The main factor behind the sharp downturn is a sharp drop in aliyah from Russia, the main driver of immigration to Israel in recent years. Growing antisemitism is not driving Jews out of their countries, as Israeli immigration officials had predicted

Over the years, Netanyahu has followed a fairly transparent pattern: he advocates for extreme measures he doesn't believe in while leaving the actual restraint and execution to another actor, be it the IDF Chief of Staff or any relevant body, so that it bears the brunt of any backlash

The visit to the illegal Ma'aleh Tidhar outpost included a meeting with far-right activist Elisha Yered, who was suspected of involvement in the killing of a Palestinian teen, underscoring declining enforcement against nationalist crime and settler construction

The ministry says it has delisted Rahma and Catholic Relief Services, plus the one-man outfit Gaza Direct Aid, under new law enacted in March. International NGO officials say they are skeptical of the announcement

In an attempt to debunk Hamas' claims of Israel-induced starvation in the Gaza Strip, the IDF pointed out that some who died of malnutrition had preexisting medical conditions. Experts say the information provided by the military actually proves that the population is indeed suffering from hunger

International Rescue Committee's Bob Kitchen explains why Gaza is the 'most intense crisis' he's seen in 25 years of responding to humanitarian emergencies and how the IDF strangles aid efforts in the Strip

As a young teen, Rabbi Idit Mevorach Shaag went to Gush Katif in 2005 hoping to prevent the evacuation of the Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip 'with my own two hands.' It was her military experience that put her on the path to becoming what she describes as a 'weird leftist'

Replacing the locks in the attorney general's office Monday night is a thuggish and insane move that testifies primarily to Levin's frustration. Unfortunately for him, there is a good chance that Baharav-Miara will remain steadfast while Levin and this government are chucked out by the voters

Attorneys have been barred from visiting Israeli prisons to meet with their Palestinian clients due to accusations of 'transmitting information,' and guards have demanded to read legal documents. During the war in Gaza, the Israel Prison Service has made the lawyers targets as it tries to keep what's happening at the prisons under wraps

Critics use the argument of performativity not as a call for more meaningful action, but as a way to delegitimize a cause – in this case, Palestinian national aspirations - and discourage others from following suit. For those of us who identify as Zionists, this is particularly shameful

Clashes broke out between Palestinians and settlers who arrived in the West Bank town of Duma to prepare the land ahead of the establishment of an outpost. Two Israelis, including an off-duty soldier who shot the Palestinian man, were wounded

As the New Zealand government weighs joining Australia in recognizing a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he thinks Netanyahu 'has lost the plot,' and called what is happening in Gaza 'utterly appalling'

Despite unprecedented civilian suffering and clear precedents for intervention, Western governments condemn Gaza's devastation but avoid any meaningful intervention

The reported deal will allow a corridor for the transfer of aid from Israel to the Sweida region in Syria to improve the deteriorating humanitarian situation of the Druze minority, in a deal that may also improve chances of future normalization between Israel and Syria

The Israeli army will have to call up 100,000 reservists, who will be operating in a population of around 1.2 million Palestinians against well-prepared guerrilla fighters, amid a threat to the hostages and unclear legal authority for ordering civilians to once again move south

A UN report draft obtained by Haaretz acknowledges for the first time Hamas' sexual crimes committed against Israelis on October 7 and hostages held in captivity in the Gaza Strip. It also calls on Israel to hold suspects of sexual crimes against Palestinians accountable

The film 'The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue,' about Noam Tibon, a retired Israeli general who rescued his family on October 7, won't be screened at the Toronto Int'l Film Festival after organizers requested filmmakers receive approval to use Hamas footage of the deadly attack

Media reports indicate that all seven members of the Abu Hanidek family were killed when their displaced-person tents in Gaza City were bombed. Media outlets also reported that four people were killed by IDF fire in central Gaza while waiting for aid trucks

Tensions between the IDF chief and ministers had escalated last week amid debates over Netanyahu's plan to take over Gaza. A senior official from Netanyahu's office said that Israel was 'going for a full conquest of Gaza,' and added, 'If it doesn't suit the chief of staff, he should resign'

