Feb. 17: Likud said advancing bill to raise salaries of PM, lawmakers and lower judges’ pay

Oscar-nominated Iranian screenwriter released from prison after 17 days

This image released by Neon shows, from left, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr as Hamid, Majid Panahi as Ali, Hadis Pakbaten as Goli, in a scene from "It Was Just an Accident." (Neon via AP)

Mehdi Mahmoudian, the Oscar-nominated cowriter of “It Was Just an Accident,” has been released from an Iranian prison 17 days after his arrest, according to local media reports.

Mahmoudian was arrested in Tehran shortly after signing a statement condemning Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the regime’s violent crackdown on anti-regime demonstrators. Today, he is released from the Nowshahr prison, along with two other signatories of the statement, Vida Rabbani and Abdollah Momeni.

No further details on any charges against Mahmoudian are immediately available. All three are released on bail.

Mahmoudian is nominated for best original screenplay at the Academy Awards, along with Nader Saeivar, Shadmehr Rastin and director Jafar Panahi. The film, a revenge drama inspired by Panahi’s own time in jail, is also nominated for best international feature, as a submission from France.

“Mehdi Mahmoudian, Vida Rabbani, and Abdollah Momeni peacefully exercised their right to express their views, but the regime responded by accusing them of ‘insulting the Supreme Leader’ and ‘propaganda against the Islamic Republic,’” Panahi says in a statement. “For years, such charges have been used as tools to criminalize thought, silence criticism, and instill fear in society. Turning a civil and peaceful act into a national security case is a clear sign of intolerance toward the independent voices of citizens.”

Mahmoudian, a writer and political activist, has previously been imprisoned multiple times, including a five-year term that ended in 2014 on charges of “mutiny against the regime.” Panahi, who has himself been jailed and put under house arrest by the Islamic Republic regime, first met him in prison.

Thousands were killed in last month’s nationwide anti-regime protests in Iran, with rights groups saying the true toll could be in the tens of thousands.

18-year-old arrested after running toward US Capitol with loaded shotgun, say police

An 18-year-old man ran toward the US Capitol with a loaded shotgun today before police arrested him without incident, says US Capitol Police Chief Michael Sullivan.

The motive of the man, who police said was wearing a tactical vest and tactical gloves, is not immediately known. He also had a Kevlar helmet and a gas mask in his vehicle, police say.

Sullivan says the man arrived in a white Mercedes SUV just after noon and parked near the Capitol, before getting out and running toward the building that houses the US Congress.

Police challenged the man and ordered him to drop the weapon, which he did, Sullivan told reporters.

The incident took place less than three months after a National Guard member was killed and another wounded in an ambush shooting near the White House.

President Donald Trump is due to deliver the annual State of the Union address at the Capitol next week.

“We take the State of the Union very, very seriously, and this doesn’t change our posture. We will be prepared on State of the Union night,” Sullivan says.

Immigration judge rejects Trump effort to deport Palestinian student

Mohsen Mahdawi, center, looks on during a pro-Palestinian protest at Columbia University, Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File)

An immigration judge has rejected the Trump administration’s efforts to deport Columbia University student Mohsen Mahdawi, who was arrested last year following his participation in pro-Palestinian protests.

Lawyers for Mahdawi detail the immigration judge’s decision in a court filing today with a federal appeals court in New York, which had been reviewing a ruling that led to his release from immigration custody in April.

Vatican says it won’t participate in Trump’s Board of Peace

Cardinal Pietro Parolin at the start of the conclave to elect a new Pope in the Sistine chapel in The Vatican, May 7, 2025. (Simone Risoluti / VATICAN MEDIA / AFP)

The Vatican will not participate in US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, says the Holy See’s secretary of state.

The board, of which Trump is the chairman, was initially designed to oversee the Gaza truce and the territory’s reconstruction after the war between Hamas and Israel.

But its purpose has since expanded into resolving all sorts of international conflicts, triggering fears that the US president wants to create a rival to the United Nations. The board’s first meeting is set for Thursday.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the secretary of state, says that the UN manages the world’s top crises.

“For us, there are… some critical issues that should be resolved, let’s say,” he says.

“That is, at the international level, it is above all the UN that manages these crisis situations,” he says. “This is one of the, one of the points on which we have insisted.”

Since Trump launched his Board of Peace at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January, at least 19 countries have signed its founding charter. Countries have been asked to pay $1 billion for permanent membership.

Vance: Some progress made in nuclear talks, but Iran still unwilling to accept US red lines

US Vice President JD Vance speaks on the final day of Turning Point USA's annual AmericaFest conference at the Phoenix Convention Center on December 21, 2025. in Phoenix, Arizona. (Caylo Seals / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

US Vice President JD Vance says that while some progress was made in the US’s talks today with Iran over its nuclear program, the Islamic Republic is not willing to accept some of Washington’s red lines.

“One thing about the negotiations this morning is — in some ways it went well. They agreed to meet afterward, but in other ways it was very clear that the president has set some red lines that the Iranians are not yet willing to actually acknowledge and work through,” Vance says in an interview with Fox News.

Elaborating a bit on what those red lines are, Vance says the US will not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon, arguing that it would lead to an arms race across the world that would be dangerous for America.

He says US President Donald Trump “reserves the ability” to say that diplomacy has run its course. Trump previously threatened Iran with military strikes and has built up US forces in the Middle East, but recently has expressed commitment to the talks with Iran.

“We’re going to keep on working it, but of course, the president reserves the ability to say when he thinks that diplomacy has reached its natural end. We hope we don’t get to that point, but if we do, that will be the president’s call,” he adds.

PA forces said to extract Israeli man from West Bank city of Qalqilya

An Israeli man was extracted from the West Bank city of Qalqilya earlier today by the Palestinian Authority’s security forces and handed over to Israeli troops, according to Israeli authorities.

The Civil Administration — a branch of the Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) — says it received a report of an Israeli man wandering around Qalqilya “with a real risk to his well-being.”

As in previous cases, the Civil Administration contacted PA security services to locate and transfer the civilian to Israeli forces.

“Upon receiving the report, officers from the Ephraim District Coordination and Liaison Office acted to provide immediate protection to the Israeli, and simultaneously to transfer him to the security forces through the coordination channels,” the Civil Administration says.

The man is expected to be questioned by the police over his entry to the Palestinian city, as it is illegal for Israeli citizens to enter PA-controlled territory in the West Bank.

Palestinian teachers strike over slashed salaries as Israel continues withholding PA funds

Palestinian schoolchildren attend a school in the Khalet al-Daba'a village, in Masafer Yatta in the southern West Bank, on February 13, 2025. (Hazem Bader/AFP)

A Palestinian teachers union launched a strike today, disrupting operations in schools across the West Bank over the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority’s continued cuts to salaries.

For the past several months, the PA has been paying only 60% of teacher salaries due to a financial crisis caused by Israel’s withholding of $4.4 billion in tax revenues from the PA, in violation of the Oslo Accords that established the framework for transferring the revenues.

Last month, 100 teachers reportedly had their salaries withheld for participating in protests against the PA over the salary cuts, leading to today’s open-ended protest by the Coordinating Committee for Teachers in the West Bank.

The committee is an offshoot of the main Palestinian teachers union, which is aligned with the ruling Fatah party.

The influence of the smaller committee is more limited, but it still managed to disrupt classes at half of the schools across the West Bank, a Palestinian source familiar with the matter says.

Likud said advancing bill to raise salaries of PM, lawmakers and lower judges’ pay

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, and Supreme Court President Isaac Amit attend a Jerusalem Day state ceremony at Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem, May 26, 2025. (Arie Leib Abrams/Flash90)

Likud lawmakers are advancing a bill that would effectively raise the salaries of Knesset members and the prime minister while lowering the salaries of judges, Channel 12 reports.

