Jerusalem Report

By mistaking delay for diplomacy, the West is again falling into Iran's negotiation trap - analysis

Every ceasefire offers Iran another opportunity to rebuild, while the West mistakes delay for diplomacy

|ByDANNY AYALON, MORAN ALALUF
Motorists drive their vehicles past a political billboard featuring US President Donald Trump and the Strait of Hormuz along Valiasr Square in Tehran on May 26.Premium
King Abdullah II of Jordan. Analysts say that the return of the death penalty is intended to send a clear message of deterrence as the kingdom grapples with multiple internal and external challenges.PremiumPremium

'Killing security officers is a red line': Why Jordan brought back the death penalty

The execution of six men convicted of killing security officers in June signals Amman’s tough new approach to terrorism, drug trafficking, and threats to the kingdom’s stability

|ByDANA BEN-SHIMON
Mohamed Salah and teammates of Egypt complain to referee Francois Letexier during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Argentina and Egypt on July 7.PremiumPremium

When Arabs lose, the Jew is summoned as the hidden hand - opinion

The lie about one soccer referee exposed how deeply antisemitic conspiracy theories remain embedded in Arab discourse

|ByDALIA ZIADA
US President Donald Trump meets Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa during regional diplomatic talks on May 14. The Trump administration is weighing whether engagement with Damascus could produce a broader regional breakthrough.PremiumPremium

Normalization with Damascus may be Trump's only tangible Middle East win left - analysis

Is Syria Trump’s best chance for a Middle East diplomatic win?

|ByERIC R. MANDEL

How the IRGC's shadow economy keeps Iran's nuclear program alive - analysis

How Iran is financed, and why US attempts to pressure Iran in the Strait of Hormuz have failed

MAY 21, 2026ByDANNY AYALON, MORAN ALALUF
The Islamic Republic has built alternative financial systems, and while ordinary Iranians have absorbed severe economic pain.
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Why polarization, not Iran or Hamas, will decide Israel's next election - analysis

As Israel heads toward another election, the country’s deepest divides may no longer be external enemies – but itself

MAY 21, 2026ByGAYIL TALSHIR
Opposition leader Yair Lapid and former prime minister Naftali Bennett recently held an inaugural conference of their Together – Under Bennett’s Leadership party for the upcoming national election.
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Red card diplomacy: Palestine’s handshake foul rattles FIFA ahead of 2026 World Cup

Palestinian Football Association turns the World Cup tournament into a game of political football

MAY 21, 2026ByGIL ZOHAR
FIFA President Gianni Infantino (C) interacts with the President of the Palestine Football Association Jibril Rajoub as the Vice-President of Israel Football Association Basim Sheikh Suliman (L) looks on during a heated moment in the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver, Canada on April 30.
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IDF chief Eyal Zamir's battle against indiscipline is essential to Israel’s war effort - opinion

Why IDF chief Eyal Zamir’s crackdown on unauthorized symbols is about protecting the IDF’s professionalism and chain of command in wartime

MAY 21, 2026ByANDREW FOX
The IDF’s ethical framework is clear. The ‘Spirit of the IDF’ lists statehood, responsibility, personal example, human dignity, purity of arms, and discipline as its core values.
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The Arab Spring is dead, and a new social contract has replaced it - analysis

Across the Arab world in 2026, ideology is giving way to pragmatism, as publics prioritize stability, security, and economic delivery over reform

MAY 21, 2026BySAGIV STEINBERG
A demonstrator holds empty tear gas canisters during a protest over the deteriorating economic situation, in Riad al-Solh Square in Beirut, Lebanon, in 2023.
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Two books, two realities: How October 7 transformed Lihi Lapid's American book tour - opinion

Publishing two books abroad revealed how October 7 reshaped Jewish identity in the Diaspora – and why shared culture may be the bridge linking Jews together

MAY 12, 2026ByLIHI LAPID
Israeli author Lihi Lapid struggled to get recognition for her first novel due to the Gaza war; but with her second book, published by a Jewish publishing house, she found greater support.

'Too Jewish?' Why Jewish stories still make some audiences uncomfortable

Why Jewish stories still provoke discomfort – and why that discomfort matters

MAY 12, 2026ByRYAN CRAIG
The Rosenbergs, a middle-class Jewish family from Edgware, played by Nicholas Woodeson as the father, David Rosenberg, and Tracy-Ann Oberman as mother, Lesley Rosenberg, in Ryan Craig’s play, staged recently in a London theater.

Naomi Shloush's 'Academic bimbo' confronts Mizrahi identity in modern Israel

Naomi Shloush’s book confronts identity, stigma, and the fragile space between belonging and exclusion

MAY 12, 2026ByJEHUDIT WEINBERGER BASHA
In her novel ‘Frecha Academait,’ Naomi Shloush confronts the stigmas around the derogatory term ‘frecha’ used for women of Mizrahi heritage.

The literary world's 'Jewish question': How publishing is failing Jewish authors

As antisemitism rises in the publishing realm, Jewish writers face a choice: stay and fight or rebuild elsewhere

MAY 12, 2026ByLIOR ZOE PERETS
Jewish writers are finding it increasingly difficult to navigate a publishing world shadowed by antisemitism.

When food becomes memory: Alon Shaya's culinary tribute to Holocaust survivors

How one Israeli-American chef is transforming Holocaust stories into dishes that preserve identity, resilience, and remembrance

MAY 12, 2026ByRACHEL FINK
Chef Alon Shaya uses food and memory to preserve Holocaust stories for a new generation.