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

Israel cover image

Israel

May 22, 2026

Tel Aviv 12:22 pm

26°C

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

Camera issue fails to capture suppression of Arab Israeli vote

The cameras in Arab-majority voting stations are a ploy to excite the Likud's base while high voter rates in the settlements — where votes shouldn't even legally be cast — pose a much bigger electoral issue.

Ramon Airport: Israel’s white elephant in the desert

It’s been seven months since the festive inauguration of the Ramon Airport, which despite its hefty price tag, has failed to meet anyone's expectations.

Demonstrators hold Palestinian flags as they take part in a protest against Bahrain's conference about U.S. President Donald Trump's vision for Mideast peace plan, in front of the U.N. headquarters, in Beirut, Lebanon, June 25, 2019. REUTERS/Aziz Taher - RC13E44861E0

Hamas raises $100,000 for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon

Hamas’ recent fundraising campaign in the Gaza Strip to support Palestinian refugees in Lebanon received mixed reactions from Gazans.

Palestinian men pray as they mark the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha on the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City August 11, 2019. The Dome of the Rock is seen in the background. REUTERS/Ammar Awad - RC12485BDCE0

A win-win solution on the Temple Mount

Many have tried, but always failed, to resolve the issue of tensions occasionally flaring over praying on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif, but the solution is not so difficult.

U.S. Reps Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) hold a news conference after Democrats in the U.S. Congress moved to formally condemn President Donald Trump's attacks on the four minority congresswomen on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., July 15, 2019. REUTERS/Erin Scott - RC11EF17C500

Netanyahu risks all by placing fate in Trump's hands

Unable to refuse any request from his ally President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has barred Congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib from entering Israel despite wide condemnation.

(COMBO) This combination of pictures created on August 15, 2019 shows Democrat US Representatives Ilhan Abdullahi Omar (L) and Rashida Tlaib during a press conference, to address remarks made by US President Donald Trump earlier in the day, at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on July 15, 2019. - Influential US pro-Israel lobby AIPAC on August 15, 2019 opposed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to bar two Muslim American members of Congress from visiting the Jewish state."We disagree with Reps. Oma

Democratic leaders blast Israel for banning Tlaib, Omar

Pro-Israel Democrats are blasting Israel’s decision to ban two pro-Palestinian lawmakers from visiting the West Bank following pressure from President Donald Trump.

Can Egypt's 'Passage' lead to an Oscar?

"The Passage," an Egyptian film on the War of Attrition following the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, has received an enthusiastic reception at the box office in Egypt and has raised some eyebrows in its treatment of Egyptian-Israeli relations.

An Israeli opponent of Israel's disengagement plan from Gaza mourns as he prays on the roof of a synagogue in Kfar Darom. An Israeli opponent of Israel's disengagement plan from Gaza mourns as he prays before evacuation by special evacuation policemen on the roof of a synagogue in the Jewish Gaza Strip settlement of Kfar Darom on August 18, 2005. In the most violent scenes since the start of forced evictions from Gaza, police armed only with shields poured from a cage hoisted on top of the synagogue and gr

Israel's 2005 Gaza disengagement: A turning point for Israel’s right

For the Israeli right, the 2005 Gaza disengagement became an ideological and a strategic turning point, which will make it difficult for any Israeli leader to champion a similar move in the West Bank.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem February 17, 2019. Sebastian Scheiner/Pool via REUTERS *** Local Caption *** - RC1F7CF03220

For Israel’s underdogs, Netanyahu remains king

As Israel's Sept. 17 parliamentary election approaches, a settler, a former ambassador, journalists and a kibbutz member help explain how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been able to retain his support despite his legal and other problems.

Israelis captive of 'no partner for peace' concept

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is willing to meet directly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for peace talks, but the Israeli leader keeps turning his back on him.

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES - 2018/12/12: US Representative Lee Zeldin (R-NY) at the American Zionist Movement / AZM Washington Forum: Renewing the Bipartisan Commitment Standing with Israel and Zionism in the Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Intel: Why Republicans are coming under fire from Israeli right

Right-wing members of Israel’s Knesset are unhappy with recent legislation backed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) because of language endorsing a two-state solution.

Israel’s state watchdog stands guard for Netanyahu

Instead of objectively evaluating the policies and ethics of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, new State Comptroller Matanyahu Engelman is protecting the premier’s interests.