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(From left to right) Avner, Sara, Benjamin and Yair Netanyahu tour the Golan Heights, on April 23, 2019. (PMO)

Netanyahu says Iran ‘tried to murder one of my sons,’ doesn’t give further details

By Stav Levaton and ToI Staff

PM cites purported assassination attempt to defend unusually high level of security coverage enjoyed by his family

Live

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Updated 18min ago

IDF’s top West Bank general said to warn PM settler violence could spark major rise in Palestinian terror

Traffic slowly resumes on roads, light rail after hourslong Haredi anti-enlistment protest * Nearly 90% of parents say their kids’ education was hurt by Iran war — poll * US support for Iran war falls

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks from the Israeli coast about the locating of the 1948 vessel Altalena, August 24, 2026. (GPO screenshot)

PM hails finding of Irgun arms ship Altalena, denounces Ben-Gurion for attacking it in 1948

By Noam Lehmann and ToI Staff

Netanyahu uses incident to illustrate dangers of civil war while denigrating his political opponents; Ben Gvir likens himself to Irgun leader Begin at separate press event

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks at a news conference, August 24, 2026, at the Treasury Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

New sanctions on 'five critical sectors' of Iran's economy

‘Economic asphyxiation’: US Treasury chief announces new sanctions campaign against Iran

Bessent warns nations that ignore the sanctions and help Tehran will 'share in the isolation,' but holds off on announcing secondary sanctions against China, others

Decommissioned Syrian Air Force planes are seen at the Abu al-Duhur military airport, east of Idlib, following the takeover of the area by Syrian opposition fighters on December 7, 2024. (AP/Omar Albam)

Analysis

Strike on Syrian airbase signals Israel’s growing unease with Turkey’s regional ambitions

Critics question why Ankara's longstanding presence suddenly required force, but experts say Turkish military systems could threaten IDF freedom of action and help Erdogan expand his influence

Bereaved families of the October 7 massacre, members of the October Council, attend a press conference in Tel Aviv, August 24, 2026. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

‘Hair-raising’: Oct. 7 bereaved families say Israel again downplaying Hamas threat

October Council report shows terror operatives crossing ceasefire line daily, planting explosives, stealing arms, but forces not allowed to respond and officials afraid to speak up

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The best Israeli shows – all streaming on ChaiFlicks

Laugh, cry, kvell! Stream the best Israeli series like Shtisel, Embezzlement, The Chef, and more on ChaiFlicks — all for under $5/mo. Start watching today!

Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot visits Kibbutz Nir Oz, near the Gaza border, as part of his election campaign, August 5, 2026. (Tsafrir Abayov/Flash90)

Shin Bet to allow armed guards for Eisenkot, but won’t provide them itself — report

Apparent compromise will also grant Eisenkot's team direct line to agency and relevant intel, after PM told Zini to ensure his main opponent has 'adequate' security

Latest Articles

Top ops

Moti Leitner

Charedi politics has failed us. It’s time to take responsibility

The established parties have left our community poorer, more isolated and at odds with the rest of Israel. We’re building an alternative from within

Daniella Shamir

Daniella Shamir

Young Israelis are watching. Are politicians listening?

The generation supposedly lost to social media is using those very platforms to debate the country’s future — and potentially decide its next election

Shuki Friedman

Israel’s largest ultra-Orthodox party? Likud

From draft exemptions to education and public funding, the party of Begin is increasingly embracing a worldview at odds with its Zionist roots

Mick Davis

How Netanyahu taught Israel to give up on peace

Bibi didn’t create Palestinian rejectionism or October 7. But he spent years obstructing a two-state solution – and telling Israelis that hope itself was naive

Menachem Rosensaft

Drawing numbers on Palestinian detainees? What were they thinking?

Whatever the soldiers’ intent, reducing anyone numbers is dehumanizing — and ‘lessons were learned’ is no longer an adequate response

Talyah Ginsberg

Talyah Ginsberg

74 mitzvot, four men, one possible match

Parshat Ki Teitzei has plenty to say about relationships. CoronaCrush gives you seven minutes to figure one out

Richard Ferrer

Sometimes, I really wish there were a God

I’m a confirmed atheist, but I’ve come to see that humanity is hard-wired for faith. So I still don’t believe, but now I feel like I’m missing out

Danny Danon

The most important election no one is talking about

It’s easy to forget how the world is counting on the next UN secretary-general; the right person might even save the United Nations from its current decline

