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September 20, 2026

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and French President Emmanuel Macron arrive to hold a joint press conference in Jerusalem, Oct. 24, 2023.

Analysis

After France's settlement ban, Israel sees no warming of ties with Macron government

Israeli diplomats say France’s decision to ban imports from West Bank settlements has brought bilateral relations to an unprecedented low point.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman looks on as he attends a trade agreement signature ceremony at the Elysee Palace in Paris on August 24, 2026. (Photo by LOU BENOIST / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

How Netanyahu is leveraging Houthi threat in secret Saudi normalization push

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to capitalize on Riyadh's need for intelligence assistance to make normalization headway ahead of the October elections.

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

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.

Latest News

Culture

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

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)

Explainer

Why France is pushing to keep UNIFIL in Lebanon beyond 2026

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

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

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

The Dome of the Rock, on the compound known to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as Temple Mount, in Jerusalem's Old City, is seen in the background as Palestinian onlookers survey a protest calling for the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails February 8, 2013. REUTERS/Ammar Awad (JERUSALEM - Tags: RELIGION POLITICS) - RTR3DI1Z

Israeli Actions at Al-Aqsa Mosque Raise Palestinian Fears

Palestinians are being increasingly barred from the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, leading many to question Israel's intentions.

A worker stands in front of his gold jewellery shop at the market of Khan el-Khalili in Old Cairo October 10, 2012. Goldsmiths at the market say they are lacking customers and feeling unsafe, and are asking for a stronger security presence. Picture taken October 10, 2012. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh (EGYPT - Tags: BUSINESS SOCIETY) - RTR397KI

The Secret Language Of Cairo's Jewelry Merchants

Jewelry merchants of the Khan al-Khalili market in Cairo use a secret code that originates in ancient Hebrew to outsmart their (non-Israeli) customers.

Civilians escape an area at the Westgate Shopping Centre in Nairobi September 21, 2013. Gunmen stormed the shopping mall in Nairobi on Saturday killing at least 20 people in what Kenya's government said could be a terrorist attack, and sending scores fleeing into shops, a cinema and onto the streets in search of safety. Sporadic gun shots could be heard hours after the assault started as soldiers surrounded the mall and police and soldiers combed the building, hunting down the attackers shop by shop. REUTE

Nightmare in Nairobi: What Can West Learn From Israel?

While Israel enjoys a relatively terror-free era, security experts warn of Islamic terror groups spreading across Africa and toward the Middle East as the West avoids dealing with them.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) arrives for the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem September 17, 2013. Netanyahu will meet U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington on September 30, an Israeli official said on Tuesday, for talks expected to focus on Iran's nuclear programme. REUTERS/Ammar Awad (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX13O85

Diplomatic Negotiations Cost Netanyahu His Likud Base

While negotiations with the Palestinians are underway, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces growing distrust and lack of support within his own Likud party.

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Ethiopian Jews Redefine Israeli Beauty

Social entrepreneur Yohannes Azanaw has opened the first Israeli agency for dark-skinned models, challenging misperceptions and racism.

Trucks transporting construction materials are seen through a crack in a police post after entering the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing September 22, 2013. Israel began allowing construction material for private projects into the Gaza Strip on Sunday for the first time in six years, in response to a request from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, an Israeli defence official said. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa (GAZA - Tags: POLITICS BUSINESS CONSTRUCTION REAL ESTATE TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTX

Israel Allows Construction Materials To Enter Gaza Under EU Pressure

Israel briefly modified its blockade on Gaza to allow in badly needed construction material, but Gazans say it is not enough to ease the economic crisis.

A Palestinian argues with Israeli soldiers as he tries to walk through a closed off area during clashes in the West Bank city of Hebron September 23, 2013. An Israeli soldier was shot dead on Sunday during a Jewish festival in Hebron, a hotbed of tensions where some 500 Israeli settler families live among 100,000 Palestinians. He was the second Israeli serviceman killed since Friday by suspected Palestinian gunmen as tensions rise in the occupied territory despite a resumption of stalled U.S.-brokered peace

Only Palestinian Authority Can Prevent Third Intifada

There is sufficient rage and despair in the West Bank to fuel another intifada, but Palestinian Authority Chairman Abu Mazen knows this would be a fatal blow for Fatah.

Coalition Boss Warns Netanyahu Against Settlement Evacuation

Yariv Levin, chairman of the governing coalition, has warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the political price he would pay for striking a historic peace agreement with the Palestinians.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin attend a news conference at the Bocharov Ruchei state residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, May 14, 2013. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday it was important to avoid actions that might aggravate Syria's civil war, a veiled warning against foreign military intervention or arming anti-government forces. REUTERS/Alexei Druzhinin/RIA Novosti/Pool (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS B

Russia-Israel Ties in Spotlight In Wake of Syria Deal

The Helsinki conference on a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East will be a window into the state of Russia-Israel relations.

French diplomat Marion Castaing lays on the ground after Israeli soldiers carried her out of her truck, in the West Bank herding community of Khirbet al-Makhul, in the Jordan Valley September 20, 2013. Israeli soldiers manhandled European diplomats, including Castaing, on Friday and seized the truck full of tents and emergency aid they had been trying to deliver to Palestinians whose homes were demolished earlier this week. REUTERS/Abed Omar Qusini (WEST BANK - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST MILITARY) - RTX13S

Palestinian-Israeli Conflict Comes to Head in Area C

The manhandling of EU diplomats by Israeli soldiers in the Jordan Valley is evidence of just how sensitive this area is to peace talks.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (2nd L) shakes hands with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani (L) during a meeting at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Bishkek, September 13, 2013. Rouhani said on Friday that he wanted a swift resolution to a dispute over Tehran's nuclear programme, which Western states fear is aimed at developing nuclear weapons. REUTERS/Mikhail Klimentyev/RIA Novosti/Kremlin (KYRGYZSTAN - Tags: POLITICS) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD

Rouhani Heads to New York, Offers Help On Syria Talks

Al-Monitor’s analysis and coverage of what to expect at the UN General Assembly this week.

A woman participates in a silent protest held by the Arab Doctors Union outside the British Embassy in Cairo July 12, 2011. The protesters demanded the release of Sheikh Raed Salah, leader of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in the Palestinian Territories and Imam of Al-Aqsa mosque, who has been detained in London on charges of entering Britain illegally. REUTERS/MOHAMED ABD EL-GHANY (EGYPT - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS RELIGION) - RTR2OSIA

Radical Islam Movement Gains Momentum Among Israeli Arabs

The leader of the extremist northern faction of the Islamic movement, Raed Salah, drew tens of thousands of Muslims to a rally in support of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and against coexistence within Israeli society.