The report of the bill comes weeks after Knesset lawmakers’ salaries rose when they opted not to extend a three-year freeze on their own pay.

Now, the network reports, Likud MKs are pushing legislation whose stated goal is to align salaries across Israel’s executive, legislative and judicial branches, but whose effect would be to raise lawmakers’ and ministers’ salaries while lowering judges’ salaries.

The bill, which would form a committee to handle the matter, would also remove certain benefits from judges, including some conferred by seniority, Channel 12 reports.

The reported bill comes amid a long string of efforts by the coalition to weaken Israel’s court system, including via its sweeping judicial overhaul.

Currently, according to Ynet, the prime minister makes NIS 61,491 per month (translating to an annual salary of roughly $238,000). President Isaac Herzog makes NIS 71,082 per month (roughly $275,000 annually). High Court President Isaac Amit makes a base monthly salary of NIS 58,641 (roughly $227,000 annually), though Calcalist reported that his total compensation, taking benefits into account, is closer to NIS 120,000 per month (some $464,500 per year).

Israel’s upbeat bobsleigh team wraps up 2-man event in last place

Israel's Adam Edelman (left) and Menachem Chen congratulate each other after competing in the bobsleigh men's 2-man heat 3 at Cortina Sliding Center during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina on February 17, 2026. (Stefano RELLANDINI / AFP)

Israel’s 2-man bobsleigh team finishes in 26th and last place after completing its runs at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina.

Team pilot AJ Edelman and brakeman Menachem Chen end up with a total time of 2:52.24 following three heats, putting them a little over 7 seconds off the leading team. Only the top 20 teams advance to the fourth heat later tonight, which will determine the medal winners.

“What we accomplished today — some kid is going to see in 10, 15, 20 years, and he’s going to be inspired by that to do his own journey,” Edelman tells the Israeli Sport5 channel shortly after finishing the race. “Israel’s in the Olympics, baby! We did something unbelievable in this sport, to do it by ourselves, piecing it together.”

The Israelis’ Olympic run is not over yet, as the four-man bobsleigh team — also led by Edelman and considered their stronger event — will hit the ice on Saturday and Sunday.

“We’re really looking forward to the four-man, because that’s where the team shines,” Edelman says.

The team met controversy earlier this week when a commentator for the Swiss broadcaster RTS questioned Edelman’s participation in the Olympics due to what he termed the athlete’s “support of genocide in Gaza.”

That segment was later taken off of RTS’s website, and Edelman brushed off the criticism, praising his team for “working together toward an incredible goal and crushing it.”

Shin Bet chief’s brother accused of Gaza smuggling admitted getting money from fellow defendant — report

Bezalel Zini. (Facebook, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Bezalel Zini, the Shin Bet chief’s brother who is currently on trial for the alleged smuggling of cigarettes into Gaza, admitted to police that he received money from another defendant in the case, Channel 12 reports.

Zini, brother of Shin Bet chief David Zini and an IDF reservist who helmed logistics for a force doing demolition work in Gaza, was indicted two weeks ago as part of a wider smuggling case. He is accused of abusing his access to the enclave to smuggle 14 crates of cigarettes from Israel into Gaza on three occasions, making a total of NIS 365,000 ($117,405).

He is charged with assisting the enemy during wartime, a severe offense in Israeli law. Though his legal team denies the charges against him, Zini admitted to receiving money when interrogated by police prior to his indictment, Channel 12 reports.

According to the report, Aviel Ben David, another of the alleged smugglers who served under Zini in the army, incriminated his higher-up and told an interrogator he paid Zini NIS 200,000 ($65,000) in cash on one occasion.

The transfer took place two days after the pair drove into Gaza together with a crate of Marlboro cigarettes, according to the testimony.

In transcripts of two interrogation sessions obtained by the outlet, Zini initially rejects the allegations. “My entry into the Strip is a daily situation… I deny any relation to the event,” he says.

But he admits receiving payment from Ben David when the investigator asks how much he has been paid, the network reports.

“I don’t know how much, it could be NIS 200,000 or 250,000 ($65-80,000), I don’t know,” he says, according to the reported transcript.

When asked if he received more than NIS 300,000 ($97,000), he reportedly responds: “I received [money], I don’t know how much.”

He does not say, in the reported transcript, that he received the money for smuggling.

According to other Hebrew media reports, Zini denied knowing the money was given in exchange for smuggling.

Zini was indicted in the Beersheba District Court alongside Ben David and his acquaintance Amir Dov Halperin earlier this month. The latter two allegedly smuggled cigarettes into the Strip on five separate occasions.

NYC Council speaker, comptroller knock Mamdani’s budget proposal

New York City Councilmember Julie Menin speaks at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, in Manhattan, January 27, 2025. (Luke Tress/Times of Israel)

New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Comptroller Mark Levine come out against Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s proposed budget for 2027.

Mamdani inherited a $5.4 billion budget gap from his predecessor Eric Adams. In his first proposed budget, Mamdani calls for raising property taxes by 9.5% and “raiding our reserves.”

A statement from Mamdani says his preferred choice for closing the gap is “raising taxes on the wealthiest and corporations,” but those taxes would need the approval of the state government, which is unlikely to support the tax hike. The city can raise property taxes without state approval.

“We do not want to have to turn to such drastic measures to balance our budget. But, faced with no other choice, we will be forced to,” Mamdani says in a statement.

Levine says that raising property taxes and tapping into reserves “would have dire consequences.”

“Our property tax system is profoundly unfair and inconsistent, and an across-the-board increase in this tax would be regressive. Drawing down reserves during a period of economic growth would leave us vulnerable to economic turbulence next year,” Levine says in a statement.

“At a time when New Yorkers are already grappling with an affordability crisis, dipping into rainy day reserves and proposing significant property tax increases should not be on the table whatsoever,” Menin says.

Menin and Levine, both Jewish centrist Democrats with deep ties to Jewish communities, hold two of the most powerful positions in city government, enabling them to serve as a counterweight to City Hall.

The dispute over the budget marks the first major clash between the two and Mamdani since he took office at the start of the year.

The proposed budget is preliminary and the City Council needs to approve a final budget by June.

Turkey’s Erdogan says Israel’s recognition of Somaliland benefits nobody

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan listens as Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud speaks during a joint news conference in Istanbul, Turkey, December 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan says Israel’s recognition of the breakaway Republic of Somaliland would not benefit Somaliland or the region.

In December, Erdogan had said Israel’s decision to formally recognize Somaliland, a northern territory that declared itself independent from Somalia in 1991, was illegal and unacceptable, and he accused Israel of trying to destabilize the Horn of Africa. Turkey and Somalia have close ties.

“I would like to especially underline our stance of valuing the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states in the area where Ethiopia is located,” Erdogan tells a press conference during a visit to Addis Ababa, adding Turkey does not want to see new conflicts in the region.

“We believe regional countries need to find solutions to the problems of the region and for the Horn of Africa not to become a competition field for foreign forces. In that regard, I would like to emphasize that Israel’s recognition of Somaliland does not benefit Somaliland or the Horn of Africa,” he adds.

NATO member Turkey has increased its influence in Africa in recent years, training Somalia’s security forces and supplying development assistance in return for a foothold on a key global shipping route. Ankara has also developed close ties with other regional countries, including Ethiopia.

Turkey has also been one of the most vocal critics of Israel’s conduct in Gaza, calling it a genocide while Erdogan has praised Hamas, which has led to a collapse of relations between the countries. It has cut all trade with Israel and called for international measures against its leaders.

