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

Israel cover image

Israel

May 16, 2026

Tel Aviv 11:34 pm

20°C

talks

Lebanon-Israel ceasefire extended 45 days as US opens security talks

The Pentagon will host Israeli and Lebanese military delegations for a round of separate security talks later this month.

US President Donald Trump talks to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as he departs the Al Bateen Executive Airport on May 15, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Analysis

‘A reckless act’: Netanyahu sparks UAE fury by claiming secret visit

Just as UAE-Israeli relations were deepening through cooperation against Iran, the Israeli prime minister publicly embarrassed Abu Dhabi by revealing his March visit.

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

Israel's Netanyahu suing New York Times over column on Palestinian rape

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar rejected New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof's accusations of systematic sexual abuse and rape of Palestinian prisoners, calling the claims a "blood libel."

Latest News

Analysis

Israel’s drone dilemma: Hezbollah’s low-cost threat reshapes Lebanon front

Artillery units are positioned near the Lebanese border in northern Israel, May 4, 2026.

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

EU ministers agree to sanction violent West Bank settlers: What to know

Two men stand next to the burned remains of a Palestinian vehicle in the Wadi al-Rakhim area of Susya village in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on May 1, 2026.

Netanyahu fears being left out as Trump pursues Iran diplomacy

Ronen Zvulun / AFP via Getty Images

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

An Israeli waves a Soviet flag during a march in Jerusalem commemorating the 70th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day May 10, 2015. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun - RTX1CBAH

Israel gives nod to Russia with new national holiday

Israel, seeking to keep Russian ties close, realizes little things do matter.

Demonstrators including Israeli and Palestinian activists take part in a demonstration in support of peace near the West Bank city of Jericho October 19, 2016. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman - RTX2PI50

Most Israelis, Palestinians are tired of fighting

Israeli right-wing legislators do all they can to keep the two-state solution at a distance, yet a majority of Israelis still support it.

Yair Lapid (C), leader of the centrist Yesh Atid party, is surrounded by police as he visits the scene of what Israeli police said was a stabbing attack outside the Lion's Gate of Jerusalem's Old City October 12, 2015. A border policeman shot dead a Palestinian who police said tried to stab him, according to Israeli police. The account was disputed by a Palestinian passerby, who said he witnessed the incident and saw no knife. REUTERS/Ammar Awad - RTS449S

Israeli centrist looks to profit from Netanyahu’s troubles

Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid is looking to collect Knesset seats on the right as police investigations close in on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Palestinians take part in a protest against Israel's new security measures at the entrance to the al-Aqsa mosque compound, in Gaza City July 21, 2017. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem - RTX3CDUH

Where do Al-Aqsa protests leave the Islamic Movement in Israel?

The Islamic Movement in Israel has tried to keep a low profile in recent weeks after three men connected to its base, Umm al-Fahm, killed two Israeli police officers, sparking deadly protests.

Israel's Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Gadi Eizenkot speaks at the annual Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) conference in Tel Aviv January 18, 2016. REUTERS/Baz Ratner - RTX22X9A

Why Israelis have turned against IDF, Shin Bet

Contrary to the past years when Israeli society venerated the leaders of the Israel Defense Force and Shin Bet, many suspect them nowadays of having their own agendas.

Mother of former Israeli soldier Elor Azaria, who was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for killing a wounded and incapacitated Palestinian assailant, arrives together with her son to hear the ruling at an Israeli military appeals court in Tel Aviv, Israel July 30, 2017. REUTERS/Dan Balilty/Pool - RTS19QJ1

Netanyahu’s empathy for Hebron shooter reveals a lot about Israel

The support by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his party members for the IDF soldier convicted of manslaughter in Hebron demonstrates the moral decline of the Likud.

UNSPECIFIED - CIRCA 1903: Turkish residents of Nazareth playing checkers and smoking narghiles (Photo by Buyenlarge/Getty Images)

Archives belie Israel's narrative of Palestinian conflict

Early members of the Zionist movement and later Israelis have consistently attempted to control the narrative of the conflict with the Palestinians, including by seizing photographic evidence of Palestine and the Palestinians' history.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem July 30, 2017. REUTERS/Amir Cohen - RTS19PQE

Netanyahu’s legacy: Dividing Jews and uniting Arabs

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling in the recent Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif crisis threatens to turn the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from a nationalist struggle into a religious conflagration.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, U.S., July 31, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts - RTS19V60

Trump’s plan for Mideast peace fades

Israelis and Palestinians both feel that President Donald Trump and his administration have abandoned his ambitious peace initiative with his focus more on internal affairs.

A general view shows the Israeli Arab city of Umm al-Fahm August 16, 2016. Picture taken August 16, 2016. REUTERS/Ammar Awad - RTX2N04G

Residents of Israeli-Arab town anxious about proposed land swap

Residents of the Israeli-Arab town Umm al-Fahm fear that Israel will swap them for West Bank settlement bloc.

People ride bicycles in Tel Aviv on election day March 17, 2015. Millions of Israelis turned out to vote on Tuesday in a tightly-fought election, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu facing an uphill battle to defeat a strong campaign by the centre-left opposition to deny him a fourth term in office. REUTERS/Stringer (ISRAEL - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS SOCIETY) - RTR4TQ4O

Israel’s recent bike craze met with resistance

The growing trend of biking in Israel has also considerably increased the number of accidents with pedestrians on sidewalks.

On US tour, Israeli finance minister keeps distance from trouble at home

Israeli Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon's heavily publicized visit to the United States suggests he is already preparing for the next elections.