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

Israel cover image

Israel

May 26, 2026

Tel Aviv 10:12 am

23°C

AAMIR QURESHI/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

As Pakistan military chief holds Iran talks, Israel's Netanyahu fears being left out

US President Donald Trump's comment that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would do "whatever I want” is troubling the premier's inner circle ahead of the elections in October.

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

Burak Kara/Getty Images

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.

Latest News

Interview

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

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.

Ahmad Tibi

Ahmad Tibi

Israeli Arab lawmaker

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.

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

Visitors enter Shiloah Pool, part of an archaeological site known as a the City of David, still an active dig and also a tourist attraction, situated close to Silwan, a Palestinian neighbourhood next to Jerusalem's Old City June 30, 2016. REUTERS/Ammar Awad - RTX2J0X4

What does it mean to be a Jerusalemite?

While Israel's Supreme Court recognized Palestinians' continued "resident-native" affiliation to Jerusalem after extended absences, Israel Prize judges gave this year’s award to a person who has dedicated his life to replacing Palestinian residents with Jews.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu looks on during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China March 21, 2017. REUTERS/Etienne Oliveau/Pool *** Local Caption *** Xi Jinping;Benjamin Netanyahu - RTX31YRF

Why Netanyahu won’t attend this year's AIPAC conference

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is afraid that US President Donald Trump is determined to close "the ultimate deal" between Israel and the Palestinians, and that he will not let anyone stand in his way to such a deal.

Palestinians take part in a rally marking the 29th anniversary of the founding of the Hamas movement, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip December 11, 2016. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa - RTX2UIYS

How did humanitarian funds end up in Hamas' pockets?

Israeli authorities are accusing Hamas of stealing funds from humanitarian organizations working in the Gaza Strip, but any action to stop the embezzlement could harm the Gaza population the aid is intended for.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Israeli police raid map center outside East Jerusalem

Though past Israeli ministers promised the Palestinians their Jerusalem institutions would be preserved, the venerable Orient House has been closed and the map department it once housed has been raided outside the city limits.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a dialogue with Robin Li (not pictured), founder and chief executive of Chinese search engine Baidu, in Beijing, China March 21, 2017. REUTERS/Jason Lee - RTX31Y05

How Netanyahu ditched his 'panicker' image

Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon and other members of Benjamin Netanyahu's current government have been surprised to find that the prime minister is not so easily pressured as in the past.

Palestinians take part in a protest against the Palestinian authority, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, March 13, 2017. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman - RTX30U54

Is Palestinian frustration playing into Netanyahu's strategy?

With Palestinian frustration increasing over the hardships of the Israeli occupation, Israeli security experts keep warning of a violent breakout, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu keeps ignoring the warnings.

Israeli soliders patrol near an Iron Dome defence system, designed to intercept and destroy incoming short-range rockets and artillery shells, in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, on January 20, 2015, two days after an Israeli air strike killed six Hezbollah members in the Syrian-controlled side of the Golan Heights. The strike on Syria killed an Iranian general, Tehran confirmed on January 19, as thousands of supporters of Lebanon's Hezbollah gathered to bury one of the six fighters killed in the same rai

Is Assad shifting strategy on Israel?

Contrary to Israel’s typical low profile on operations in Syrian skies, Israel’s Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman warned that if Damascus fires any more missiles against IDF jets, Israel will destroy its air defense system.

Ahmad Daqamseh, a Jordanian soldier convicted of killing seven Israeli schoolgirls on March 13, 1997, is seen at Um Alluol prison in the city of Mafraq, Jordan, July 30, 2013. Picture taken July 30, 2013. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed - RTX30MQ8

Killer's release highlights fragile Jordan-Israel 'cold peace'

The release of Jordanian Ahmed Daqamseh, who served 20 years in prison for killing seven Israeli schoolgirls in 1997, has split the public despite the enduring strength of its animosity for Israel.

A Palestinian man walks past a graffiti portraying the Islamic State (IS) group's flag in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Beit Hanina on July 5, 2015. AFP PHOTO / AHMAD GHARABLI (Photo credit should read AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP/Getty Images)

Will IS find popular base in Palestine?

Israel is increasingly arresting Palestinians over accusations of belonging to the Islamic State, which raises questions about IS’ presence in the Palestinian territories.

A Palestinian man stands next to a truck loaded with bags of cement at the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and southern Gaza Strip May 23, 2016. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa - RTSFJF6

Gaza receives first batch of construction trucks in 10 years

The Egyptian authorities allowed for dozens of trucks carrying construction materials to enter the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing, as part of its openness policy toward the small enclave that has been besieged by Israel since 2007.

Israeli soldiers evacuate their comrade, playing the role of an injured person, as they drive past a Hezbollah flag during a combined forces drill in Shizafon military base, near Eilat in southern Israel June 7, 2016. REUTERS/Amir Cohen - RTSGDEV

Israel weighs response to Hezbollah rocket threat

For now, deterrence holds on Israel’s northern border; Iran ready to "fight to the last man" in Syria; Why does Erdogan go easy on Putin over Syrian Kurds?

Jordanian Ahlam Tamimi (C), just released from an Israeli prison, is hugged by a relative upon her arrival at Queen Alia international airport in Amman late October 18, 2011. Tamimi had been sentenced to 16 life terms for her involvement in a suicide bombing attack on the Sbarro Pizzeria in Jerusalem in August 2001. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed (JORDAN - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR2STMD

Will Jordan extradite woman convicted in Jerusalem bombing to US?

A US request that Jordan extradite Alham Tamimi, convicted for involvement in a 2001 terror attack in Jerusalem that cost American lives, has put King Abdullah II in a difficult position.