Somalia has cut all ties with the United Arab Emirates, accusing it of influencing Israel’s recognition of Somaliland. Mogadishu has since signed a defense agreement with Qatar, while Turkey sent fighter jets to its base there in a show of force.

Dozens condemn Berlin Film Festival ‘silence’ on Gaza after jury president’s remarks

Javier Bardem attends the "F1" world premiere in Times Square in New York City on June 16, 2025. (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images North America/AFP)

More than 80 film industry figures, including actors Javier Bardem and Tilda Swinton issue a statement seen today slamming the Berlin Film Festival’s “silence” on Gaza.

The signatories to the open letter, obtained by AFP, say that they are “appalled by Berlinale’s institutional silence” on the issue after jury president Wim Wenders answered a question on Gaza last week by saying: “We cannot really enter the field of politics.”

The remark has prompted a backlash, including the decision by award-winning Indian novelist Arundhati Roy to withdraw from the festival, where she had been due to present a restored version of a 1989 film she wrote, “In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones.”

“It is hard to see the Berlinale and so many hundreds of filmmakers and people who work on this festival distilled into something we do not always recognize in the online and media discourse,” festival director Tricia Tuttle said in a statement days ago.

France said to arrest 4, including far-left MP’s aide, over far-right activist’s killing

Demonstrators hold placards reading "Jeune Garde - an antifascist group - dissolution, Jeune Garde in jail" as they attend a rally after the fatal beating in Lyon of a 23-year-old Quentin, in Paris on February 15, 2026. French President Emmanuel Macron on February 14, 2026 urged calm and restraint after the fatal beating of a 23-year-old French youth aligned with the far-right on the sidelines of a conference by a hard-left lawmaker in the southeastern city of Lyon. The death of the young man -- identified only as Quentin -- has intensified tensions between France's far-right and hard-left who are both eyeing 2027 presidential elections. (Photo by Alain JOCARD / AFP)

French authorities arrest four suspects over the killing last week of a far-right activist, the prosecutor for the southeastern city of Lyon says.

Quentin Deranque, 23, died after sustaining a severe brain injury when he was attacked by at least six people on the sidelines of a far-right protest against a left-wing politician speaking at a university in Lyon.

A source following the case says an assistant of a member of parliament from the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party was among those detained.

The incident on Thursday has fueled tension between the far right and far left ahead of municipal elections in March and the 2027 presidential race, in which the far-right National Rally (RN) party is seen as having its best chance yet of winning.

Egypt’s prime minister heads to Washington for Board of Peace meeting

Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly speaks during the opening session of the Arab Economic Forum in Beirut, Lebanon, May 2, 2019. (Bilal Hussein/AP)

Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly heads to Washington to participate in the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace founded and chaired by US President Donald Trump, the cabinet says.

Madbouly is attending on behalf of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi and is accompanied by Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty.

Iran president says open to ‘verification,’ claims Tehran not seeking nuclear weapon

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian addresses cabinet members as they visit of the tomb of the late Iranian revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in Tehran on January 31, 2026. (Handout / Iranian Presidency / AFP)

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says Tehran is open to “verification” that it is not seeking an atomic weapon, as the Islamic Republic resumed nuclear talks with the United States today.

“We are absolutely not seeking nuclear weapons,” Pezeshkian says in an interview published today. “If anyone wants to verify this, we are open to such verification to take place.”

Iran has consistently denied seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. However, it enriched uranium to levels that have no peaceful application, obstructed international inspectors from checking its nuclear facilities, and expanded its ballistic missile capabilities.

‘Death to Khamenei’: Iranians chant slogans against supreme leader at memorials for slain protesters

A woman draped in the Iranian flag confronts with protests the government spokesperson attending a memorial ceremony marking the 40th day of mourning for victims killed in previous anti-government protests in Iran, at the Tehran Musalla on February 17, 2026. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)

Iranians shout slogans against the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic as they gather to commemorate protesters killed in a crackdown on nationwide anti-regime demonstrations that rights groups said left thousands dead, according to videos verified by AFP.

The country’s clerical authorities also staged a commemoration in the capital Tehran to mark the 40th day since the deaths at the peak of the protests on January 8 and 9, in line with Shiite mourning tradition.

Officials acknowledge more than 3,000 people died during the unrest, but attribute the violence to “terrorist acts.” Rights groups estimate tens of thousands of people may have been killed, shot dead by security forces in a violent crackdown.

The protests, sparked by anger over the rising cost of living before exploding in size and anti-government fervor, ended after the crackdown, but in recent days, Iranians have chanted slogans from the relative safety of homes and rooftops at night.

Today, videos verified by AFP showed crowds gathering at memorials for some of those killed again shouting slogans against the theocratic government in place since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

In videos geolocated by AFP shared on social media, a crowd in Abadan in western Iran holds up flowers and commemorative photos of a young man as they shout “death to Khamenei,” referring to Iran’s supreme leader, and “long live the shah,” in support of the ousted monarchy.

Another video from the same city shows people running in panic from the sounds of shots, though it wasn’t immediately clear if they were from live fire.

In the northeastern city of Mashhad, a crowd in the street chants, “One person killed, thousands have his back,” another verified video showed.

Gatherings also take place in other parts of the country, according to videos shared by rights groups.

Independent UN body condemns ‘vicious attacks’ on UN anti-Israel rapporteur Albanese

UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine Francesca Albanese in Cape Town, South Africa, October 28, 2025. (RODGER BOSCH / AFP)

An independent United Nations body condemns what it describes as vicious attacks based on disinformation by several European ministers against the organization’s special rapporteur for Palestine, Francesca Albanese, who is facing a firestorm of criticism over her anti-Israel comments.

France, Italy, Czechia and Germany have called for Albanese, who has been repeatedly accused of antisemitism and anti-Israel rhetoric, to step down over remarks last weekend in which she referred to a “common enemy of humanity” after criticizing “most of the world” and the media for enabling Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza.

Critics and Israel have accused the UN special rapporteur of referring to Israel with the “common enemy” remark, while Albanese has denounced this as a “manipulation” and “completely false.” Israel has denied all accusations of genocide.

The UN Coordination Committee – a body of six independent experts which coordinates and facilitates the work of Special Rapporteurs – accused European ministers of relying on “manufactured facts.”

“Instead of demanding Ms Albanese’s resignation for performing her mandate…these government representatives should join forces to hold accountable, including before the International Criminal Court, leaders and officials accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza,” the Committee said, presumably in a reference to Israel.

It said the pressure exerted on Albanese was part of an increasing trend of politically motivated and malicious attacks against independent human rights experts, UN officials and judges of international courts.

US President Donald Trump’s administration imposed sanctions on Albanese after she wrote letters to US companies accusing them of contributing to gross human rights violations by Israel in Gaza and the West Bank.

There is no precedent for removing a special rapporteur during their term, although diplomats said that states on the 47-member council could, in theory, propose a motion to do so.

However, they said strong support for Palestinian rights within the body means that such a motion was unlikely to pass.

US envoy plays down Belgian summons over antisemitism row

The US ambassador in Brussels downplays a diplomatic spat after he was summoned by Belgium’s foreign minister for attacking legal proceedings he said were “antisemitic” in the country.

US envoy Bill White upset the Belgian government by demanding on X that authorities drop the “ridiculous and antisemitic prosecution” of three mohels, men who carry out circumcisions according to Jewish law.

That claim drew an immediate rebuke from Belgium’s foreign minister Maxime Prevot and saw White summoned for talks.

“Any suggestion that Belgium is antisemitic is false, offensive, and unacceptable,” Prevot said.

