Pope Leo gets rock star's reception in Lebanon, drawing cheers, celebrations Pope Leo began his second day in crisis-hit Lebanon with visits to notable Christian shrines in the country and an interfaith meeting in the capital, Beirut. Lebanon
Lebanon celebrates Pope Leo’s visit as Israel escalates attacks The pontiff's visit to Lebanon comes as many in the country fear a potential restart of the war between Israel and Hezbollah. Lebanon
In first foreign visit, Pope Leo meets Erdogan, urges Turkey to uphold pluralism On his inaugural foreign visit to Turkey, Pope Leo called for respect for pluralism after meeting with the Turkish president. Turkey
Analysis Pope Leo in Turkey, navigating faith, politics and Orthodox tensions The visit will bolster Turkey’s image on religious tolerance and shared positions with the Vatican while Ankara navigates sensitive issues surrounding the Halki Seminary and the Greek Patriarchate’s ecumenical status. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Analysis Israel scrambles for strategy as Mamdani’s NYC victory sparks alarm By Mazal Mualem In Tel Aviv, reporting on politics
Analysis As Trump hosts Sharaa, Israel cautiously seeks Syria security deal By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
Learning Arabic becomes political act in Israel All the initiatives and events presented on Arabic language Day in the Knesset cannot hide the fact that the Nationality Law has stripped it from its status as an official language in Israel. Israel
Israeli ultra-Orthodox learn about Holocaust over phone Since ultra-Orthodox schools do not include history classes in their curricula, Israel Goldwasser and his friends came up with the idea of recorded Holocaust-history classes over the phone. Israel
Rivalry between Arab parties threatens Arab, ultra-Orthodox Knesset alliance Ultra-Orthodox Knesset parties are furious over the Muslim Ra’am party voting with the coalition on the Enlistment Law, with the ultra-Orthodox political alliance becoming collateral damage of the rivalry between the two Arab parties. Israel
Arab-Israeli city takes battle against violence into its own hands Tired of rising violence and police helplessness, the municipality of Umm al-Fahm presents its own plan to combat crime and decrease social tensions. Israel
Last Christian in Idlib recalls his community The last Christian in Idlib is 90 years old. Despite the war and the challenges, he stayed in Idlib even as all Christians left as a result of the war and restrictions imposed by extremist Islamic factions. Syria
Israeli entrepreneurs to set up first medical center in Arab city Entrepreneurs from the Arab city of Sakhnin are done waiting on the government and working with Tel Aviv's Ichilov Hospital to establishment a local medical facility. Israel
Turkish Netflix series turns cameras on pogroms, hidden Greeks "The Club," whose first season woke the ghosts of Turkey’s Jewish community, turns its lens on Turkey’s Greek Orthodox Community and the pogroms of 1955. Turkey
Nubians demand repatriation during Sisi visit Nubians in Upper Egypt still seek return to the land of their ancestors, after years of forced displacement, amid complaints of political and cultural marginalization. Egypt
Ethiopia detaining Tigrayans deported from Saudi Arabia, rights group says Human Rights Watch urged Ethiopia to release the arbitrarily detained Tigrayans and called on Saudi Arabia to stop its deportations. Saudi Arabia
Gaza at Christmas: a bleak outlook A Christmas tree brings some joy; Gaza’s Jewish quarter and a new wall; "We want to live" protests Hamas policies; Hamas, PIJ killings continue; Racism persists against Black Gazans. Palestine
Gaza’s Christians light Christmas tree Gaza's tiny Christian community celebrates Christmas in a giant way. Palestine
Arab Knesset member shocks crowd, says Israel 'born Jewish' Ra’am leader Mansour Abbas made big waves when he said that Israel was and will remain a Jewish state. Israel
