman to run for the Israeli presidency.

An F-35 fighter plane flies over the White House on June 12, 2019, in Washington DC. - US President Donald Trump announced while meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda that Poland was ordering more than 30 F-35 combat aircraft. (Photo by Eric BARADAT / AFP) (Photo credit should read ERIC BARADAT/AFP via Getty Images)

Senate fails to pass resolution blocking Trump administration’s F-35 sale to the UAE

Major obstacle falls to Trump administration's Gulf security goals.

United Arab Emirates

The Takeaway: Israel would prefer Assad rely on Gulf, not Iran

Israeli scholar Micky Aharonson says Israel can live with Assad, if Assad can live without Iran; Amberin Zaman gets the scoop, again, on Turkey-Israel ties; should we forget about Israel-Saudi normalization for now?

(L-R)Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif al-Zayani pose before they participate in the signing of the Abraham Accords where the countries of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates recognize Israel, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, September 15, 2020. - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the foreign ministers of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates arrived September 15, 2020 at the

Emirati, Israeli officials upbeat about Biden Administration

The director general of Israel’s Foreign Ministry, Alon Ushpiz, and the UAE’s assistant minister for culture and public diplomacy, Omar Ghobash, discussed the prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace, Iran, and combating bigotry in the region and more at an Al-Monitor event.

United Arab Emirates

Iran makes arrests in nuclear scientist's killing, official says

Iranian parliamentary adviser Hossein Amir Abdollahian said some of the "perpetrators" had been identified and arrested.

Turkey chooses pro-Erdogan ambassador to Israel in bid to normalize ties

There has been no ambassador in either country since May 2018, when Ankara withdrew its envoy over escalating attacks on Palestinians in Gaza and Washington's decision to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem.

Netanyahu’s main rival in Likud quits party, views premiership

Former minister Gideon Saar takes a huge political risk by announcing he is quitting the Likud and forming a new right-wing movement.