The Belgian foreign ministry said that White, a staunch ally of US President Donald Trump, had been reminded about the “limits of the functions of an ambassador accredited to a country” at a meeting.

“Any interference in Belgium’s internal affairs constitutes a violation of these essential diplomatic rules,” it said.

Speaking to AFP, White seeks to brush off the row.

“I know Belgium isn’t antisemitic, but inaction on this particular case could have antisemitic optics,” he says.

He says he had told senior Belgian officials, including Prevot that “we are friends forever, and we can have disagreements”.

The case highlighted by White involved an investigation launched last year in the city of Antwerp into three mohels suspected of carrying out circumcisions without proper medical training.

White said in his original post on X that he intended to go to Antwerp to meet the men involved.

Hezbollah rejects disarmament plan and Lebanese government’s four-month timeline

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem, current leader of the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, addresses mourners through a screen in a televised address during a ceremony marking the first anniversary of Israel's assassination of the group's longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah and other group leaders, in the town of Deir Qanoun al-Nahr near Tyre in southern Lebanon on September 27, 2025. (Mahmoud ZAYYAT / AFP)

Hezbollah rejects the Lebanese government’s decision to grant the country’s army at least four months to advance the second phase of a nationwide disarmament plan, with the Iran-backed terror group saying it would not accept what it sees as a move serving Israel.

Lebanon’s cabinet tasked the army in August 2025 with drawing up and beginning to implement a plan to bring all armed groups’ weapons under state control, a bid aimed primarily at disarming Hezbollah after its war with Israel from 2023 to 2024.

In September 2025, the cabinet formally welcomed the army’s plan to disarm the terror group, although it did not set a clear timeframe and cautioned that the military’s limited capabilities and ongoing Israeli strikes could hinder progress.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem said in a speech yesterday that “what the Lebanese government is doing by focusing on disarmament is a major mistake because this issue serves the goals of Israeli aggression.”

Lebanon’s Information Minister Paul Morcos said during a press conference late yesterday after a cabinet meeting that the government had taken note of the army’s monthly report on its arms control plan that includes restricting weapons in areas north of the Litani River up to the Awali River in Sidon, and granted it four months.

“The required time frame is four months, renewable depending on available capabilities, Israeli attacks and field obstacles,” he said.

Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah says, “we cannot be lenient,” signaling the group’s rejection of the timeline and the broader approach to the issue of its weapons.

Hezbollah has rejected the disarmament effort as a misstep while Israel continues to strike its operatives, and Shi’ite ministers walked out of the cabinet session in protest.

Israel has said Hezbollah’s disarmament is a security priority, arguing that the group’s weapons outside Lebanese state control pose a direct threat to its security.

Israeli officials say any disarmament plan must be fully and effectively implemented, especially in areas close to the border, and that continued Hezbollah military activity constitutes a violation of the ceasefire.

Israel has also said it will continue what it describes as action to prevent Hezbollah’s efforts to rebuild and rearm.

Police close Palestinian community center in Jerusalem’s Old City, alleging PA links

Police have shuttered a Palestinian community center in the Old City of Jerusalem for half a year, reportedly due to its alleged links to the Palestinian Authority.

Officers issued the order to close the Burj al-Luqluq (“Stork Tower”) community center for a period of six months after raiding its premises this morning, Arabic outlets report.

Responding to a request for comment, police say they issued the closure order based on evidence that “the association was operating in violation of the law, including the receipt of funding linked to organizations affiliated with terrorism.”

According to the Arab48 news outlet, the order, signed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, says that the organization conducted activity “for, on behalf of, or under the auspices of the Palestinian Authority” without obtaining “written authorization.”

The community center says in a press release cited by the outlet that police sealed its headquarters and removed employees from thea offices during a raid at around 10:30 a.m.

The press release calls the closure order “arbitrary” and vows to take the matter to court, noting that the organization is registered with the Jerusalem municipality.

The center was shuttered on the eve of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which in past years has seen heightened tensions between Jews and Palestinians as Muslims from across Israel and the West Bank travel to Jerusalem for prayers at the Old City’s Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Palestinians say the closure is the latest action targeting Palestinians in East Jerusalem, who say they already suffer from widespread neglect at the hands of Israeli authorities.

https://twitter.com/IrAmim/status/2023784540905369671?s=20

47 people go through Rafah Crossing today in each direction

Ambulances line up to enter the Egyptian gate of the Rafah crossing into the Gaza Strip, in Rafah, Egypt, Feb. 2, 2026. (AP/Mohamed Arafat)

In a sign that operations at the site are becoming more efficient, 47 people moved through the Rafah Crossing on the Egypt-Gaza border in each direction today, with 18 of those exiting the Strip needing medical treatment, the European Union oversight mission at the crossing tells The Times of Israel. Each patient who crosses is allowed to bring up to two family members with them.

According to the Egypt-Israel agreement on the crossing, a maximum of 50 Gazans are allowed to go through in each direction daily.

A total of 932 Gazans have transited through the crossing since it opened for traffic in both directions on February 2, with 463 leaving Gaza and 469 entering.

US official: Iran agreed at Geneva talks to present detailed proposal in next two weeks

In this handout photo released by the Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs on February 6, 2026, US special envoy Steve Witkoff (C), Jared Kushner and Oman's Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi pose for a photo during a meeting in Muscat. (Handout/Omani Foreign Ministry/AFP)

Iran said it would make detailed proposals in the next two weeks to close gaps in talks with the United States over its nuclear program, a US official says following a second round of the negotiations today.

“Progress was made, but there are still a lot of details to discuss,” says the official, who declined to be identified, detailing discussions in Geneva. “The Iranians said they would come back in the next two weeks with detailed proposals to address some of the open gaps in our positions.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Omani mediators projected optimism over the talks earlier in the day.

US has moved dozens of fighter jets toward Middle East over past day, flight trackers show

Illustration: A squadron US Air Force F-35 Lightning II aircraft flyover at the White House, September 3, 2025. (AP/ Alex Brandon)

The American military has moved dozens of fighter jets toward the Middle East over the past day, according to open-source flight tracking data, as the United States and Iran held a second round of talks in Switzerland over Tehran’s nuclear program.

They include F-22, F-35, and F-16 jets. Several refuelers have also been spotted on the move, according to social media accounts dedicated to tracking military flights.

#USAF United States Air Force – Middle East Activity (Coronet)
17 February – 1129z

There are currently 36x F-16s and 12x F-22s on the move, or about to depart towards the Middle East. 12x F-16s each from Aviano and Spangdahlem in Europe, and 12x from McEntire Joint National… https://t.co/5OsSSHZVp3 pic.twitter.com/eZGqbqvnyg

— Armchair Admiral ???????? (@ArmchairAdml) February 17, 2026

A US official also confirms to the Axios news site that more than 50 fighter jets have been moved to the region in the past 24 hours.

The negotiations in Geneva commenced amid a significant US military buildup in the region, which Trump has repeatedly threatened to use, first over a deadly crackdown on protesters last month and then more recently over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Ramadan to begin tonight after new moon spotted

A vendor prepares his stall to sell sweets ahead of the upcoming Muslim holy month of Ramadan at Al-Jazmatiya market in Damascus, February 17, 2026. (AP/Ghaith Alsayed)

Official moon sighting committees in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar announce that they have seen the new crescent moon, and that the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins tonight.

Palestinian media reports that grand mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories likewise announced that the new moon has been sighted.

In Oman, however, the moon was not seen, so Ramadan will begin tomorrow night there.

The IDF publishes a social media post wishing those who celebrate a peaceful Ramadan.