If implemented, plans would amount to transferring people from one war-ravaged land at risk of famine to another – raising human rights concerns. South Sudan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement following the report that the claims of resettling Palestinians from Gaza in the country 'are baseless'

Thousands rallied across the country on Tuesday, urging the government to real a cease-fire deal with Hamas and slamming its handling of the humanitarian crisis

Two unrelated people in far-flung cemeteries in England from 1,400 years ago exhibit close African ancestry, suggesting early medieval Britain was more diverse than thought

While nations rush to recognize a Palestinian state, they sidestep the real pressure tools that could halt Israel's war in Gaza. 'Symbolic statehood has become a moral escape hatch, not a policy.' Meanwhile, the license to kill remains valid

The French ambassador to Israel explains how his country's imminent declaration of a Palestinian state facilitates peace and Israel's security

The heat index measures apparent temperature using discomfort units – a phrase that doesn't even begin to describe what it felt like on Tuesday at the Dead Sea. Wednesday is expected to be even worse

Though held by Hamas for nearly a decade, Abera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed aren't covered by the new laws aiding the October 7 hostages. 'They need a law that will include a broader envelope,' a source says, as both men face delays and red tape in disability claims

'Immediate, permanent and concrete steps must be taken,' says joint statement signed by Britain, France, and 22 other nations, accusing Israel of imposing restrictions on humanitarian organizations in Gaza, forcing NGOs to abandon operations and worsening the humanitarian crisis

After backing new operations in Gaza, Prime Minister Netanyahu said an IDF takeover of Gaza City would 'allow' Palestinians to leave safely, noting other countries should take in Palestinians displaced by the war

Justice Minister Yariv Levin changes locks on longtime Attorney General's office, barring Gali Baharav-Miara and calling her presence 'unauthorized.' The Israel Bar Association chief called Levin's actions 'an existential threat to the state'

Zamir says Netanyahu and his family are targeting him after he opposed the Gaza conquest. 'The IDF Chief of Staff understands exactly what is happening and will not put the military in the hands of Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz,' one source said

Israel's Health Ministry reported on physical and mental damage in eight released hostages. After sexual abuse and malnutrition in Gaza, the freed hostages have difficulties ranging from hearing and driving to trusting others

France delayed visa renewals for Israeli airline staff in response to security checks on its diplomats at Ben-Gurion Airport, amid strained Israeli-French relations. Last week, El Al's Paris office was splashed with red paint

National resilience scholar Shaul Kimhi says political divisions over Gaza hostages are widening in Israel. After two years of war, Ukrainians showed greater resilience than Israelis, with the key factor 'apparently a trust in leadership'

Democrats seen as potential presidential candidates, like Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar, are stumbling through redefining their well-established stances on Israel amid the humanitarian crisis in Gaza

Hostage families and activists spoke at a Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting, convened for the first time under Likud MK Boaz Bismuth. The sister-in law of slain hostage Shiri Bibas told the committee Shiri and her kids 'had no country'

Haredi threats of disruptions, economic boycott and global protest over Israel's bid to draft their young men should be taken seriously. Disparate though it is, the community knows how to unite to exert pressure for common goals – something Israeli liberals sorely lacks

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to do some damage control by using minimizing language to describe his Gaza takeover plan. Netanyahu's speeches and Israel's history are all the evidence you need to understand what he's actually saying

In an interview with The New York Times, Zakaria Zubeidi, a Palestinian militant who rose to prominence in the second Intifada and was accused by Israel of murdering six Israelis, said that Palestinians have to 'reconsider' the tools with which they fight for their rights

The April 2024 killing of seven World Central Kitchen workers propelled the Israeli humanitarian NGO to begin securing food, medicine, water and more for aid NGOs already within Gaza – but not with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation

Defense Minister Katz, acting on Netanyahu's behalf, is using senior appointments as a cover to weaken the IDF chief Eyal Zamir before the invasion of Gaza City. Their real goal is to sideline Zamir, making him less likely to oppose cabinet decisions, but he is fighting back with a high-stakes gamble