Ben Newman

Yes, I would let AI help me write a love letter

AI does not replace my emotions, ideas or judgment or emotion. For me - and for neurodivergent writers - it’s a creative tool like any other

Yitzhak Klein

Israel can no longer afford deference to America

Jack Lew’s prescription for preserving US-Israel ties belongs to an era when Israelis could rely on America to protect their vital security interests

Neshama Carlebach

Neshama Carlebach

Less alone than I thought

Reckoning with my father’s complex legacy, I’ve discovered how many others are struggling to reconcile love for someone with the harm they caused

Shalom Yerushalmi

Shalom Yerushalmi

Netanyahu boasts of Likud renewal, but his new slate is a faded copy of the old

With voter turnout at a low 53%, the prime minister’s rigged primary sidelined independent voices in favor of loyalists and handpicked political functionaries

Top ops

Moti Leitner

Charedi politics has failed us. It’s time to take responsibility

The established parties have left our community poorer, more isolated and at odds with the rest of Israel. We’re building an alternative from within

Daniella Shamir

Daniella Shamir

Young Israelis are watching. Are politicians listening?

The generation supposedly lost to social media is using those very platforms to debate the country’s future — and potentially decide its next election

Shuki Friedman

Israel’s largest ultra-Orthodox party? Likud

From draft exemptions to education and public funding, the party of Begin is increasingly embracing a worldview at odds with its Zionist roots

Mick Davis

How Netanyahu taught Israel to give up on peace

Bibi didn’t create Palestinian rejectionism or October 7. But he spent years obstructing a two-state solution – and telling Israelis that hope itself was naive

Menachem Rosensaft

Drawing numbers on Palestinian detainees? What were they thinking?

Whatever the soldiers’ intent, reducing anyone numbers is dehumanizing — and ‘lessons were learned’ is no longer an adequate response

Talyah Ginsberg

Talyah Ginsberg

74 mitzvot, four men, one possible match

Parshat Ki Teitzei has plenty to say about relationships. CoronaCrush gives you seven minutes to figure one out

Richard Ferrer

Sometimes, I really wish there were a God

I’m a confirmed atheist, but I’ve come to see that humanity is hard-wired for faith. So I still don’t believe, but now I feel like I’m missing out

Danny Danon

The most important election no one is talking about

It’s easy to forget how the world is counting on the next UN secretary-general; the right person might even save the United Nations from its current decline

Ben Newman

Yes, I would let AI help me write a love letter

AI does not replace my emotions, ideas or judgment or emotion. For me - and for neurodivergent writers - it’s a creative tool like any other

Yitzhak Klein

Israel can no longer afford deference to America

Jack Lew’s prescription for preserving US-Israel ties belongs to an era when Israelis could rely on America to protect their vital security interests

Neshama Carlebach

Neshama Carlebach

Less alone than I thought

Reckoning with my father’s complex legacy, I’ve discovered how many others are struggling to reconcile love for someone with the harm they caused

Shalom Yerushalmi

Shalom Yerushalmi

Netanyahu boasts of Likud renewal, but his new slate is a faded copy of the old

With voter turnout at a low 53%, the prime minister’s rigged primary sidelined independent voices in favor of loyalists and handpicked political functionaries

Jewish Americans gather at a rally in Washington, DC, November 14, 2023. (Luke Tress/Times of Israel)

'We’re complicating everybody’s narrative'

As Jews seek place in American life, Brandeis opens 250 years of wondering to public

By Agatha Khishchenko

Massachusetts university's upcoming course explores the American Jewish story, from colonial immigrants to Hollywood and summer camps, amid tensions on US campuses and in politics

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu votes in Jerusalem in the Likud primary, August 17, 2026, as Likud members help determine the party’s Knesset slate ahead of Israel's October 27 general elections. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Poll: Eisenkot leads Netanyahu by 10% as public's preferred PM

Lagging in polls, Netanyahu warns small right-wing parties could hand election to ‘fascist’ left

Fuming that a rash of new parties led by disaffected nationalists will waste vital votes, PM, whose coalition seeks oversight of media, claims opposition would restrict free speech, shutter his supportive Channel 14

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Yad Ezra V'Shulamit

Help pack food baskets to relieve hunger in Israel on Rosh Hashanah

As thousands of Israelis face food insecurity, leading food relief network seeks volunteers to pack food baskets to be distributed across Israel for Rosh Hashanah.