The IDF wishes a peaceful Ramadan Kareem to all who celebrate! pic.twitter.com/A5gFp7VwuB

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) February 17, 2026

IDF, police announce capture in West Bank of 4 ISIS-linked jihadists said to plan terror attack

Israeli soldiers man a checkpoint at the entrance of Jericho in the West Bank, on February 28, 2023. (AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP)

Islamic State-affiliated jihadists who were suspected of planning a terror attack were captured by Israeli troops and police officers during two separate operations in the West Bank city of Jericho.

Troops of the Lions of the Valley Battalion last week captured three members of the cell in Jericho, and in a separate raid yesterday carried out by Border Police officers, another member was nabbed, the IDF and Israel Police say.

“The terrorists were advancing terror activity and were suspected of intending to carry out an attack,” the joint statement says.

All four were handed over to the Shin Bet for questioning.

Detention extended for off-duty cop arrested for stabbing his daughter’s ex

A judge has ordered six more days of detention for a policeman arrested on suspicion of stabbing his daughter’s ex-boyfriend, the State Attorney’s Office says.

The off-duty cop allegedly took a knife to the younger man who arrived at his home in Netanya yesterday, seriously injuring him. The officer’s three children were also reportedly present during the incident, which police described as a brawl caused by a “family dispute.”

Detectives in the Department of Internal Police Investigations (DIPI) interrogated the officer last night on suspicion of attempted murder.

He was brought to the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court today, where a judge ruled to keep him in custody. The incident is being probed by DIPI investigators alongside police, due to the existence of additional suspects in the case.

IAI chief says Arrow 4 to ‘increase Israel’s interception success rates’

Illustration: Arrow 4 air defense system missile. (Israel Aerospace Industries)

Israel Aerospace Industries President and CEO Boaz Levy says the in-development Arrow 4, the latest generation of the Israeli anti-ballistic air defense system family, will “increase Israel’s interception success rates.”

“IAI develops new capabilities every day, and we are working to bring them to operational readiness,” Levy says at the Defense Tech Expo in Tel Aviv.

“When we develop a new system, we focus on solutions for future threats, not current threats. This is how we stay ahead of the ever-evolving threats,” he says.

“Accordingly, the Arrow 4 air defense system, which will replace Arrow 2, will enter operational deployment. Together, the Arrow 3 and Arrow 4 systems will deliver advanced interception capabilities against ballistic missile threats. With Arrow 4, we will increase Israel’s interception success rates,” Levy adds.

IAI announced the start of development on the Arrow 4 in 2021. The latest generation is expected to replace the Arrow 2 — first deployed in 1998 — in the coming decades. Currently, the Israeli Air Force operates both the Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 systems, the latter of which was declared operational in 2017.

The Arrow systems were used against several rounds of fighting with Iran, during which Tehran launched ballistic missiles at Israel from over 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) away.

IDF says it nabbed Palestinian arms dealer in West Bank raid yesterday

IDF commandos captured a Palestinian arms dealer during a raid yesterday in the West Bank city of Ramallah, the military says.

The IDF says soldiers of the Duvdevan commando unit operated in Ramallah, following intelligence provided by the Shin Bet security agency, and “apprehended a terrorist who served as a weapons dealer in a terror network” in the area.

The suspect was handed over to the Shin Bet for further questioning.

Oman’s foreign minister says Iran, US made ‘good progress’ in Geneva talks

In this photo released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, left, speaks with his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr Albusaidi during their meeting prior to Iran-US negotiations, in Muscat, Oman, Feb. 6, 2026. (Iranian Foreign Ministry via AP)

The US and Iran made “good progress” during a fresh round of talks in Geneva today, the foreign ministry of mediator Oman says on social media.

“Today’s indirect negotiations between The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America in Geneva concluded with good progress towards identifying common goals and relevant technical issues,” Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi writes on X.

Hamas says Board of Peace must compel Israel to stop what it calls Gaza truce violations

Armed Hamas police officers patrol in Gaza City, October 11, 2025. (Ali Hassan/Flash90)

Hamas says that US President Donald Trump’s nascent Board of Peace should pressure Israel to halt what the terror group described as ongoing violations of the Gaza ceasefire.

“We urge the board’s members to take serious action to compel the Israeli occupation to stop its violations in Gaza, as the war of genocide against the Strip is still ongoing,” Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem tells AFP ahead of the body’s inaugural meeting this week in Washington.

The Board of Peace, chaired by Trump, intends to oversee the reconstruction of postwar Gaza.

Israel rejects accusations of genocide. Following incidents of attacks on troops in Gaza during the ceasefire, the IDF has launched waves of strikes against Hamas and allied terror groups, targeting both operatives and infrastructure.

Also, since the start of the ceasefire in October, the IDF has said it has killed dozens of terror operatives and other suspects who have crossed the Yellow Line and approached troops. Such incidents have taken place on a near-daily basis.

UK maritime agency says only warning shots fired in Aden incident

A locator map for Yemen with its capital, Sanaa, and the coastal city of Aden. (AP Photo)

A UK maritime agency says that an incident involving a vessel and small boats around 70 nautical miles southwest of Yemen’s port of Aden today had been downgraded to “suspicious activity” as only warning shots were fired.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations had earlier said it received a report of an exchange of small-arms fire after a vessel was approached and hailed by a white skiff with five people on board.

In an update, it said it had been made aware that only warning shots were fired and no weapons were directed at either vessel.

Two additional skiffs were also reported in the vicinity, and authorities were investigating, according to UKMTO, which advised vessels to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity.

Yemen’s Houthi terror group has launched numerous attacks on vessels in the Red Sea since 2023, saying they were acting in solidarity with Palestinians over the war in Gaza. But the attacks have halted since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was brokered in October.

Some shipping companies remain wary of resuming voyages through those waters, however.

The attacks have disrupted trade flows through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.

Somali pirate gangs, who often used small, fast open boats known as skiffs, were once active in the area.

Iran holds memorial for thousands killed in recent protests

A woman holds a phone displaying a picture of a slain person during a memorial ceremony marking the 40th day of mourning for victims of killed in anti-government protests in Iran, at the Tehran Musalla on February 17, 2026. (ATTA KENARE / AFP)

Iranian authorities hold a commemoration ceremony in Tehran for thousands of people killed during the recent mass anti-regime protests, which ended after a government crackdown.

The memorial, held at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla mosque, marked the 40th day since the deaths, in line with Shiite mourning tradition.

Crowds carried Iranian flags and portraits of those killed as nationalist songs played and chants of “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” echoed through the venue.

Protests erupted in late December before expanding into nationwide anti-government demonstrations that peaked on January 8 and 9.

Tehran has acknowledged that more than 3,000 people died during the unrest, including members of the security forces and bystanders, attributing the violence to “terrorist acts.”

International organizations have put the toll far higher. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) says more than 7,000 people were killed, most of them protesters, and estimates of the true death toll are in the tens of thousands.

Iranian authorities say the protests began peacefully but claim they turned into “foreign-instigated riots” involving killings and vandalism, which the state blamed on the United States and Israel.

Senior officials, including First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref and Revolutionary Guards commander Esmail Qaani, attend the ceremony.

“Those who supported rioters and terrorists are criminals and will face the consequences,” Qaani says, according to Tasnim news agency.

On Friday, Iran said it had established a fact-finding committee to investigate the unrest, while authorities pledged swift trials for those involved in the violence.

State television has in recent weeks aired what it described as interrogation sessions with suspects accused of armed attacks on public property and security personnel.

Qatar’s prime minister lands in Venezuela

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani arrives in Venezuela, where he is greeted by Foreign Minister Yvan Gil, images on state television show.

