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Israel

May 21, 2026

Tel Aviv 10:17 pm

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Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP via Getty Images

Israel targets Turkey charity amid Gaza flotilla tensions

The request, published in Israeli media, marks a further escalation in tensions with Turkey amid disputes over Gaza aid operations.

Arab-Israeli Knesset member Ahmed Tibi takes part in a demonstration against rising crime rates against Arab-Israelis in Tel Aviv, Israel, Jan. 31, 2026.

Interview

Ahmad Tibi says Arab parties in Israel can block Netanyahu without joining next government

Ahmad Tibi, head of the Arab Israeli Ta’al party, accused US President Trump of enabling Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to continue the war in Gaza and escalate settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

Ahmad Tibi

Ahmad Tibi

Israeli Arab lawmaker

Latest News

Syria's Sharaa renews ban on Israeli imports in customs law: What to know

NICOSIA, CYPRUS - APRIL 24: Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrives for an informal meeting of European Union leaders on April 24, 2026 in Nicosia, Cyprus. The EU heads of state and government are meeting over two days to discuss the conflict in Iran and the Middle East, including freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the effects of high fuel prices, and how Europe may contribute to de-escalation and a peace agreement. (Photo by Byron Smith/Getty Images)

Somaliland's first ambassador to Israel announces embassy in Jerusalem: What to know

Somaliland’s first ambassador to a foreign country formally, Mohamed Hagi, presented his diplomatic credentials in Jerusalem to Israeli President Isaac Herzog, on May 18, 2026.

Analysis

Israel pushes for full Iran blockade as it awaits Trump's next move

A bride and group couple rides in a military jeep arriving for a public mass wedding ceremony at Imam Hossein Square in Tehran on May 18, 2026. Iran said on May 18 that it had responded to a new US proposal aimed at ending the war, adding that diplomatic exchanges continue despite Iranian media reports describing Washington's demands as excessive. Washington and Tehran have been swapping proposals in an effort to end the conflict which the US and Israel launched on February 28, but they have held only a sin

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

What we know about secret Israeli bases in Iraq

Men gather around the husk of a destroyed pickup truck that was driven by a local shepherd who was reportedly struck by Israeli forces and buried by locals at a grave nearby, in the Najaf desert in southwestern Iraq, on May 12, 2026.

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

Why Irish sanctions on settlement products don't scare Israel

An Irish parliament decision to advance sanctions legislation against imported settlement products has minimal economic consequences, but one would not know that based on the response of the Israeli government.

What’s next for Syria after Helsinki summit?

The meeting between the Russian and US presidents did as little for the Middle East as it possibly could, though the two leaders seemed to identify Syria as a good place to rebuild US-Russian cooperation.

Turkish citizen, Ebru Ozkan, who was arrested at an Israeli airport last month, is being brought to an Israeli military court, near Migdal, Israel July 8, 2018 REUTERS/Nir Elias - RC12410D5420

Israel frees Turkish woman accused of terror-related smuggling

The release of a Turkish woman charged with smuggling in Israel marks an upturn in Turkey’s volatile relations with Israel, but analysts warn that the two countries' motivations for friendship — cynical business interests — can only do so much to keep the tension at bay.

Palestinian Hamas militants attend the funeral of their comrade Mahmoud al-Qeshawi who was killed in an explosion, in Gaza city May 6, 2018. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem - RC1C01650C70

Netanyahu feeling the heat from Gaza

Israelis on the right are fed up with incendiary balloons and kites launched from Gaza, forcing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hand to unleash the IDF against Gaza for fear of paying an electoral price.

Israeli Arabs take part in a rally calling for the right of return for refugees who fled their homes during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, near Atlit, Israel April 19, 2018. REUTERS/Ammar Awad - RC1850C38370

Knesset hears data on Israel’s Arab-Jewish health gap

A first-of-its-kind debate in the Knesset finally addressed long years of neglect of the Arab population's health by the Israeli authorities, but there's no reason to believe much will change.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin talk during the family photo session at the APEC Summit in Danang, Vietnam November 11, 2017. REUTERS/Jorge Silva TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC1E7D8D2110

The art of the deal in Helsinki

A win-win on Syria is there for the taking by leveraging Putin’s relationship with Iran.

Is Israel's popular justice minister a threat to Netanyahu?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu surely took note of the latest polls indicating Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked of HaBayit HaYehudi has become extremely popular within his own Likud Party.

Islamic Jihad says Israel’s tightened siege ‘a declaration of war’

Palestinian factions are condemning the recent Israeli decision to impose more sanctions on Gaza in retaliation against the launch of fire kites into southern Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks as U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman sits next to him during the dedication ceremony of the new U.S. embassy in Jerusalem, May 14, 2018. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun - RC1371421C00

Price tag for Trump’s $250,000 Jerusalem embassy is in – at $21.5 million

Federal documents reviewed by Al-Monitor show upgrades to the temporary facility in Arnona will cost far more than the president said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia July 11, 2018. Yuri Kadobnov/Pool via REUTERS - UP1EE7B1DI9W0

Netanyahu, Putin talk Iran before Helsinki summit

In his last meeting with Putin before the Helsinki summit with Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought to enlist Russia's support for Israel's Syria proposal for the United States.

A Palestinian waits for his relatives to return into Gaza after the Egyptian Authority opened the Rafah Border Crossing for one day, in the southern Gaza Strip February 19, 2018. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa - RC179BE19FB0

How Israel and Egypt are coordinating on Gaza

By threatening to close the Gaza Rafah crossing point, Egypt signals to Hamas that it must reconcile with Fatah.

Turkey and Israel spar over Jerusalem

Turkey's increased support and involvement in Jerusalem to support Palestinians have created a backlash in Israeli media.