Knesset Election 2026

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'This time we are taking responsibility'

Launching campaign, new Haredi party slams ‘detachment, stupidity’ of existing factions

Moti Leitner, chairman of The Charedi Public, and Rabbi Yehoshua Pfeffer, head of the party's rabbinic committee, attend the kick-off of the new ultra-Orthodox faction's Knesset campaign in Beit Shemesh, August 23, 2026. (Sam Sokol/Times of Israel)

The Charedi Public calls for secular education, workforce participation and the enlistment of everybody who is not learning full-time in yeshiva

A smashed window at Ramat Hasharon's Darchei Noam Reform synagogue that was vandalized on August 23, 2026. (X, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Reform synagogue vandalized in central Israel, in second such incident in 10 days

Ramat Hasharon mayor demands police investigation after assailants smash windows of Darchei Noam congregation

The arrivals hall at Ben Gurion International Airport on August 20, 2026, during a shutdown. (Avshalom Sassoni/ Flash90)

Op-ed

Eran Hildesheim

Airport chaos shows Israel’s public sector collapsing under the weight of political cronyism

The bedlam at Ben Gurion was not a sudden failure, but the inevitable result of a system hollowed out by nepotism, sham tenders, and political loyalists. And the rot extends across public service

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Theatron Hotel and Residences

Luxury Jerusalem residences with five-star hotel amenities

Luxury living in Talbieh at Theatron Residences: private apartments, five-star hotel services, indoor pool and gym facilities, stunning Jerusalem views. Only 4 left for sale!

Kevin Cuzmiciov, left, and Eylon Elazar compete at the Nayarit Challenge in Mexico, March 2026. (Courtesy)

'They have the potential to reach the absolute top'

Tenacity and grit fuel Israeli beach volleyball duo’s spike in rankings – and Olympic hopes

By David Wiseman

Quickly rising through international ranks, Eylon Elazar and Kevin Cuzmiciov face fierce competition for chance to represent Israel in the sport for first time at 2028 LA Games

Construction in the southern Israeli city of Kiryat Gat. October 27, 2025. (Yossi Aloni/FLASH90)

Israel home purchase cancellations spike as risky developer financing takes toll

Data shows sharp rise in shelved deals, after builders allowed some buyers to put down nothing in advance and face little or no penalty for walking away

DocuNation

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Exclusively for the ToI Community

Watch ‘Kosher Beach’ – exclusively for The Times of Israel Community

A wooden fence separates Tel Aviv's gender-segregated 'Kosher Beach' from the surrounding secular and LGBTQ sands. Meet the women who frequent this modest seaside. Join the ToI Community to access.

Election czar orders Shas to remove ad claiming troops support Haredi party

A screenshot from a Shas campaign video featuring an IDF soldier from a Haredi background that the party was ordered to take down by the Central Elections Committee on August 23, 2026. (Screenshot/Shas)

Judge gives Aryeh Deri 2 days to respond to Yashar petition alleging the video, featuring a religious family welcoming their soldier son home, violates election rules

More Headlines

Troops at the scene of a stabbing attack in al-Auja in the West Bank on August 23, 2026. (IDF)

Israeli man injured in West Bank stabbing attack; IDF arrests suspect after manhunt

By Emanuel Fabian and Agencies

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) and Justice Minister Yariv Levin talk in the Knesset on July 16, 2026, hours before parliament dispersed ahead of general elections on October 27, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

High Court bars justice minister from making appointments to revamped police watchdog

By Noam Lehmann

Illustrative image of cybersecurity threats and data breaches. (iStock via Getty Images)

Israeli startup led by cybersecurity veterans lays off workforce and shuts down

By Sharon Wrobel

Illustrative: Soldiers of the Burundi National Defense Force (FDNB) march in formation during the official military parade marking the 64th anniversary of Burundi’s Independence Day at Stade Intwari in Bujumbura, on July 1, 2026. (Herve Shabani/AFP)

Burundi poised to join nascent Gaza peacekeeping mission — officials

By AP and ToI Staff

FILE: Members of the Saraya al-Salam Shiite militia attend a ceremony marking the start of the process of handing over their weapons to Iraqi state forces in Samarra, north of Baghdad, Iraq, June 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Anmar Khalil)

Iraq delays deadline for Iran-backed Shiite militias to hand over weapons

By AFP

Dara from Bulgaria holds up the trophy after winning the Grand Final of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, Austria, in the early hours of May 17, 2026. (AP/Martin Meissner)

Dutch broadcaster to continue Eurovision boycott over Israel, but Netherlands could still return