Neither government has given a schedule or other information on the visit, but Qatar has long served as an intermediary between the United States and Venezuela and aided negotiations between the Venezuelan government and the opposition. The US captured then-Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro last month in a nighttime raid.

Sa’ar flying to US ahead of inaugural Board of Peace confab, UN Security Council meeting

Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa'ar at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem, January 18, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar will depart for the United States tonight to represent Israel at the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace in Washington, DC, on Thursday, and to participate in a UN Security Council discussion tomorrow in New York, his office announces.

The UNSC session will discuss developments in the Middle East. The foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Pakistan, and Indonesia are also expected to attend, according to Sa’ar’s office.

After Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backed out of the Board of Peace meeting, Sa’ar is set to “present Israel’s position” there. The White House hopes to raise money for the international body, which is chaired by Trump and tasked with overseeing the implementation of Washington’s peace plan for Gaza.

Joining Sa’ar at the convention will be heads of state from many of the 28 countries on the panel, including Argentina, Cambodia, Hungary, Indonesia, Pakistan and Vietnam. Bahrain’s King Hamad Al Khalifa is also slated to attend, while remaining countries have been deciding how senior an official to send, an Arab diplomat told The Times of Israel earlier this week.

AG asks judge to reject Ben Gvir’s bid to delay promoting police officer who testified against PM

L: National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90); R: Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara (Oren Ben Hakoon/Pool)

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara urges a judge to throw out National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s request to further delay the promotion of a police investigator who drew his ire for testifying in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial.

The far-right minister has been refusing to sign off on the advancement of Supt. Rinat Saban since last summer, despite the fact that police chief Danny Levy backs her promotion.

The officer, part of the police’s investigations and intelligence division, helped investigate Netanyahu and his circle on corruption suspicions and took the stand against the premier in court last year.

Jerusalem District Court judge David Gidoni ordered Ben Gvir to promote Saban earlier this month, saying there was cause for “real concern about the existence of extraneous considerations” in his ongoing refusal.

But the minister is still holding off on the move, and requested a stay as he appeals the decision to the Supreme Court.

Another delay in implementing Saban’s promotion, Baharav-Miara warns in a letter to Gidoni, will cause “actual, additional harm to the officer [Saban] and the Israel Police.”

The attorney general notes that Gidoni himself warned in his ruling that “any additional delay may intensify the concern of harm to police independence.”

Ben Gvir did not initially admit that his reason for blocking Saban’s promotion was political, but came clean about his underlying motivation a week ago in a statement decrying Netanyahu’s trial as “illegal.”

“In a proper country, an investigator who partakes in an illegal investigation should end her police service rather than receive protection from Isaac Amit and his envoys,” he said, referring to the Supreme Court’s president.

US must stop threatening to attack Iran, Tehran’s foreign minister says after talks

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi looks on after he delivered a speech during a session of the United Nations Conference on Disarmament, on the sideline of a second round of US-Iranian talks with Washington in Geneva, on February 17, 2026. (Valentin Flauraud / AFP)

The United States should immediately desist from threatening the use of force against Iran, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says.

Araghchi makes the remarks at a disarmament conference in Geneva after a second round of talks were held between US and Iranian representatives in the western Swiss city earlier in the day over Iran’s nuclear program. Araghchi had previously expressed optimism over the progress in the talks, and spoke of a “window of opportunity” in the negotiations, where he said an understanding on “guiding principles” had been reached.

“It was agreed that both sides would work further on draft texts for a potential agreement, after which the drafts would be exchanged and a date for a third round would be set,” he tells state TV.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to attack Iran over its bloody crackdown on anti-regime protests last month, and then over its nuclear program.

Economic council head doubles down on urgency of shuttering Haifa oil refinery

National Economic Council chairman Avi Simhon attends a Finance Committee meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem on September 16, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Prof. Avi Simhon, head of the National Economic Council and chairman of the Steering Committee for the Haifa Bay Strategic Development Plan, calls for an acceleration of the plan to close the polluting Bazan oil refineries in Haifa, following the state comptroller’s call for a reexamination of the 2022 government decision mandating the facilities’ closure.

He says, “The war has proven what everyone already knew — that the refinery complex is a prime target for our enemies. In the absence of 100 percent protection, it will inevitably be hit and cease to function for a prolonged period.”

He goes on, “Bazan has yet to fully restore production to its previous levels, six months after a single missile tragically struck the complex and killed three employees” during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran in June 2025.

“Therefore, we must accelerate the implementation of the government’s decision,” he says. “Instead of relying on the import of crude oil from a limited number of countries, refining it in two large refineries in Haifa and Ashdod, and then distributing the fuels they produce to consumers, it is preferable to promote the direct import of finished fuels.”

He adds, “These fuels should be stored in large quantities at protected sites across the country and distributed to consumers during both routine and emergency periods. In doing so, we will save Haifa Bay from pollution, foul odors, and their associated illnesses, while simultaneously strengthening the energy security of the State of Israel.”

State comptroller: Israel relies heavily on natural gas but has no onshore reservoir

Tamar natural gas field off the coast of Israel. (Courtesy)

Israel has no onshore natural gas storage reservoir, even though over 40 percent of its energy needs and 70% of its electricity requirements are met by this fossil fuel, according to a state comptroller report on the energy sector’s readiness for emergencies.

The report says the audit revealed “critical vulnerabilities” regarding Israel’s primary energy source.

“Unlike other industrialized nations examined, such as Germany, France, and Japan, Israel possesses no strategic natural gas storage reservoir,” the document says. “This is particularly concerning given that these countries rely on natural gas as a primary energy source to a lesser extent than Israel does.”

The report also lambasts inter-ministerial wrangling for delaying the regulations needed for securing emergency fuel inventories and for complicating access to land used for the construction and maintenance of underground fuel infrastructure.

Disagreements among the Defense, Energy, and Finance ministries also meant no decisions were made on the recommendations of a committee that handled the stockpile of emergency fuel distillate, the report says.

Only parts of the report are published following a Knesset State Control Subcommittee decision that said revealing the entire contents could compromise national security.

The audit was carried out between August 2024 and April 2025.

IDF says Sunday strike killed 2 Islamic Jihad operatives crossing from Lebanon to Syria

Two Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives who were en route to crossing the border from Lebanon into Syria on Sunday night were killed in an Israeli airstrike, the military says.

The strike took place near the village of Majdal Anjar, which is located in Lebanon’s eastern Beqaa Valley, on a road leading from Beirut to Damascus, some 40 kilometers (nearly 25 miles) north of Israel’s border.

According to Lebanon’s health ministry, the strike killed four.

The IDF says it targeted the Islamic Jihad operatives while they were attempting to cross the Syrian border, “after in recent months they had been working to advance terror activities against the State of Israel from Lebanese territory.”

“The terrorists’ actions posed an immediate threat to the citizens of the State of Israel and to IDF troops operating in the Syrian arena,” the army adds.

The military also issues footage of the strike.

צה"ל חיסל מחבלים מארגון הטרור הג'יהאד האיסלאמי הפלסטיני בעת שניסו לחצות את הגבול מלבנון לסוריה

צה"ל תקף שלשום במרחב מג׳דל ענג׳ר שבלבנון, וחיסל שני מחבלים מארגון הטרור הג'יהאד האיסלאמי הפלסטיני בסוריה.

המחבלים הותקפו באופן ממוקד בעת שניסו לחצות את הגבול מלבנון לעבר שטח סוריה,… pic.twitter.com/qOgCvBO9JQ

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) February 17, 2026

Gafni slams court for making government explain failure to track secular studies in Haredi schools

United Torah Judaism MK Moshe Gafni attends a Knesset Finance Committee meeting on December 31, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Degel HaTorah chairman Moshe Gafni slams the High Court of Justice after it orders the Finance and Education ministries to explain why they have not created a system for checking whether ultra-Orthodox schools are teaching mandatory core subjects.

