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Israel

May 9, 2026

Tel Aviv 2:31 am

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Traffic passes a billboard depicting Iranian ballistic missiles in service, with text in Arabic reading "the honest [person's] promise" and in Persian "Israel is weaker than a spider's web," Valiasr Square, Tehran, April 15, 2024. ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images.

Analysis

CIA report on Iran missiles undercuts Netanyahu as war euphoria dissipates

The findings cast doubt on Israel’s wartime gains and put pressure on Netanyahu’s campaign strategy ahead of elections.

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

People gather at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted Beirut's southern suburbs neighborhood of Haret Hreik on May 6, 2026.

Israel strikes Beirut in breach of Lebanon ceasefire

Israel has continued to carry out strikes in southern Lebanon but had not targeted Beirut since the ceasefire took effect.

Amirhossein KHORGOOEI / ISNA / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Israel fears Trump seeking Hormuz win while sidestepping Iran nuclear issue

While President Donald Trump keeps pressuring Iran on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Israel fears the American leader will decide to cut his losses and sideline the nuclear threat.

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

Latest News

Culture

Lebanon's churches, mosques and archaeological sites damaged in Israeli strikes

A man sits watching as Lebanese first responders search for human remains among the rubble the day after a house was targeted in an Israeli airstrike in the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh, on May 1, 2026.

Analysis

Can Bennett, Lapid unite Israel’s opposition to unseat Netanyahu?

Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Yair Lapid (L) speaks to outgoing Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, during a meeting at the Knesset (parliament), in Jerusalem on June 30, 2022. - Final approval of the parliament dissolution bill was initially expected by midnight but was postponed to June 30 as coalition and opposition lawmakers sparred over last-minute legislative details, several sources familiar with the parliamentary said. (Photo by Menahem KAHANA / AFP) (Photo by MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images)

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

Analysis

Iron Dome in Gulf: How Iran war turned UAE-Israel defense ties operational

AFP via Getty Images

Francesco Schiavi

By Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

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

Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Religious leaders talk climate action in Israel ahead of COP27

At the initiative of the foreign ministry, Jewish, Christian, Druze, Bahai and Muslim leaders gathered in Jerusalem, in a joint call to act against climate change.

MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Explainer: Kahanism, far-right ideology linked to Netanyahu’s election win

Religious Zionism politician Itamar Ben Gvir has been linked to the late American-Israeli firebrand Meir Kahane, who called for the expulsion of Arabs from Israel.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Israeli Prime Minister and head of Yesh Atid Yair Lapid.

Lapid’s camp loses Israeli general elections

Looking back, Prime Minister Yair Lapid did not really do whatever was needed to consolidate the center-left camp and prepare it for the elections.

Amir Levy/Getty Images

Will Israel's Netanyahu upend Lebanon gas deal, Iran policy?

Now that the election is over, victor Benjamin Netanyahu will find it hard to keep some of his promises.

Former Israeli Prime Minister and Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara Netanyahu cast their vote in the Israeli general election on November 1, 2022 in UNSPECIFIED, Israel. Israelis return to the polls on November 1 for a fifth general election in four years to vote for a new Knesset, the 120-seat parliament. (Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images)

Netanyahu set to make a comeback, Israel exit polls suggest

Initial exit polls offer opposition head Benjamin Netanyahu's camp a majority in the Knesset, with either 61 or 62 seats out of 120.

Samer Haj Yehia (screen), chairman of Israel's Bank Leumi, attends a panel on the third day of the annual Future Investment Initiative conference, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 27, 2022.

Informal ties grow between Israel, Saudi Arabia

With the current rift between Washington and Riyadh, every baby step in informal relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia counts.

Picture taken on Feb. 6, 2018, shows a person holding a visual representation of the digital crypto-currency Bitcoin,

Israeli cryptocurrency market attempts to catch up with global pace

An Israeli crypto firm becomes the first in the country to get a capital markets license.

JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images

Military assistance to Ukraine becomes Israeli electoral issue

Human rights activist and former Israeli minister Nathan Sharansky met last week in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and apologized for being the first Israeli official to come.

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men and children perform the "Tashlich" ritual, during which "sins are cast into the water to the fish," ahead of the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), Netanya, Israel, Oct. 3, 2022.

Israel's ultra-Orthodox parties make final push ahead of election

With the young ultra-Orthodox sick of their veteran politicians and expressing support for ultranationalist Itamar Ben-Gvir, the ultra-Orthodox parties fear losing votes.

Former Israeli Prime Minister and Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to supporters inside a modified truck with a side bulletproof glass during a campaign event, Bnei Brak, Israel, Oct. 29, 2022.

Netanyahu within reach of comeback in Israeli election

Last polls before tomorrow’s elections predict that opposition head Benjamin Netanyahu is very close to achieving the 61-seat majority he needs in the Knesset to come back to power.

A man looks at cryptocurrency prices in a window of a cryptocurrency exchange office, Istanbul, Turkey, Oct. 19, 2021.

Report: Turkey has highest cryptocurrency interest in Middle East

CryptoManiaks also found a relatively high amount of crypto-related Google searches in Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

Israeli campaign posters

As countdown begins, Israeli vote defies prediction

None of the many possible outcomes of next week's vote offer real hope for a stable, majority-supported new government in Israel.