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Israel

June 18, 2026

Tel Aviv 10:15 pm

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EVIAN-LES-BAINS, FRANCE - JUNE 16: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a bilateral meeting with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the sidelines of the G7 summit, on June 16, 2026 in Evian-les-Bains, France. Leaders from the Group of 7 (G7) countries convened in Evian, France, near the Swiss border, for their annual summit to discuss challenges to peace and security for Ukraine and Europe, the situation in the Middle East, and other geopolitical issues. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Get

'Let Syria take care of Hezbollah': Trump criticizes Israel, leans on Sharaa to help in Lebanon

President Donald Trump insisted he has a great relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu but criticized the scale of Israel’s strikes in Lebanon.

Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir takes part in the Jerusalem Day celebrations on May 14, 2026, in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Explainer

Ben-Gvir's move to run separately in Israel elections revives debate over party alliances

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, head of the far-right Jewish Power party, has refused to merge with the far-right Religious Zionism party ahead of the elections.

Latest News

Analysis

'He knew it was over': Inside Netanyahu’s response to Trump’s Iran deal as Israel recalibrates

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

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

Analysis

Erdogan-Netanyahu war of words signals deeper rivalry for regional influence

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan received Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Turkish House in New York on Sept. 19, 2023.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Analysis

Squeezed by Trump and Iran war, how vulnerable is Netanyahu in polls?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hosted by President Donald Trump at the White House, Washington, DC, July 7, 2025.

Mazal Mualem

By Mazal Mualem

In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics

'Pilot zones' offer litmus test for Lebanon to clear Israel border of Hezbollah

Smoke rises following Israeli bombardment in southern Lebanon close to the Beaufort Castle as seen from a position across the border in the Upper Galilee, in northern Israel on June 4, 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

Palestinian schoolgirls walk past a mural painted on a wall in the West Bank city of Jenin November 7, 2007. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman (WEST BANK) - RTX2BY

Is Israel already a binational state?

Palestinians believe that calling for a binational state will force the international community to engage in a realistic two-state solution in 2017 and force the Israeli public to see the necessity of Palestinian statehood.

Dr. Aliza Lavie (C), a Yesh Atid (There's a future) party candidate, celebrates exit poll results at the party's headquarters in Tel Aviv January 22, 2013. Israel's parliament, long heavy with retired generals, is getting a new look, with a freshman class that includes two youth protest leaders, an Ethiopian immigrant, a high tech millionaire and more women than ever. Thanks to the surprise second place finish of Yesh Atid, as well as the success of a new far-right group, the 120-member Knesset will have a

'Ultra-Orthodox run government,' Israeli lawmaker warns

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Yesh Atid Knesset member Aliza Lavie claims that the new laws excluding many Israelis from ritual baths and undoing the core curriculum requirements for ultra-Orthodox children are ominous signs of the ultra-Orthodox stranglehold on the government.

Israeli Arabs see through Netanyahu's apology

Israeli Arabs are unimpressed by the apology of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his words during last year's election, sure that his apology video was directed at European ears.

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry speaks during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem July 10, 2016 REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun - RTSH5NN

Will Hamas accept new Egypt-brokered deal with Israel?

Egypt is making efforts in sealing an exchange deal between Israel and Hamas, yet observers question whether Hamas will accept it given the strained ties between the movement and Cairo.

What Saudi Arabia can offer Israel

The unofficial visit by a retired Saudi general to Israel was a quiet overture that indicated Riyadh is willing to explore normalization with Israel in return for advancing the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.

The father (C, back) of Israeli soldier Elor Azaria (C, seated), who is charged with manslaughter by the Israeli military after he shot a wounded Palestinian assailant as he lay on the ground in Hebron on March 24, prays behind him in a military court during a remand hearing for his case, near the southern Israeli city of Kiryat Malachi, March 31, 2016. Picture taken March 31, 2016. REUTERS/Amir Cohen - RTX2AHZ0

Are IDF soldiers shooting Palestinians against orders?

The trial of IDF soldier Elor Azaria, who is suspected of shooting a Palestinian assailant on the ground, must bring back to the spotlight other cases where IDF soldiers shot Palestinians who didn't threaten their lives.

U.S. President Barack Obama meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval office of the White House in Washington November 9, 2015. The two leaders meet here today for the first time since the Israeli leader lost his battle against the Iran nuclear deal, with Washington seeking his re-commitment to a two-state solution with the Palestinians. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RTS66FE

Can Israel close US aid deal before US elections?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is being pressured by his associates and the security system to conclude the US security aid deal with the current administration.

A man distributes the daily newspaper Israel Hayom at a train station in the southern city of Ashkelon, Israel November 19, 2015. Critics say Netanyahu, known as "Bibi," is hitting the wrong note when it comes to the media, weakening press freedom and holding sway over TV broadcasters in a country that bills itself as the Middle East's only true democracy. Since 2007, U.S. casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson, a major Netanyahu supporter, has published a free handout called Israel Hayom, Israel Today. It now

How Bibi turned media wrath from a curse into an asset

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is always complaining about the press, allegedly against him, while promoting his own freebie newspaper.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) sits next to Israeli Public security Minister Gilad Erdan during the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem April 10, 2016. REUTERS/Gali Tibbon/Pool - RTX29ADY

Do Israeli police take a soft stance on far-right incitement?

Israeli web surfers post comments that incite hatred against Arabs, and the police are doing little to stop them.

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men walk behind Israeli soldiers at the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, in Jerusalem's Old City February 22, 2012. The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) has always been a 'Jewish' army. Its rations are kosher, its chaplains are rabbis, and it operates - with the exception of wartime - around the festival calendar. It has never drafted soldiers from Israel's 20-percent Arab minority. But its Jewish identity has always been more cultural than religious. IDF personnel data suggests

Series of scandals rocks Israeli Orthodox Zionism

The gay-hate speech of Rabbi Yigal Levenstein, past statements by IDF Chief Rabbi Eyal Karim and the indictment of Gen. Ofek Buchris on alleged rape must drive Orthodox Zionism to do some serious soul-searching.

An Israeli air force drone is seen flying over Gaza as seen from the northern Gaza strip border April 9, 2011. Israel killed four Palestinian militants and wounded half a dozen others as it pursued air raids in Gaza for a third day on Saturday, responding to increased rocket fire out of the territory, local medics said.

REUTERS/Darren Whiteside (ISRAEL - Tags: MILITARY SOCIETY IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTR2L11O

Who sent mystery drone into Israeli airspace?

Israel's air force is investigating a triple failure to bring down a drone that flew over the Golan Heights and is still unidentified.

B'Tselem field researcher Iyad Hadad (2nd R) listens to a testimony from a Palestinian farmer, who said his land was damaged in an attack by Israeli settlers, in the West Bank village of Turmus Aya near Ramallah June 8, 2015. B'Tselem is an Israeli NGO that has long been a bane of the government, tirelessly flagging human rights abuses by Israel's military in the Palestinian territories. Set up by a group of academics, lawyers, journalists and politicians more than 25 years ago, the organisation - whose nam

Palestinians concerned about new Israeli NGO law

Palestinians working with B’Tselem and other human rights organizations are worried that the new Knesset law will restrict their work.