Netanyahu knew full well when he submitted his request that it had no merit, but he judged it would spark a public debate in which even opponents of the pardon would treat it as a legitimate request. He judged correctly

Beitar Jerusalem fans waved the flag of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane's far-right Kach movement at a match against an Arab-Israeli team on Monday. A day earlier, a security official confiscated a shirt reading 'FCK BNGVR,' a reference to far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, from Hapoel Tel Aviv fans

The IDF says the Lebanese Army struggles to target Hezbollah's weapons stockpiles and operations in Shiite areas, while the group lacks the capability to carry out large-scale attacks on Israel. Hamas is also active, attempting to establish itself in Lebanon

Israel's Foreign Ministry condemned the International Criminal Court, calling the decision 'politics in the guise of international law'

Fed up with frustrating dating apps, many Jewish Americans are turning – like in the old shtetl – to matchmakers. Will the practice make Aliyah for secular Israelis?

The locations chosen reflect not only Israel's economic opportunities but also its diplomatic standing with countries that maintained their support during the Gaza war

The attack in Sydney does not defy the imagination of Jewish Americans, already living in a country where their security is uncertain and rising antisemitism has been extraordinarily central in the American political conversation

Will murderous antisemitism now be normalized in Australia, just as attacks on synagogues and antisemitic graffiti on our schools and threats of violence against 'Zionists' have been normalized?

Amsterdam's Royal Concert Hall faced criticism last month after canceling a planned Hanukkah performance featuring cantor Shai Abramson. Following an uproar, organizers agreed to hold a public Hanukkah concert without him, alongside smaller private performances featuring Abramson earlier in the day

The Israeli government cuts $68 million from Arab social programs to fund security forces, while arrests, racist attacks, and political delegitimization signal a shrinking space for equality and civic life

The Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency is involved in the investigation. A court ordered the release of all 14 people arrested for participating in a rally protesting the assault, which included a pepper spray attack, while several schools and businesses went on strike in solidarity with the family in the mixed Arab-Jewish city

Representatives from more than 45 countries have been invited to participate in what is described as an 'interim meeting,' where no final decisions are slated to take place. An Arab source close to the Turkish government said that Doha and Ankara are currently exerting pressure on Washington to invite Turkey to the conference

The terror attack at Bondi Beach on Sunday was not the first directed at the Chabad Lubavitch movement and its institutions. As the movement has expanded its reach, it has also enhanced its exposure to attacks

At the start of the hearing, Netanyahu said he had requested a full cancellation, citing 'something big in South America.' Before adjourning, he asked to shorten the session by an hour to prepare for a meeting with Trump's special envoy to Syria

As conditions in Gaza worsen for those displaced by the war, two Israeli NGOs are stepping up their aid efforts. 'We need to help others for only one reason: because we can, and because they need help,' says a director of one organization

Federal authorities said four alleged members of an extremist group suspected of planning coordinated bombing attacks on New Year's Eve across Southern California were arrested

One of the Sydney Hanukkah shooters was reportedly investigated six years ago for Islamic State ties but was deemed no longer a threat. Investigators say both gunmen, who killed 15 people on Sunday, pledged allegiance to ISIS

A short story by Lilach Volach

Mahmoud Agbariya from northern Israel's Umm al-Fahm has been hospitalized for over a week. His father told Haaretz that the two assailants, identified as cops, asked him questions and beat him before he had a chance to answer'

The funds, approved despite legal warnings, will boost the Shin Bet's role in non-security crime and expand police units, as far-right ministers push a controversial shift from social support to law enforcement

A shorty story by Masha Zur Glozman

Arab residents say the incident reflects a broader pattern of persecution and violence. "We know what we're going through. Don't tell us this is a parking dispute," says a local activist

Authorities were investigating an "apparent homicide," said the Los Angeles Police Department. Reiner started working as a feature film director in the 1980s, and was responsible for well-known classics such as 'The Princess Bride,' 'This is Spinal Tap' and 'Stand By Me'

The special team of investigators from the police investigation branch are expected to complete their investigation of the leak in the next few days and conclude that sufficient evidence exists to indict all the suspects, including other senior officers