The ministries, which must send a response to the court by April 15, are supposed to withhold funding from schools that don’t teach the subjects, including English and math.

“The hatred of the High Court justices toward the Haredi public and Haredi education is obvious to any sensible person,” says Gafni, arguing that the majority of students in the school networks run by the United Torah Judaism and Shas parties, “most of whom are girls, study all subjects… and are the ones who excel the most in exams.”

“There is no logic in issuing orders against the Haredi networks, which, as mentioned, are the best in the education system. There is only one professional explanation: hatred and jealousy. And that’s it,” he argues.

Iran’s foreign minister says understanding on ‘guiding principles’ reached with US after today’s talks

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaks during the Al Jazeera Forum in Doha on February 7, 2026. (Karim JAAFAR / AFP)

Iran and the United States reached an understanding on the main “guiding principles” in a second round of talks over Iran’s nuclear program in Geneva today but work still needs to be done, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says.

The progress does not mean an agreement will be reached soon but the path has started, he tells Iranian media after the talks concluded. He calls the talks “constructive” but says no date has been set for a third round of negotiations.

Iranian state media reported earlier that Iran would temporarily shut part of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil supply route, as it held the talks with the United States, which has sent a battle force to the Gulf region to press Tehran to make concessions.

US President Donald Trump has said “regime change” in Tehran may be the best thing that can happen, while Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said today that any US attempts to depose his government would fail.

Alongside Araghchi, US envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner took part in the Geneva talks, which were being mediated by Oman, a source briefed on the matter tells Reuters.

Swiss broadcaster takes down commentary questioning presence of Israeli bobsleigh athlete

Israel's Adam Edelman, right, and Menachem Chen start for a two-man bobsled run at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP/Alessandra Tarantino)

Swiss broadcaster RTS says it has pulled from its website the commentary on an Olympic bobsleigh run in which one reporter questioned at length the presence of an Israeli athlete in Milano Cortina because of his alleged support for Israel’s actions in the Gaza war.

The commentary on Radio Television Suisse was aired throughout one of the runs of Israelis AJ Edelman and Chen Menachem in the two-man bobsleigh event yesterday.

“Our journalist wished to question the IOC’s policy regarding the statements made by the athlete concerned,” RTS says in a statement to Reuters. “However, although factual, such information may have appeared inappropriate due to its length within the context of a sports commentary. For this reason, we removed the segment from our website last night.”

Commentator Stefan Renna said during the two-man bobsleigh team’s first appearances on the ice yesterday at the Milano Cortina Olympics that Edelman had offered “support of genocide in Gaza.” Renna, who cited the UN for his use of the word “genocide,” also called out Edelman for calling the war “the most morally just in history” and for mocking “Free Palestine” graffiti during a World Cup event last year.

“This raises his the question of his presence in Cortina during these Games,” said Renna, pointing to International Olympic Committee guidelines that allows Russian athletes to compete only as “individual neutral athletes” and only as long as they have not expressed or participated in pro-war activity. Those guidelines do not apply to athletes from other countries. Competitors are allowed to express themselves in any way outside of Olympic sites and venues, according to IOC guidelines.

The IOC says that questions about individual comments made by commentators must be directed to broadcasters. The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation does not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Renna, who has been forbidden by RTS from discussing his commentary, also cited the case of Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych, who was disqualified from the Olympics last week for wearing a helmet depicting compatriot athletes killed since the Russian invasion.

Edelman and Menachem are due to complete their third and fourth runs today. They were in last place after their first two runs.

Edelman wrote on social media that he was “aware of the diatribe the commentator directed towards the Israeli Bobsled Team.” Dismissing the rhetoric, Edelman praised his team for “working together towards an incredible goal and crushing it. Because that’s what Israelis do. I don’t think it’s possible to witness that and give any credence to the commentary.”

Police arrest 3 in Umm al-Fahm, find cache of weapons, bottles with gasoline

Police arrested three young men during a home raid in Umm al-Fahm this morning, the force says in a statement.

Police say the arrests were carried out following yesterday’s double homicide in the Arab city, but do not specify whether the three are suspects in the shooting, and do not respond to a request for further comment.

During the search, officers found in the suspects’ possession a cache of weapons including pistols, gun parts, pipe bombs and bottles filled with gasoline.

It emerged during the suspects’ arrest that they had been violating a court-issued restraining order barring them from Umm al-Fahm, police add.

Officers are expected to bring the trio to court later today with a request to extend their detention.

Yesterday morning, unknown assailants shot and killed a man and his son while they were driving in the city’s southern outskirts.

Hours later, law enforcement chided the court system in a statement, claiming that a local judge set free a suspect whom police sought to keep in custody two days prior. He was released subject to limitations.

Police said “it is possible that the murder could have been avoided” if the judge heeded officers’ request, but similarly declined to elaborate on whether the freed suspect is implicated in the homicide or was one of those arrested today.

Since the start of the year, 51 members of the Arab community have been killed in homicides. The soaring homicide rate follows the deadliest year to date for Arab society, in which 252 people killed in violent incidents over the course of 2025.

In the overwhelming majority of Arab sector homicides, police fail to arrest suspects, with many victims’ families complaining that officers neglect to even update them on the investigation’s progress.

Palestinian child killed, 2 injured in West Bank blast caused by unexploded ordnance, IDF says

A Palestinian child was killed and two others were injured by a blast caused by previously unexploded IDF ordnance near a military shooting range in the Jordan Valley a short while ago, according to preliminary reports received by the army.

The IDF says troops were dispatched to the scene and provided medical attention to the Palestinians who were injured.

The military says that the children were playing with the ammunition. “The IDF emphasizes that this area is a firing zone and entry into it is strictly prohibited and highly dangerous,” the army adds.

The IDF says the incident is under further investigation.

Second round of Iran-US talks end in Geneva

Police officers stand guard outside of the Oman ambassador's residency where the indirect nuclear talks between the United States and Iran are taking place in Geneva on February 17, 2026 (Robin MILLARD / AFP)

Convoys carrying the negotiating teams have left the second round of US-Iran talks in Geneva, reports say.

A US official tells the Axios news site that the talks have ended, and Iranian state media confirms the discussions have concluded.

“The second round of indirect negotiations between Iran and the US held in Geneva ended,” the ISNA news agency says.

There is no indication at this stage whether any progress was made, or how the sides feel about the atmosphere in the room.

Iran has insisted that the discussions be limited to the nuclear issue, though Washington has previously pushed for other topics to be discussed, including Tehran’s ballistic missiles and support for terror groups and armed militias in the region.

Earlier today, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that US President Donald Trump will not succeed in destroying the Islamic Republic, and threatened a US warship in the region.

4 indicted for extorting business owner via security company, vandalizing his workplace

Four men from northern Israel accused of extorting a business owner through a private security company were indicted today, the State Attorney’s Office announces.

According to the indictment filed in the Haifa District Court, the defendants were involved in a protection racket and vandalism attack on a sewage pumping station after the contractor responsible for the facility cut ties with Ayalon Security Services Ltd.

The security company is owned by one of the defendants, 24-year-old Reda Rahal, from the Arab village of Rumat al-Heib. In the two years leading up to the break-in, the extorted contractor had been paying Rahal’s business a monthly fee for so-called security services.

After the contractor broke off contact, at least one of the defendants, Tamra resident Odai Idris, allegedly broke into the construction site and caused extensive damage costing nearly NIS 1.5 million ($484,000).

