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Israel

May 22, 2026

Tel Aviv 8:56 pm

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Ireland joins EU push to ban trade with Israeli settlements amid flotilla backlash

European frustration with Israel intensified this week after a far-right Israeli minister posted a video of the mistreatment of international activists detained in the country.

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

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

Will Netanyahu's quest to limit high court's authority stifle democracy?

A battle championed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a law prohibiting the Supreme Court from overturning legislation might succeed, despite warnings that it would effectively destroy democracy in Israel.

Israeli border policemen take up position during clashes with Palestinian protesters following a protest marking Nakba Day near Israel's Hawra checkpoint near the West Bank city of Nablus May 16, 2015. Palestinians marked "Nakba" (Catastrophe) on May 15 to commemorate the expulsion or fleeing of some 700,000 Palestinians from their homes in the war that led to the founding of Israel in 1948. REUTERS/Abed Omar Qusini - GF10000096946

IDF prepares response to Gaza Nakba Day protests

The Israeli army estimates that Hamas plans to continue with the protests along the Gaza border long after their original deadline of Nakba Day, on May 15.

Battle erupts over Israeli High Court’s independence

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has no qualms about threatening Israel’s democracy by advancing a bill bypassing High Court rulings.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas give a press conference following a meeting at the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the Black sea resort of Sochi on May 11, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / YURI KOCHETKOV (Photo credit should read YURI KOCHETKOV/AFP/Getty Images)

Russia seeks to extend role in Mideast peace beyond Syria

Moscow faces many challenges in its efforts to help resolve Palestinian issues, especially as Israel rejects any mediator other than the United States and Egypt continues to be the sole sponsor of intra-Palestinian reconciliation.

IDF falls into Hamas’ trap on Gaza border

It took Israel three weeks to understand what was evident from the beginning: that only restraint could minimize the number of casualties on the Gaza border fence.

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) speaks with reporters ahead of the party luncheons on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S. January 23, 2018. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein - RC13C084AA50

Liberal US Jews recruit Democrats from all sides in anti-Trump fight

Seeking to capitalize on growing partisan backlash to President Donald Trump’s Middle East policies, the liberal Jewish lobbying group J Street has formed a surprising alliance with one of the Senate’s fiercest pro-Israel advocates.

Israeli-Arab party split over US strike on Syria

The Hadash faction within the Israeli-Arab Joint List demonstrated against the American attack on Syrian chemical depots.

Netanyahu compares himself to Israel’s founding father

The text written this week by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu comparing himself to Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, has no credibility whatsoever.

A demonstrator holds a Palestinian flag during clashes with Israeli troops at a protest where Palestinians demand the right to return to their homeland, at the Israel-Gaza border in the southern Gaza Strip, April 13, 2018. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC151862B9A0

As border protests persist, Abbas steps up pressure on Gaza

Despite the ongoing protests on Gaza's borders, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas does not seem to be backing out on his demand for a full handover of the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian Authority.

Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert is seen in the court room as he waits for the judges at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem December 29, 2015. Israel's top court slashed Olmert's prison sentence to 18 months from six years on Tuesday after overturning the main count in his 2014 bribery conviction. Olmert, 70, will begin serving his term on Feb. 15, according to live reports from the Jerusalem courtroom, making him the first former head of government in Israel to go to prison. REUTERS/Gali Tibbon/Pool

Disgraced former Israeli PM drums up support for unlikely pardon

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has asked the president to expunge his criminal record so he will be again eligible for political office.

Saudi leadership offers Israel a chance

Open declarations alongside discreet talks indicate that Saudi Arabia is ready to engage with Israel, in parallel with a two-state solution process.

Trailblazing Israeli-Druze photo artist fights against tradition

Through her photos, Ameera Ziyan showcases the changes the Druze community is undergoing in its attitude toward art and gender equality.