The Israeli Diaspora Affairs Ministry facilitated contacts between an American company and the Israel Land Authority over a proposed U.S. army base in Israel, as intermediaries rush to stake claims in what could become a multibillion-shekel project

Even as the war in Gaza raged, a group of Israeli researchers forged quiet bonds with Palestinian refugees to bring to light the history of a village depopulated in Israel's 1948 War of Independence

The detainees include elected members of the Jaffa Muslim Council, among them its deputy chairman, who led a rally after a pregnant woman was pepper-sprayed. The protest followed a women's march calling for authorities to curb violence in the city

We thought Australia would be a safe haven from surging attacks against Jews. We were wrong. But while we see persistent threats minimized until they become lethal, too many politicians are exploiting our fear to advance an agenda of hate and division that has nothing to do with us

The far-right committee chairman said that 'foreign broadcasters that wish Israel ill' should be treated 'just like any other enemy,' regardless of whether there is a state of emergency. The Knesset's legal counsel deemed the bill unconstitutional, despite the majority vote in its favor

The crudely fashioned, possibly homemade pendant was unearthed by the Temple Mount in a Byzantine building from 1,300 years ago, a time Jews were banned from the city

The attendees, mostly Australians and other expats, gathered to honor the victims of the shooting attack that left 15 dead at Sydney's Bondi Beach earlier on Sunday. Though deeply saddened, many said they were not surprised by the incident, which reflected growing antisemitism in Australia

Israeli intelligence says the Bondi shooting attack reflects a global rise in antisemitic violence, fueled by jihadist networks like ISIS, Al-Qaida and Iran's Revolutionary Guards

One can debate, argue about, or even disagree with some of the pro-democracy social leaders, but turning it into an organization that is off-limits in the schools is illegitimate and undemocratic

Law enforcement worldwide is bracing against potential antisemitic attacks and bolstering police presence around Hanukkah events, in light of the fatal shooting attack in Sydney's Bondi Beach. Israel 'strongly' recommended its citizens avoid mass Jewish, Israeli events that are not secured

Petitions submitted by several human rights organizations argued that current police conduct allows officers to define, based on their personal perception, suspects who appear 'problematic,' to demand identification without any explanation, and to check their information in police databases

Any deliberate attempt to exploit pain after such an attack does not serve justice for the dead; rather, it sows fear, recrimination and suspicion. Israel's choice of words, especially today, matters

At least 15 people were killed in the terrorist shooting attack during a Hanukkah celebration in Bondi Beach. Among those killed were a Chabad emissary, a Holocaust survivor, and a 10-year-old girl

Because the opposition has indicated it will not cooperate with the coalition's investigation committee, the current draft of the bill effectively gives the government the power to appoint all six committee members

The letter's signatories called on Netanyahu's government to either 'take responsibility' and establish the commission or resign from their positions and 'let the people decide'

Also: A collection of war poems translated into Hebrew is essential reading for Israelis, and three exhibitions at the Herzliya Museum of Art honor pioneering women

The mass shooting that killed at least 11 at Sydney's Bondi Beach – the first time gun violence targeted Jews in Australia – comes only a week after a major report documented a rise in antisemitic events in Australia in the two years since the Oct. 7 attack in Israel

Local media identified the man as Ahmed al Ahmed. His cousin spoke to Seven News outside the hospital where he is being treated for gunshot wounds sustained in the attack. The Premier of New South Wales state said it was 'the most unbelievable scene' he's ever seen

TV director Minkie Spiro's work on shows from 'Better Call Saul' to 'All Her Fault,' hasn't stopped her from starting an Israel-focused production company. 'I'm very privileged to have navigated a career in the TV industry as someone who is both a woman and Jewish,' she says

Eyewitnesses to the deadly shooting at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney described scenes of terror as gunmen opened fire. One witness told Haaretz he 'immediately understood' the Jewish event was the target, as others spoke of bodies on the ground, nonstop gunfire and families fleeing in panic

