Israel history

Mapping Israel’s path to independence: 12 sites that tell Israel's real story

Twelve heritage sites under the umbrella of the Society for Preservation of Israel Heritage Sites give an authentic voice to our story as a nation

Moshe Novomeysky established a community beside the Dead Sea in 1934, today an outdoor museum pays tribute to the tough, heat-resistant laborers and their families who lived there. Premium
Dona Gracia Hotel and Museum blends hospitality with storytellingPremiumPremium

Step through a time machine at Tiberias's Dona Gracia Hotel

Israeli cabinet minister and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot is consoled by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as he attends the funeral of his son Gal Meir Eisenkot, 25, an Israeli solider, who was killed in northern Gaza during the ground operation by Israel's military in Gaza.

Was Netanyahu chosen by God, or judged too harshly by man? - opinion

A SIGN points to Kibbutz Kissufim, and a yellow car is a reminder of the struggle to return the hostages.

Editor's Notes: Kibbutzim are showing Israelis how to bridge the religious divide


On This Day: David Ben-Gurion won Israel's first election

The elections were not for the Knesset, which did not exist yet, but for the Constituent Assembly, a body tasked with formulating a constitution for the emerging state.

 Israel's first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion.

Grave of Kfar Etzion pioneer rediscovered 80 years after her death

The grave of Tziporah Eliash, a Kfar Etzion pioneer, was buried with her daughter in the cemetery that saw many heart-wrenching funerals, including the Convoy of 10 and the Convoy of 35.

Grave of Tziporah Eliash in Kfar Etzion cemetery.

Not just gelt! Coins belonging to second king of the Hasmonean dynasty in miraculous discovery

Dr. Shay Bar, Dr. Yoav Farhi and Dr. Mechael Osband, who led the excavation, discovered the 80/79 BCE-style coins on Friday - the third night of Hanukkah.

Researchers unearthed 160 coins belonging to the second king of the Hasmonean dynasty from a Hanukkah-era excavation

Tel Dan Stele, oldest archaeological evidence of King David, comes to NY’s Jewish Museum

Before coming to the Jewish Museum, the stele was on display for nearly two months at a biblical archaeology museum in Oklahoma.

 The Tel Dan Stele on display at the Jewish Museum in New York.

Is France contributing to ongoing problems in the Middle East? - opinion

In the 1920s, France disrupted peace and stability in the Middle East through its assault on Syria.

 A general view of the Grand Al-Nuri Mosque after it was evacuated due to the discovery of explosive devices inside it dating back to the time of the Islamic State in Mosul, Iraq, June 29, 2024.

'Not the gov't nor Knesset, but people determine': Newly revealed Ben-Gurion speech calls for unity

"This is the mission of our movement: to unite the people around the great things that determine our fate and future," Ben-Gurion emphasized in his speech.

 David Ben-Gurion.

The best ambassador for my uncle’s vision - opinion

Benjamin Zucker.

The unsung Sephardi pioneers who built Jerusalem and beyond - opinion

Learn about the forgotten Sephardi pioneers who played a crucial role in building modern Israel, long before the First Aliyah.

 A MURAL shows Aharon Chelouche, far left, who founded Neveh Tzedek, with Shimon Rokach, center, in the foreground, and Haim Amzalak dressed as British vice-consul. On the right is Zerah Barnett, who also contributed to Neveh Tzedek’s founding.

How historical choices affect Israel's current multi-front war - opinion

An analysis of how historical decisions, like the Gaza disengagement, influence Israel’s current multi-front conflict and what lessons the US can learn.

 THEN-PRIME MINISTER Yitzhak Rabin and then-foreign minister Shimon Peres attend a Labor Party meeting in 1993. Rabin had been kept in the dark by Peres about the talks in Oslo, the writer asserts.

This week in Jewish history: Ha’Ari, Ramban, and the Messiah

Tisha B’Av, the traditional day of national mourning for the Jewish people, on which the destruction of the two Holy Temples.

 TOMB OF Ha’ari Hakadosh in Safed, a place of pilgrimage and prayer.