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July 17, 2026

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US Vice President JD Vance speaks at the Wisconsin Air National Guard facility at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport on July 8, 2026, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Vance says Israeli intelligence had ties to Epstein: What to know

Vice President JD Vance has grown more critical of Israel, possibly in an effort to capitalize on changing views among voters with an eye on the 2028 presidential election.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a cornerstone laying ceremony for the Atarot Heritage Center at an abandon airport in East Jerusalem near the separation wall with the Israeli occupied West Bank city of Ramallah on July 5, 2026.

Israeli PM Netanyahu 'will not travel' to US next week, his office says

On Wednesday, an Israeli official had told Al-Monitor that Netanyahu was planning to travel on Saturday and meet with President Donald Trump next week and attend the memorial service for Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).

BEIRUT, LEBANON - OCTOBER 13: Lebanese people wave flags and hold portraits of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (not pictured) as he arrives in southern suberb of Beirut on October 13, 2010 in Lebanon. The controversial visit is seen as a boost for key ally Hezbollah. According to reports Mr Ahmadinejad may visit the border with Israel - the site of recent deadly clashes between Israeli and Lebanese forces. (Photo by Salah Malkawi/Getty Images)

Ahmadinejad denies alleged Mossad plot to install him as Iran leader: What to know

The former president, who was a virulent critic of Israel while in office, was reportedly part of a Mossad plan to replace the current Iranian leadership.

Latest News

Analysis

As Trump prioritizes Hormuz, Israel fears Iran rebuilding nuclear program while preserving ballistic missile threat

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

Explainer

Israel's next election: Who's leading in polls and what's at stake?

Israelis turn out to cast their ballots on election day for the 20th Knesset on March 17, 2015 in Tel Aviv, Israel.

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

U.S. President Barack Obama (R) listens to remarks by Jordan's King Abdullah prior to a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House to discuss issues like the Syrian crisis and regional security, in Washington, April 26, 2013. REUTERS/Mike Theiler (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS) - RTXZ19P

Syria’s Chemical Weapons, Israel and Hezbollah

The US statement about Syrian chemical weapons; Israel weighs in; the debate within Hezbollah about Syria.

Surrounded by security Deputy Speaker of the Israeli parliament, Danny Danon is taken on a tour of the Temple Mount or Al-Aqsa Mosque Compound the holy site for Judaism and the Islam in Israeli annexed east Jerusalem's old City July 20, 2010, during the 9th of Av day of mourning for the destruction of the First and Second holy temples. AFP PHOTO/AHMAD GHARABLI (Photo credit should read AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP/Getty Images)

Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Wants to Accelerate Settlements

In an interview with Mazal Mualem, Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon promises to help the settlements in the West Bank and to institute compulsory national service for Israeli-Arabs.

Smoke rises after what activists said was a missile fired by a Syrian Air Force fighter jet loyal to President Bashar al-Assad in Deraa, April 26, 2013. REUTERS/Mazen Abu Mahmoud/Shaam News Network/Handout (SYRIA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS IMAGE. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NOT FOR SALE FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS. THIS PICTURE IS DISTRIBUTE

The Red Line in Syria Has Long Been Crossed

Shlomi Eldar wonders why the world waits for the use of chemical weapons to launch a military operation ending the bloodshed in Syria.

An Israeli soldier sits behind concrete blocks in the village of Ghajar on the Israeli-Lebanese border November 17, 2010. Israel said on Wednesday it would withdraw troops from the village straddling the Lebanese border, in a gesture to the United Nations that drew residents onto the streets protesting the division of their community. REUTERS/Baz Ratner (POLITICS) - RTXUQYD

Israel Fencing Off Lebanese Village Would Violate UN Resolution

Israel is attempting to build a fence around the northern part of Ghajar, a Lebanese village that lies on its northern border with Lebanon, in violation of UN Resolution 1701, writes Nasser Chararah.

Hamas mediator Ahmed Al-Jaabari (L) escorts Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing in this October 18, 2011 file photo. Israel killed Jaabari, the military commander of the Islamist group Hamas, in a missile strike on the Gaza Strip on November 14, 2012 and launched air raids across the enclave, pushing the two sides to the brink of a new war. REUTERS/Middle East News Agency (MENA)/Khalid Farid/File (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY

Is Hamas PlanningTo Kidnap More Israelis?