The state of the body after the war, photographed by Itai Ron

Since October 7, Dervis Hizarci, longtime chairman of the Kreuzberg Initiative against Antisemitism, has been overcome with despair, watching many of the bridges he helped build over the years begin to crumble. Caught between his Muslim and Jewish friends, he vows nonetheless not to give up the good fight

Israel's prime minister also said 'antisemitism is a cancer that spreads when leaders are silent,' in response to the attack that killed at least 15 people at a Hannukah event. Diaspora minister Chikli said the Australian government bore the 'sole responsibility' for the attack after failing to act decisively against antisemitism

'There is no such thing as Palestinians…You are depraved': Working in the human rights field, I'm used to seeing settler attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank, but I was still shocked to see that same violence mirrored in the Knesset, as far-right lawmakers mounted a vicious verbal attack on an Arab MK

According to residents, the Israeli settler attack against a village near Jericho focused on a building where foreign activists had been wounded in November

Elizabeth Tsurkov was kidnapped in March 2023 and held in captivity in Iraq until September. Read her full Haaretz Podcast interview about the shock of returning to a post-October 7 Israel and sparring with right wing pundit Amit Segal – plus her analyses of Iraq, Syria and Gaza

The Australian PM said that 'an attack on Jewish Australians is an attack on every Australian,' promising that his government will eradicate such 'hate, violence and terrorism'

The government voted to dismiss Gali Baharav-Miara in August after months of tensions over her opposition to Netanyahu ministers' attempts to curb the independence of Israel's judiciary

A short story by Eyad Barghuthy

A short story by Yonatan Englender

Police said they arrested Jaffa Sheikh Issam Setel on Sunday for disturbing the public order after demonstrators allegedly chanted racist slogans during a rally against violence that he led in support of a family that was attacked with pepper spray, in which a pregnant woman was wounded

Dozens have been wounded in the attack, including two police officers. The shooters were identified as a 50-year-old father and a 24-year-old son, and police ruled out the possibility of a third shooter assisting in the attack

The very definition of 'disarmament' has several interpretations, and a few weeks ago, U.S. Special Envoy to Lebanon and Syria Tom Barrack said it was 'not reasonable' to ask Lebanon to forcibly disarm Hezbollah, adding that 'everybody's scared to death to go into civil war'

The repopulation of these settlements is expected to deepen Israel's military presence in an area that is supposed to be under Palestinian civil and security control. This counters the principles of the 2005 disengagement, which called for no Israeli presence in the area

Cancer diagnoses in children which would otherwise be treatable are a death sentence in Gaza. Israel must let Gazan children receive treatment in hospitals in East Jerusalem and the West Bank

Israel's killing of a key planner of the October 7 attack is unlikely to prompt a serious Hamas response, but it could complicate U.S. efforts to advance a fragile cease-fire and lay the groundwork for Gaza's postwar order

While in Tel Aviv thousands called to establish a state commission of inquiry for October 7, in Jerusalem, protesters demanded the president refuse to pardon Netanyahu. In the south, people gathered to call for the return of the last hostage in Gaza, Ran Gvili

While some unhoused Israelis search for shelter in the street, others do so in temporary shelters. 'Anything that affects an ordinary person affects unhoused people tenfold. They're extremely susceptible to the cold,' says a doctor who volunteers in an NGO operating in the Tel Aviv area

Italy is the only country so far to make such a commitment. Indonesia previously said it would participate in the stabilization force, but only with medical and construction teams. Turkey, which periodically announces its intention to participate, faces strong objections by Israel

Central Command said the assailant, who was killed, was a lone gunman affiliated with ISIS. The attack is the first to inflict casualties since the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad a year ago

Haifa's Mayor Yona Yahav announced Thursday that he is reversing a decision made the week prior, which banned demonstrations at the downtown Horev Center. 'This is an important reminder to the entire public that our duty as citizens in a democracy does not end at the ballot box,' the protest leaders said

In videos captured by fans, police officers are seen at the entrance to the stadium asking Hapoel Tel Aviv fans to show them their shirts. At a game last week, fans who wore shirts with anti-police slogans were removed

Former Anti-Defamation League top lawyer Joe Berman's scathing resignation letter said the organization has failed to respond aggressively to antisemitism on the right, straying from its mandate of denouncing all hatred and discrimination