White House aide Natalie Harp disembarks Air Force One, August 16, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

‘You are all that matters to me’: Report reveals top aide’s intimate notes to Trump

By Michael Horovitz

A Palestinian inspects one of the buildings at his home, reportedly set fire and defaced with graffiti by Israeli settlers south of Nablus in the West Bank, on August 23, 2026. (JAAFAR ASHTIYEH/AFP)

Car, building torched in apparent settler attack in West Bank; no injuries reported

By Nurit Yohanan and Noam Lehmann

Aysha Abraibesh leads a chant while pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel demonstrators block traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge on February 14, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Protesters sentenced for blocking Golden Gate Bridge in 2024 over Gaza war

By Reuters and ToI Staff

Co-president of French center-left party Place Publique (PP) Raphael Glucksmann speaks with journalists in Jonquiere, southwestern France, on August 12, 2026. (Valentine CHAPUIS/AFP)

French moderate Raphael Glucksmann slated to enter crowded presidential race

By AFP

Undated portraits of Jonas Sjöstedt (left) and Hanna Gedin, members of Sweden’s Left Party. (European Parliament official website)

Israel bars 2 Swedish MEPs from entering country over alleged anti-Israel activity

By Stav Levaton

Republican nominee for US Senate Mike Rogers speaks during a campaign event August 20, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Michigan GOP Senate candidate Mike Rogers said to ask AIPAC not to campaign on his behalf

By ToI Staff and Agencies

Popular

Watch: TOI Shorts

Yossi Klein Halevi: The sin of the hilltop youth and government

Yossi Klein Halevi: The sin of the hilltop youth and government

Israeli man injured in West Bank stabbing attack

Israeli man injured in West Bank stabbing attack

Yossi Klein Halevi: Kahanist extremism in Netanyahu’s government

Yossi Klein Halevi: Kahanist extremism in Netanyahu’s government

IDF to open criminal inquiry into Gaza’s Hind Rajab case

IDF to open criminal inquiry into Gaza’s Hind Rajab case

Voters turn out for Likud primary

Voters turn out for Likud primary

Meet Elisheva Levy: Jerusalem's fairy godmother

Meet Elisheva Levy: Jerusalem's fairy godmother

Israelis increasingly use viral UV index hack to get ‘instant tan’

Israelis increasingly use viral UV index hack to get ‘instant tan’

Extremist settlers besiege Palestinian homes in Qusra

Extremist settlers besiege Palestinian homes in Qusra

DocuNation: Bird in the room

DocuNation: Bird in the room

Iconic Jerusalem market to get revamp

Iconic Jerusalem market to get revamp

Those we have lost

Stories of the civilians and soldiers who have fallen in the Israel-Hamas war

Sgt. First Class Mulugeta "Mulu" Gadif (Courtesy)

Those we have lost

Sgt. First Class Mulugeta Gadif, 29: Police officer left behind newborn

Killed battling the Hamas invasion of Kibbutz Be'eri on October 7

The late Matan Abergil, who jumped on his friends in an armored vehicle to protect them from a grenade thrown by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023. (Screenshot)

Those We Have Lost

Sgt. Matan Abergil, 19: Used body to shield 6 friends from grenade

Killed in action in Kibbutz Nir Am, October 7

Carmel Gat (Courtesy)

Those we have lost

Carmel Gat, 40: Occupational therapist had ‘curiosity and confidence’

Kidnapped from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7, murdered in captivity in August 2024, her body returned to Israel

Efrat Katz, 68, was killed as Hamas terrorists kidnapped her from her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7. (Facebook)

Those We Have Lost

Efrat Katz, 68: Doting grandmother who loved the fields of Nir Oz

Slain while being kidnapped by Hamas terrorists from her home in Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7

Idan Shtivi (Courtesy)

Those we have lost

Idan Shtivi, 28: Student of sustainability and amateur photographer

Murdered on October 7, 2023, while fleeing the Supernova festival, his body taken captive to Gaza and recovered in August 2025

Captain Omer Wolf who was killed in Nir Oz on October 7, 2023. (Credit: IDF).

