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

Israel cover image

Israel

September 19, 2026

Tel Aviv 11:08 pm

26°C

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 Bahraini, Israeli and US flags are picture in front of El Al plane ahead of the flight to Bahrain's capital Manama at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv on October 18, 2020, after the two states reached a US-brokered normalisation deal last month. - Israel and Bahrain will officially establish diplomatic relations at a ceremony in Manama, an Israeli official said, after the two states reached a US-brokered normalisation deal last month. (Photo by RONEN ZVULUN / POOL / AFP) (Photo by RONEN ZVULUN/

Virus may restrict first UAE visit to Israeli airport

COVID-19 concerns may keep Emirati diplomats in the airport during their first official visit to Israel, which is experiencing an outbreak.

United Arab Emirates

Democratic Presidential candidate and former US Vice President Joe Biden participates in an ABC News town hall event at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on October 15, 2020. (Photo by JIM WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

Biden slams Trump's Iran policy at town hall

The Democratic presidential candidate also praised Trump's work on the UAE-Israel deal.

Israeli protesters lift a model of a yellow submarine topped with a representation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an anti-government demonstration in front of the Prime Minister's residence in Jerusalem, on August 15, 2020. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP) (Photo by JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

Netanyahu off the hook on submarine affair

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can breathe easier now that the attorney general has decided not to investigate him in the submarine affair nor in the stock-share dealing case.

A man wrapped in a Trump campaign flag walks in Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda market during the Jewish holiday of Purim on March 11, 2020. - Israel has imposed some of the world's tightest restrictions to contain coronavirus, but that did not stop ultra-Orthodox Jews from hitting the streets to celebrate a treasured religious custom: drinking on Purim. Sometimes dubbed the "fun" Jewish holiday, Purim typically includes costumes and boisterous public celebrations marking a story dating from fourth-century Persi

Ahead of presidential elections, Israelis cheering for Trump

Israelis love US President Donald Trump — not only for his diplomatic gestures toward the country, but also for his informal, blunt style.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) arrives to attend a meeting at the Knesset (Parliament) in Jerusalem on October 15, 2020. (Photo by Alex KOLOMIENSKY / POOL / AFP) (Photo by ALEX KOLOMIENSKY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Knesset approves UAE deal with overwhelming majority

Eighty parliamentarians voted last night in favor of the normalization deal with the United Arab Emirates, signed on Oct. 15 at the White House in Washington.

Saudi FM wants focus on Israeli-Palestinian talks over 'eventual normalization'

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said the focus of Palestinian-Israeli peace efforts should be on bringing the two sides back to the negotiating table.

Intel: US Air Force trains with Israel’s newest F-35 squadron

Exercise Lightning III focused on offensive air operations involving simulated enemy aircraft and ground targets.

Drivers on the highway leading to Jerusalem wave Israeli national flags as they protest against the prime minister and against the second nationwide lockdown imposed by the government in a bid to stem the increase of COVID-19 infection cases, at the entrance of Jerusalem on October 14, 2020. (Photo by Ahmad GHARABLI / AFP) (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images)

Submarine scandal keeps haunting Netanyahu

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not indicted in the submarine affair, but many Israelis are demanding that the case be further investigated.

Hezbollah rejects Lebanese delegation at maritime border talks with Israel

Lebanon's two main Shiite parties said the negotiating team in the border talks shouldn't include civilians.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, right, listens to Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud speaks during their meeting at the State Department, October 14, 2020, in Washington, DC. - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on October 14, 2020 encouraged Saudi Arabia to recognize Israel, in what would be a massive boost for the Jewish state amid normalization by two other Gulf Arab kingdoms. (Photo by Manuel Balce CENETA / POOL / AFP) (Photo by MANUEL BALCE CENETA/POOL/AFP via Getty Image

Pompeo calls on Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also raised human rights concerns during a meeting with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan.

A picture taken on October 14, 2020, shows new buildings in the Israeli settlement of Efrat south of the city of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank. (Photo by HAZEM BADER / AFP) (Photo by HAZEM BADER/AFP via Getty Images)

Israel approves first West Bank settlement construction since normalization deals

Israel’s West Bank Civil Administration gave its final approval for more than 1,300 housing units in the West Bank and more are expected to follow.

A picture taken on October 14, 2020 shows UNIFIL and Lebanese military vehicles guarding the area near the UNIFIL base (not seen in picture) where Israeli and Lebanese delegtaions were having their first round of talks on the demarcation of the maritime frontier between the two countries, which are technically in a state of war, in the southern Lebanese border town of Naqura on October 14, 2020. - Lebanon and Israel, still technically at war, began unprecedented talks sponsored by the United Nations and the

Israeli, Lebanese delegations meet for maritime border talks

Israel and Lebanon sent technical delegations for the talks today on establishing their maritime border.