Israel - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Israel cover image

Israel

September 18, 2026

Tel Aviv 1:37 am

27°C

OLIVER BUNIC/AFP via Getty Images

Serbia opens factory to assemble Israeli-made drones: What to know

Serbian President Vucic said the factory will put together “state-of-the-art” Israeli-designed drones and employ around 100 workers.

Royal Air Maroc Boeing 787-9 'Dreamliner' aircraft

Israel, Morocco agree to exchange ambassadors, open embassies

The move will mark the first time Morocco and Israel have exchanged ambassadors.

ISRAEL-ENTERTAINMENT-TELEVISION-POLITICS-GOVERNMENT-MASS-MEDIA-D (L to R) Lior Raz and Avi Issacharoff, co-creators of the hit Israeli TV show "Fauda", attend a demonstration against the Israeli government's plans to shut-down public broadcaster KAN, in Israel's Mediterranean coastal city of Tel Aviv on January 25, 2023. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP) (Photo by JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

Culture

Israeli show ‘Fauda’ tops Netflix in Lebanon, hits top 10 across Arab states

The show was created by Israeli journalist Avi Issacharoff and actor Lior Raz, drawing on their experiences serving in the Israeli military’s elite Duvdevan unit.

UN peacekeepers stand next to an armored vehicle during a patrol in southern Lebanon, Feb. 22, 2026.

Explainer

Why France is pushing to keep UNIFIL in Lebanon beyond 2026

Showing its support for Lebanon, Paris is backing Beirut’s request at the UN for a short-term extension of UNIFIL’s mandate, although French sources acknowledge that the chances of the request being approved are slim.

Latest News

Exclusive

Lacking deterrence, Israel’s security establishment opposes attacks on Houthis

Fighters loyal to the Houthi authorities, brandish their weapons during a rally to recruit more fighters, in Sanaa on September 10, 2026. The country relapsed into war in July after years of calm, drawn into the regional conflict triggered by the US-Israeli offensive against Iran that began at the end of February. (Photo by Mohammed HUWAIS / AFP via Getty Images)

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

Analysis

Europe’s West Bank trade ban fires warning shot at Israel’s economy

Jewish settlement of Kedumim, in the West Bank

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Analysis

Once Netanyahu’s top challenger, Bennett loses ground to Eisenkot: What to know

Erik Marmor

Mazal Mualem

By Mazal Mualem

In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics

Israel says it destroyed Hezbollah tunnels in Ali al-Taher ridge: What to know

A photograph taken from the southern Lebanese area of Nabatieh shows smoke as it rises from the site of Israeli strikes that targeted the hilltops of the mountainous area of the strategic Ali al-Taher Ridge on Aug. 14, 2026.

Samuel Wendel

Senior Analyst, Middle East Business & Tech

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

Palestinians outraged at Israeli bill to ban filming of IDF

The Palestinian Ministry of Information and the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate are fighting a bill under discussion in the Knesset to ban the filming and photographing of Israeli soldiers.

Iran undeterred by possible Russia-Israel deal on Syria

Iranian analysts believe any possible deal for Iran to pull back from Syria is designed to prevent the end of the country’s civil war.

Netanyahu accused of spying on own staff

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lives in constant fear of eavesdropping, digging a destructive chasm between his office and Israel's security services.

A woman 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 27, 2018. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa - RC1C308400C0

Upcoming protests will test Hamas' ability to calm Gaza

Hamas would have to end both the rocket fire and the border demonstrations to achieve a real truce with Israel.

Trump missing piece in Putin’s Syria plan

The Russian president needs the United States to stabilize Syria, but expects sanctions relief in return.

Israeli soldiers walk near mobile artillery units in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Israel May 9, 2018. REUTERS/Amir Cohen - RC1F39D55B70

Moscow updates playbook on making Israel, Iran happy

Russia faces the conundrum of figuratively finding common ground between Iran and Israel in Syria while literally keeping distance between them.

Will Hamas, Israel reach a truce agreement?

Palestinians fear that the recent influx of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip could force Hamas to pay exorbitant political costs that could harm the Palestinian cause and pave the way for approval of the US “deal of the century” that they categorically reject.

Arab towns in Israel witness increased crime, violence against women

The crime rate in the Palestinian towns of Israel is on the rise and likely to continue, as Israeli security forces face accusations of not enforcing their laws there and letting the perpetrators roam free.

Is Trump really so popular in Israel?

Contrary to the popular belief that all Israelis applaud US President Donald Trump's policies, center and left-wing politicians worry that the Trump-Netanyahu axis distances an agreement with the Palestinians and isolates Israel on Iran.

Netanyahu breathes easier as ultra-Orthodox draft crisis cools

Israel's ultra-Orthodox draft crisis seems likely to be resolved, leaving the governing coalition intact until the next scheduled elections.

How Israel’s ongoing violation of Oslo Accord threatens security

Under the pretext of security interests, the IDF violates the Oslo Accord nearly every night by entering West Bank areas nominally under Palestinian control, humiliating Palestinian police and threatening ongoing security cooperation.

Defying blockade, Palestinians set sail from Gaza

Although Israel stopped the latest attempt by sea to break the siege on Gaza, Palestinians are determined to continue efforts to draw attention to the blockade.