In an opinion piece published in the Wall Street Journal, Antony Blinken addressed the recent decision by several Western countries to immediately recognize a Palestinian state. He wrote that 'averting famine, recovering the hostages and ending the conflict in Gaza are the priorities'

The nearly $2 trillion fund announced Monday that it has sold its holdings in 11 Israeli companies, but a report in a Norwegian financial newspaper listed 17 companies the fund has divested from, ranging from Bet Shemesh Engines, which provides services to the IDF, to Rami Levy, a grocery store chain

In a quiet warehouse, 10,000 objects – from a charred sewing machine to Roee Munder's melted camera – stand as mute witnesses to the horrors of that day

The judges explained the decision to add hearings on 'the need to move the trial forward.' In February, they agreed to allow Netanyahu to only testify twice a week after he had argued that it was impossible to both testify three times a week and run the country

From restricting truck crossings to preventing proper cargo securing, Israel has imposed layers of bureaucratic and physical obstacles that hinder every stage of delivering food and medical supplies to Gaza

More and more of my compatriots are posting 'I'm an Israeli. I am not my government' on their social media accounts over the Gaza war. But this one seemingly inconsequential sentence signifies just what is wrong with the anti-government protests

The Histadrut, Israel's largest labor union, refused to join the strike but said it would not stand in the way of any workers who chose to participate

The words 'Fuk Jews,' as well as swastikas and SS symbols, were found spray-painted across the Israeli-American Council's main campus in California

From day one, Tel Aviv's Central Bus Station was a bold promise on the verge of becoming a curse. A journey through its past and present shows how early fears came true: air and noise pollution, a merchants' revolt, dark and desolate enclaves and rampant crime. And now, after briefly serving as a shelter during missile attacks from Iran, the station is once again sinking into the shadows

The 12-day war between Iran and Israel was dubbed Am KeLavi in Hebrew, an example of linguistic archaeology in action

A Bedouin villager said Israeli settlers began harassing them about a month ago when work started on a nearby outpost. On Sunday, IDF soldiers ordered them to evacuate, citing a closed military zone, later called a misunderstanding. 'Nobody is protecting us,' one resident told Haaretz

Despite Arab and Western support, al-Sharaa's government is facing difficulties with the Druze and Kurds, fearing Syria will break into cantons. Israel is considered to have sway with the Druze, and Syria is trying to get Russia to help it get rid of it

Standing Together's action during the live-broadcast season finale of Big Brother Israel a few nights ago felt different, when a group of young people wearing 'Get out of Gaza' T-shirts rushed the stage. Finally, viewers couldn't un-see what is happening

Anas al-Sharif, a well-known Al Jazeera correspondent, was killed this week in an Israeli airstrike. The intention is clear: If you silence the witnesses, you can reshape history

The moment 'the Palestinian Nelson Mandela' is released, he will immediately be cast as the face of the emerging Palestinian state and stand as Netanyahu's main rival on the world stage

The minister said the promotions occurred without his consent and demanded that future appointments be coordinated with him. The military affirmed that the IDF chief alone appoints commanders at the colonel rank and above. Opposition leader Yair Lapid said, 'This is not how you lead an army'

Eli Feldstein, a former spokesperson for Netanyahu, implicates fellow aide Yonatan Urich in a pro-Qatar influence campaign while being questioned by Israel police

Israel's targeted killing of Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif came with an IDF media kit alleging his 'military affiliation to Hamas,' a claim he repeatedly denied. Now, Netanyahu says he will 'soon' allow 'a lot' of foreign journalists into Gaza

Israeli and Palestinian sources told Haaretz that progress toward a comprehensive hostage deal, replacing a phased approach, hinges on Israel dropping its Gaza City occupation plan and Hamas making major concessions

Members of the Economic Affairs Committee voted unanimously for the prime minister to intervene, after both the finance and transportation ministries refused to commit to reimbursing airlines and Israelis stuck abroad during the war, despite the government-ordered airspace closure