Hamas seems to be seriously planning to kidnap another Israeli soldier or settler after the success of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange, writes Adnan Abu Amer.

A child waves a Hezbollah flag as she holds pictures of martyrs as Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah addresses his supporters during a rally to commemorate Martyrs' Day in Beirut, February 16, 2013. REUTERS/Sharif Karim (LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3DVC2

Is Hezbollah Losing Its Grip?

The drone sent by Hezbollah to Israel must be interpreted as an outcry for survival by its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, writes Shlomi Eldar.

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel (R) and his Israeli counterpart Moshe Yaalon (L) look out of the window during a helicopter tour of the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights April 22, 2013. Israel suggested on Monday it would be patient before taking any military action against Iran's nuclear programme, saying during a visit by Hagel there was still time for other options. REUTERS/Jim Watson/Pool (ISRAEL - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY TRAVEL) - RTXYVU8

Did Israel Ambush the US on Syria?

Whether or not Israel planned to ambush the US on Syria's chemical weapon use, the result has been successful in moving the US closer to Israel's position, writes Alon Ben David.

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel (2nd R) and Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon (R) watch an Israeli military K-9 unit train at an army base near Tel Aviv April 23, 2013. REUTERS/Jim Watson/Pool (ISRAEL - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY ANIMALS) - RTXYWPQ

In Israel, 'Slip of the Tongue' On Syria Puts Pressure on US

Though a senior Israeli intelligence officer's declaration that Syria has used chemical weapons wasn't intended to embarass US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, the bigger problem is how the US will deal with its own red lines, writes Ben Caspit.

Israel's Finance Minister Yair Lapid attends the opening of the summer session of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, in Jerusalem April 22, 2013. Lapid is seeking spending cuts of 18 billion shekels ($5 billion) and tax increases of 5 billion shekels as part of the 2013-2014 budget framework, a spokeswoman for Lapid said on Monday. REUTERS/Baz Ratner (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS BUSINESS) - RTXYVXB

Israel: The Olmert-Lapid Reckoning

Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has announced his intention to run again for office, but he may run into Finance Minister Yair Lapid, his protege and the son of his late best friend, writes Mazal Mualem.

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men study at Jerusalem's Mir Yeshiva, the largest Jewish seminary in Israel July 4, 2012. The ultra-Orthodox Jews have gone from being a tiny minority in Israel's mostly secular society to its fastest-growing sector, now about 10 percent of the 7.8 million population. They are exempt from military duty in Israel but draft deferments and state subsidies for the ultra-Orthodox have become a divisive political issue in Israel, where the government must decide a new law by August to ensure

Ultra-Orthodox Prepare for Assault By New Israeli Government

Facing draft and economic threats, Ultra-Orthodox unite and explain to Daniel Ben Simon why Zionism will perish.

An Israeli soldier stands guard next to an Iron Dome rocket interceptor battery deployed near the northern Israeli city of Haifa January 28, 2013. Any sign that Syria's grip on its chemical weapons is slipping as it battles an armed uprising could trigger Israeli military strikes, Israel's vice premier said on Sunday. A military spokesman confirmed reports that two Iron Dome batteries were moved to the Haifa area but insisted this was part of a routine of rotating these systems. REUTERS/Baz Ratner (ISRAEL -

Hezbollah Denies Ownership Of Downed Drone

Ali Hashem asks, If Hezbollah was not responsible for the drone downed over Israel, who was?

Israel's Finance Minister Yair Lapid gestures as he attends the opening of the summer session of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, in Jerusalem April 22, 2013. Lapid is seeking spending cuts of 18 billion shekels ($5 billion) and tax increases of 5 billion shekels as part of the 2013-2014 budget framework, a spokeswoman for Lapid said on Monday. REUTERS/Baz Ratner (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS BUSINESS) - RTXYVX6

Israeli Finance Minister Lapid Leaves Out Peace

Akiva Eldar listened to the speech of Finance Minister Yair Lapid at the annual conference of the INSS, and remarked that the word “peace” was missing.