Those We Have Lost

Cpt. Omer Wolf, 22: Beloved commander secretly wrote beautiful songs

Killed fighting Hamas terrorists near Nir Oz on October 7

Sgt. First Class (res.) Yakir Shmuel Tatelbaum (Courtesy)

Those we have lost

Sgt. 1st Class Yakir Tatelbaum, 21: US-Israeli soldier ‘fell with pride’

Killed while fighting Hamas in northern Gaza on June 28, 2024

Sgt. Itamar Cohen (Courtesy)

Those we have lost

Sgt. Itamar Cohen, 19: Golani soldier, soccer fan died ‘as a hero’

Killed battling the Hamas attack on the Paga IDF outpost on October 7

Dipesh Raj Bist (Facebook)

Those We Have Lost

Dipesh Raj Bist, 24: Nepali intern paying for brother’s med school

Murdered by Hamas terrorists in Kibbutz Alumim on October 7

Rosa and Yuri Yedgarov (Courtesy)

Those we have lost

Rosa and Yuri Yadgarov, 80 & 78: Immigrant couple from Uzbekistan

Murdered by Hamas terrorists on the street in Ofakim on October 7 while they were heading to a bomb shelter

Tales of the Times

The quirky, improbable, infuriating and uplifting

Former hostage Eliya Cohen and October 7 survivor Ziv Aboud marry on August 19, 2026 (Screenshots/Hen Mazzig via X)

Former hostage Eliya Cohen and longtime girlfriend wed in ceremony full of symbolism

Cohen and Nova survivor Ziv Abud celebrate union, together with fellow October 7 survivors and bereaved; are wed underneath canopy decorated with prayer shawl of Abud's slain nephew

By Jessica Steinberg

View of the northern town of Metula, on the border with Lebanon. June 22, 2026. (Chen Leopold/FLASH90)

War poems

Metula poetry festival moved to Jerusalem, for third year

Literary event celebrates 29 years, but northern town bombarded by Hezbollah can't host guests just yet

By Jessica Steinberg

People walk in the rain in Jerusalem, August 15, 2026. (Yossi Zamir/Flash90)

Summer shpritz

Rare summer rains around Israel break all-time August records

Ma'ale Adumim records 25 millimeters of rain, one of the few times more than 20 mm has fallen in Israel in August; more rain expected Sunday

Rocker Aviv Geffen will perform after the screening of 'Aviv,' Tomer Heymann's documentary about the musician, at the National Library's Docu.Text festival, August 16-20, 2026 (Daniel Aharony)

Book your tickets

Documentary film fest to open at National Library for 11th year

Docu.Text, running August 16-20, will feature 25 films, with premieres, filmmaker talks and live performances by Aviv Geffen and other Israeli artists

By Jessica Steinberg

Alex Farfuri's video installation at the Israel Festival Verse event on August 11, 2026 (Jessica Steinberg/Times of Israel)

Cultural call

Israel Festival event urges audiences to listen and speak up

'Verse,' a collaboration with the Aner Shapira Foundation, takes place at the Jerusalem Campus of the Arts, showcasing a variety of voices in society

By Jessica Steinberg

A branch of the Golda ice cream company. (Screen grab/Kan news)

Churning controversy

Golda ice cream chain faces huge class action suit over ‘sugar-free’ flavors

Coffee and hazelnut offerings actually contained 13 times the amount of sugar allowed for flavors labeled sugarless, lawsuit claims

Flowering wild plants that were tested for drought both as individual species growing alone, and in a group. From top left to bottom right: Palestine catchfly, Israel marigold, purple clover, spring groundsel, common oat, and a mixed-species community containing all five species. (Barel Tsafon)

Growing apart

Drought makes Israeli wildflowers change bloom schedule, study finds

Hebrew University team finds timing of water shortages matters more than duration, with fall and spring droughts narrowing flowering season

Illustrative: Leonard Nimoy as Spock from the series 'Star Trek.' (photo credit: Startrek.com)

A most logical choice

‘Live Long and Prosper’: Spock’s legacy honors Jewish leaders for fighting hate

The award, inspired by Leonard Nimoy’s iconic Vulcan greeting, recognizes those boldly working to strengthen Jewish life

At the gin tasting hosted by the British Embassy for Israeli distributors on July 13, 2026. (Mai Savir)

British gin-vasion

UK gin finds a thirsty audience in Israel

The British Embassy introduces four new spirits to the local market; Israel also boasts unique gins featuring such botanicals as citron and Medjool dates

By Jessica Steinberg

Sacha Baron Cohen appears at the Wimbledon finals as his Ali G character, on July 14, 2026. (Screenshots via X)

Ali G Indahouse

Sacha Baron Cohen brings Ali G character back to life at Wimbledon

Video shows the British Jewish actor clad in white tracksuit emblazoned with 'official Ganja dealer' arguing with police over whether or not he offered drugs to children