Saad was considered one of the two most senior figures of the organization's military wing still alive, alongside Hamas's leader in Gaza, Izz al-Din al-Haddad. Palestinian media reported that four people were killed in the strike

An interview with groundbreaking chemist Omar Yaghi, who grew up in a poor refugee family of 12 in Amman, and became the first Palestinian to be awarded a Nobel Prize in science

Concert visuals at the band's London show included animations combining the Nazi symbol and a Star of David, along with images of destruction in Gaza and the caption, 'Our government is complicit in genocide.' A Jewish group filed a complaint with the police

For the first time, a Jewish organization has been officially registered in Syria, which the foreign minister called 'a step for us to tell the world that Syria has room for everyone.' As the minority has almost entirely left and synagogues are derelict, the diaspora remains reluctant to return

On the witness stand in a Tel Aviv courtroom, amid a tedious corruption trial that skirts his far graver sins, Netanyahu was forced to face reality, if only for a moment

Supporters say security forces seized the activist in Mashhad as she spoke unveiled at a service for a lawyer found dead. The Nobel Committee said it was 'deeply concerned,' as doctors warn a return to prison could endanger her health

According to a report in Bild, Stuttgart police are examining suspicions that Maccabi fans sang offensive chants, including chants targeting Palestinians

Mamdani's outreach to Jewish leaders, including past opponents, underscores the tightrope he must walk: pushing an ambitious affordability agenda while calming fears over his Israel rhetoric before January 1

U.S. intelligence officials briefly withheld live drone feeds and limited Israel's use of some targeting information during the Gaza war over concerns about civilian casualties and alleged mistreatment of Palestinian prisoners, resuming sharing only after Israel provided assurances

Israel's Foreign Ministry condemned the UN resolution, saying it 'proves once again that it is a morally distorted body' and calling the UN a 'cynical political machine.' Earlier this week, Israeli forces raided the UNRWA headquarters in East Jerusalem

Two weeks ago, police arrested 23 suspects from the Hariri and Abu Latif crime organizations, suspected of collecting protection money, taking over businesses, extortion, intimidation, and involvement in several homicides in recent years

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji also criticized Hezbollah and Iran, saying that Tehran's regional policy 'is a source of instability' and its influence on Lebanon is negative. He urged Iran to 'stop financing an illegal organization'

The investigation by Israel's state comptroller will suffice with minor reprimands of political leaders while focusing on the security establishment's blunders, just in time for the Knesset elections. Until then, related witch hunts and harassment efforts will escalate

Eitan Mor, who was among the 20 Israeli hostages released as part of the U.S.-brokered Gaza cease-fire deal in October, told an Israeli news site that the hunger in Gaza City began 'about a month' after October 7 – creating especially difficult conditions in the tunnels – and that he met the current leader of Hamas in Gaza twice

The game's main guest was released hostage Omri Miran, who celebrated his return in an emotional ceremony as fans packed the home court and the team's power forward delivered a record-setting performance to mark European basketball's comeback to Israel. 'This is a return to normalcy,' coach Oded Kattash said

The climate is changing, reshaping our landscape, our economy, and our way of life, creating new risks and intensifying old ones. We must plan for this change, strengthen our emergency and rescue services, and stop wasting resources on West Bank settlements and on blind vengeance in Gaza

Israel's Meteorological Service called the rainfall 'exceptional,' as humanitarian aid organizations in Gaza warned the storm would have a dire effect on the health of displaced persons residing in tents and buildings weakened by the war

Trump administration pressures mediators for Hamas disarmament and Israel to forgo the Yellow Line border, to secure Board of Peace's ability to govern the entire Strip and deploy the international stabilization force

As the presumed compatibility of 'American interests' and 'Jewish aims' collapses, and Israel increasingly rejects democratic principles, Jewish communities face a new reality

Saudi Arabia and the UAE, both partners of the coalition seeking to be involved in Gaza's future, have yet to settle their local conflicts in Yemen and Sudan, which have taken hundreds of thousands of lives. For now, it seems the United States will continue to take a neutral stand