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

Israel cover image

Israel

July 24, 2026

Tel Aviv 6:18 am

26°C

David's Sling.

Explainer

As Turkey rivalry heats up, Greece to acquire $4B Israeli air defense system

The Greek defense minister said that the air defense system will be operational within 35 months.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Trump says Saudi nuclear deal 'totally subject' to Israel normalization

Saudi Arabia has previously said normalized relations with Israel would require an irreversible path to Palestinian statehood.

US President Donald Trump (R) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands as they arrive to speak to journalists during a joint press conference at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on Dec. 29, 2025.

Israel fears US deal would allow Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium

Israel fears the US-Saudi civilian nuclear deal could pave the way for uranium enrichment not only by the Saudis but also by other countries in the region.

Latest News

Analysis

Why Mamdani concluded he can’t arrest Israel’s PM Netanyahu

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks during a primary-night watch party for NYC Congressional candidate Claire Valdez at 99 Scott Studio on June 23, 2026 in the East Williamsburg neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough in New York City.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Analysis

Israel draws line on Houthi attacks, hopes for Trump strike on Pickaxe Mountain

FILE PHOTO: A satellite view shows tunnel entrances at Pickaxe Mountain, of the Natanz nuclear facility, near Natanz, Iran, June 30, 2026. Vantor/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

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

Israel to withdraw from Lebanon’s pilot zones ahead of Aoun-Trump meeting

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun meets with Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the State Department in Washington, DC, July 19, 2026.

Culture

How Argentina-Spain World Cup final became debate over Israel, Palestine

Flags of Spain and Argentina

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

Israeli Prime Minister and Defence Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a statement to the media on the Iranian nuclear issue at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem on September 9, 2019. - Netanyahu accused Iran of having a previously undisclosed site aimed at developing nuclear weapons that it destroyed. Iran itself destroyed the site located near the city of Abadeh, south of Tehran, in around July after realising that Israel had detected it, Netanyahu alleged. (Photo by Menahem KAHANA / AFP) (Photo c

Former Israeli security officials call on Netanyahu to dialogue with US on Iran deal

For many former senior security officials, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should work with the Biden administration, not against it, for a rapid nuclear deal with Iran.

One of the several burial chambers of the Tombs of the Kings, owned and administered by the French Consulate of Jerusalem, is pictured on December 28, 2018 in East Jerusalem. - The ancient site, which is considered the grandest burial compound in the holy city and has been closed for years, includes a sophisticated burial cave that has a mechanism for sealing the entrance by means of a stone that rotates on a hinge. (Photo by THOMAS COEX / AFP) (Photo credit should read THOMAS COEX/AFP via Getty Imag

France maintains order as visitors flock to Jerusalem's Tombs of the Kings

A 2,000-year-old funerary compound in Jerusalem has been marked by controversy since its reopening to the public in 2019.

Lebanese workers use water pressure to clean-up the oil spill which polluted the Rabbit Island, offshore the Nothern Lebanese city of Tripoli, on March 31, 2009. The oil spill was caused by the explosion of fuel reservoirs stationed in the southern coastal town of Jiyyeh during the Israeli offensive on Lebanon in July 2006. At least 10,000 tons of heavy fuel oil have been spilled into the Lebanese sea, causing an environmental catastrophe with severe effects on health, biodiversity and tourism. The oil spil

Oil spill reaches shores of Israel, Lebanon

An oil spill earlier this month is threatening the eastern Mediterranean, but many details on the incident are unknown.

Israel's Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan is seen as he receives Italy's interior minister at a hotel in Jerusalem on December 11, 2018. (Photo by Ahmad GHARABLI / AFP) (Photo credit should read AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images)

Israeli ambassador demands Saturday Night Live apologize over vaccine joke

Israel's ambassador to the United States and United Nations is upset with the comedy show for joking that Israel is only vaccinating Jews.

Palestinians wait to receive doses of the the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 coronavirus vaccine provided by Israel's Magen David Adom medical services at Qalandia checkpoint on the crossing between the West Bank city of Ramallah and Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, on February 23, 2021. - Israel said its "limited" supply of unused coronavirus vaccines would be sent to the Palestinians and several countries, with Honduras, which plans to move its embassy to Jerusalem, reportedly on the list. The world leader in va

Israel hatches plan to vaccinate Palestinian workers

Israel’s Health Ministry is reportedly awaiting permission to use the country's stock of Moderna vaccines for Palestinians working in Israel.

Egyptian energy minister on rare visit in Israel

Egyptian Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Tarek el-Mulla visited Israel yesterday to advance the regional gas forum, meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi.

Iranian-born Mongolian judoka Saeid Mollaei competes during the finals of the men's under 81kg category of Tel Aviv Grand Slam 2021 in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv, on February 19, 2021. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP) (Photo by JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

Israel cheers for exiled Iranian judo master

Israelis have embraced exiled Iranian judoka Saeid Mollaei, who defected for his sport and recently competed in Tel Aviv.

Equatorial Guinea to move embassy in Israel to Jerusalem

The West African state is the second on the continent to announce plans to open an embassy in the holy city, and the first country anywhere to do so since US President Joe Biden took office.

An engineer from the Israeli company "Commun.it" uses his expertise in social media commercial analysis to identify networks of fake users during at the group's office in the Israeli city of Bnei Brak near Tel Aviv on January 23, 2019. - A coalition of Israeli diplomats, programmers and hackers have joined forces to stave off threats -- including from hostile states -- by identifying networks on social media and getting them removed. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP) (Photo credit should read JACK GUEZ/AFP

Israel develops new regulations for Google, Facebook

Israel is working on regulations similar to European efforts to protect small businesses that advertise on Facebook and Google.

TOPSHOT - An Israeli flag is seen placed on Mount Bental in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights on May 10, 2018. - Israel's army said today it had carried out widespread raids against Iranian targets in Syria overnight after rocket fire towards its forces it blamed on Iran, marking a sharp escalation between the two enemies. Israel carried out the raids after it said around 20 rockets, either Fajr or Grad type, were fired from Syria at its forces in the occupied Golan Heights at around midnight. (Photo by JAL

Israeli woman who entered Syria flown home

The Israeli government is withholding some details about the Russia-mediated deal that also involved two Syrians being released from Israeli prison.

Former US Vice President Joe Biden speaks during the First State Democratic Dinner in Dover, Delaware, on March 16, 2019. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

Biden’s cold shoulder serves Netanyahu on right

President Joe Biden’s iciness toward Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could benefit him ahead of the March elections.

Hamas flags stand on the roof of the house of Palestinian assailant Salah Barghouti after it was partially demolished by Israeli forces in the village of Kobar near Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on April 17, 2019. - Israeli forces destroyed the home of the Palestinian who was killed during his attempted arrest on suspicion of carrying out a December shooting. Seven people were wounded in the December 9 attack near the Israeli settlement of Ofra in the occupied West Bank, one of them a pregnan

Is Israel trying to keep Hamas from running in Palestinian elections?

The Israeli army has recently arrested dozens of Hamas cadres and leaders in the West Bank in the lead up to the Palestinian elections, which may affect Hamas’ leaders ability to mobilize the masses, launch electoral campaigns and persuade candidates to join their lists for fear of Israeli arrests.