The heavy bombing comes amid the killing of Al Jazeera journalists, which the director of Al-Shifa hospital said shows that the IDF is 'planning something big' in Gaza City. Meanwhile, a Palestinian businessman and reported Trump mediator says negotiations with Hamas for a deal might be renewed soon

The Mossad was reportedly unaware of the ex-official's contacts with Qatar, despite his claim that he had informed the agency. He is the second former Mossad employee to be investigated in the Qatargate affair, which Haaretz broke last November

Israel's takeover plan for Gaza City is perceived by most Palestinians in the Strip as a yet another devastating threat that will prolong the war and their suffering. But some say they are so exhausted, they find themselves hoping for Israeli control

The Scouts movement's leadership initially said longstanding volunteer Nir Ben-Zvi was dismissed over a post accusing Minister Yoav Kisch of 'declaring war on the secular public,' which 'contradicts the spirit of the Scouts movement,' only to later backtrack to a technical reason for his dismissal

The Italian FM also complained about 'serious things' happening in the West Bank, and said that alongside Israel's plan to invade Gaza City, they represent an escalation 'that requires us to make decisions that will force Netanyahu to think'

Friends and colleagues mourn Gaza correspondent Anas al-Sharif as some Palestinians condemn Al Jazeera for failing to protect its journalists in the Strip. Others warn that al-Sharif's killing is the opening act for Israel's plan to conquer Gaza City

The government is promoting bills to disqualify Arab candidates and undermine the Supreme Court, amid a possible abuse of the police's role and spread of fake news, if Netanyahu decides to take his undermining of state institutions further

Bipin Joshi's mother and sister, who will land in Israel on Monday, are slated to meet with Israeli defense officials and visit the kibbutz from which he was taken into captivity in Gaza. His sister will also give a speech at Tel Aviv's Hostage Square on Saturday

'A mother is the strongest material in nature, so we have arisen now': A group of 150 women set up a protest tent in southern Israel, near the border with Gaza, to call for an end to political wars that cost the lives of 'our children'

Jonathan Greenblatt dismissed New York Magazine's investigation into his organization in an hour-long New York Times video interview, in which he discussed free speech, Mahmoud Khalil and anti-Zionism vs. Zionism

The current heatwave is expected to last around a week and see temperatures 8°C to 10°C (14.4°F to 18°F) higher compared to the average summer in Israel. Such prolonged and intense heatwaves, while rare, are becoming more frequent due to the worsening climate crisis

Though the labor union chief said his 'heart is bursting with anger,' in his view, a strike won't bring an end to the war. Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan, responded to the rejection, saying, 'From now on, it's on us, the people'

American Jewish communal organizations may believe that they are aiding Israel by rejecting the French initiative to recognize Palestine. But in fact, creating a Palestinian state means that there is an Israel still standing

Following a petition by hostage families, the government has two weeks to respond. The families seek an order blocking any deal that would harm the hostages' rights to life and dignity

Flying abroad in the summer is considered a must for many Israelis. But with the country's reputation at an all-time low over the Gaza war, Israeli tourists are getting the cold shoulder in many places, and somtimes worse. Here's how they're responding

The vehicle was operating near Moshav Dovev on the Israel-Lebanon border and was likely seized by hostile forces after overturning during an operation

France's 1936 Popular Front united against fascism – now a million Israelis must do the same, taking to the streets, giving up comfort, risking livelihoods, and saving the country from its own government

Senior Israeli military legal officials have warned that if the attorney general is excluded from discussions about the planned Gaza operation, or if the government disregards her guidelines, as some ministers have indicated, IDF soldiers involved in the occupation could face legal risks

The Jerusalem Great Synagogue was also vandalized with graffiti; Israeli politicians from both left and right denounced the graffiti as a desecration. Following the arrest of the suspect, a judge released him and ordered an emergency psychiatric hospitalization

The Israeli public isn't exposed to the truth about Gaza – not only because of IDF censorship, but because editors align with the narrative, out of fear, ratings, or ideology. This is the culmination of a moral crisis