Fearing further reprisal, the contractor began paying the company under duress in September last year. He was extorted out of an additional NIS 50,000 ($16,000), paid in monthly installments. “No security services were actually provided” during this period, prosecutors write.

The protection money was allegedly divided among the defendants until they were finally arrested last month. The other two suspects, Tamra residents Walid Abu al-Hija and Mohammad Hassan, are implicated in the protection racket but not the break-in.

Prosecutors charge Idris with an additional offense for his alleged attempt to extort a grocery store chain owner in northern Israel. When the shop owner refused to pay protection money, the defendant turned to violent means. Assailants shot on five occasions at different branches of the franchise and threw a grenade at the home of the owner’s brother, prosecutors say.

The past two months have seen some Arab business owners attempt to push back against the phenomenon of protection racketeering, and violent crime as a whole, in the form of general strikes. Last month, the owner of a supermarket chain in Sakhnin sparked a nationwide strike in Arab society after shutting down his stores, following a shooting at one of its branches.

The indictment comes as near-daily homicides continue to plague Arab society. Much of the violence seen in recent years has been spurred on by organized crime, in which protection rackets play a major part.

India’s Modi to visit Israel on Sunday, says Netanyahu’s office

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right, gestures and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu waves to the media as they arrive for a meeting in New Delhi, India, Jan.15, 2018. (AP Photo, File)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Israel on Sunday, the Prime Minister’s Office tells The Times of Israel.

Speaking to the Conference of Presidents on Sunday, Netanyahu said Modi would visit “next week,” and that there is a “tremendous alliance between Israel and India, and we are going to discuss all sorts of cooperation. Now, you know, India is not a small country. It has 1.5 billion people. In India, Israel is enormously popular, enormously popular.”

Modi was in Israel for the first time in 2017, and Netanyahu made a reciprocal visit the next year.

Netanyahu has been planning a trip to India in recent months, but it has been delayed repeatedly.

Maritime agency says it received report of exchange of fire between boats off Yemen’s Aden port

A UK maritime agency says it received a report of an exchange of fire involving a vessel and a small boat around 70 nautical miles southwest of Yemen’s port of Aden.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations says that a vessel was approached and hailed by a white skiff with five people on board, and this was followed by an exchange of small arms fire.

Two additional skiffs were also reported in the vicinity, and authorities were investigating, according to UKMTO.

Yemen’s Houthis have launched numerous attacks on vessels in the Red Sea since 2023, saying they were acting in solidarity with Palestinians over Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. But the attacks have halted since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was brokered in October.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.

Iran closing parts of Hormuz Strait for few hours due to ‘security precautions’ during drill

This handout photo released by Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)'s official website Sepanews on February 16, 2026, shows navy ships during a military exercise by members of the IRGC and navy in the Gulf (SEPAH NEWS / AFP)

Parts of the Strait of Hormuz will close for a few hours today due to “security precautions” for shipping safety, semi-official Fars news agency reports, as the Revolutionary Guards conduct military drills in the waterway.

The strait is the world’s most vital oil export route, which connects the biggest Gulf oil producers, such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates, with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

Effigy of Israel symbolically tried before being shot and burned at Andorra carnival

An annual carnival in Andorra this week featured an effigy depicting the State of Israel that was put on public “trial,” shot and set ablaze during festivities attended by local officials, according to Hebrew media.

Images from the event show a large blue-and-white effigy bearing a Star of David on its face.

The figure was symbolically tried and sentenced to death, before being shot and burned, according to a report in Ynet.

The festival, in the Encamp district of the microstate located between France and Spain, traditionally centers around “Carnestoltes,” a mock king whose effigy is typically tried and burned to mark the end of festivities. This was the first time the effigy included imagery associated with Israel, community members tell Ynet.

Members of Andorra’s community of 160 Jews are outraged by the incident, and have reported it to the country’s president, the report says.

During Andorra’s annual carnival yesterday, a mannequin representing Israel, marked with a blue Star of David, was hanged, shot, and burned while the crowd applauded.

This crosses every line and must stop before they replace the mannequin with a real person. pic.twitter.com/Sip1ptHlR4

— Combat Antisemitism Movement (@CombatASemitism) February 17, 2026

Many European cities hold annual carnivals during the weeks leading up to the Christian Lent season, which begins tomorrow. Some blend centuries-old traditions, including colorful parades and costumes, with local folklore, including the symbolic “trial” or burning of a figure representing excess or wrongdoing. Some of the carnivals feature explicitly antisemitic imagery.

Knesset committee advances bill expanding powers of rabbinical courts

The Tel Aviv Rabbinical Court seen on August 3, 2017. (Miriam Alster/ FLASH90/ File)

Lawmakers on the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee vote 5-3 to advance a bill granting rabbinic courts limited authority to adjudicate civil matters.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition voted in favor of the first reading of the bill, which would give the courts power to arbitrate civil disputes, including relating to child custody, last November. According to the bill’s explanatory notes, it would apply to state sharia courts as well.

Rabbinical courts were allowed to act as arbitrators in financial disputes until 2006, when a court determined that they had no standing to do so.

While the legislation, sponsored by lawmakers from the ultra-Orthodox Shas and United Torah Judaism parties, stipulates that religious courts would only be allowed to rule on such issues with the consent of both parties, critics assert that the bill would create a power imbalance that’s harmful to weaker segments of society, with women’s rights likely impacted.

The bill’s advance to the final two readings needed for it to become law is welcomed by sponsor United Torah Judaism’s Moshe Gafni and harshly criticized by opposition lawmakers.

“This dangerous law is blatant political bribery for the ultra-Orthodox parties,” says Democrats MK Gilad Kariv, arguing that the bill would “intensify the isolationism of the Haredi public and lead to a situation where Haredi citizens will be unable to turn to the civil courts for fear of being labeled as ‘refusers’ of Torah law proceedings.”

In addition, the law would “harm women’s rights and their right to equality, stemming from the fact that only male judges serve in the Rabbinical Courts,” he asserts.

Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman also slams the bill, calling it “another step toward turning Israel into a state governed by Jewish law and Haredi coercion and toward establishing a state within a state, with a separate legal system.”

Last year, the Knesset passed a similar law, expanding rabbinical courts’ powers to rule on child support.

Bennett says he won’t allow Israel’s ‘failed leadership’ to continue, warns: ‘A divided Israel will not stand’

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett speaks at the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in Jerusalem, on February 17, 2026 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett says he will not allow Israel’s “failed” leadership to continue or be part of it, and that a leader “must know when to step aside,” in what appear to be his first remarks suggesting that he will not sit in a government with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“An Israel divided against itself will not stand,” Bennett tells Jewish leaders at a Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations gathering in Jerusalem.

“Israel’s current leadership has divided us and continues to divide us even now, more than ever… I will not allow that failed and divisive leadership to continue, nor will I be part of it. I intend to lead Israel into its next, stronger chapter,” he continues.

Though he doesn’t refer to Netanyahu by name, Bennett appears to suggest that the prime minister should step down.

“After three decades since taking power, and after the greatest disaster in Israel’s history happened on his watch, a leader must know when to step aside with dignity,” he says.

Bennett adds that Israel’s “next chapter must be written by new leadership” and not by “the same people that are responsible for the disaster”of the Hamas-led October 7 attacks, which saw the killing of some 1,200 people and the abduction of 251 hostages, sparking two years of war in Gaza.

Netanyahu has served as prime minister since 2009, with the exception of 18 months in 2021-2022, as well as previously serving in 1996-1999.

He has never acknowledged direct responsibility for the failures surrounding October 7 and has attempted to place the blame on others.

Bennett is widely seen as Netanyahu’s primary challenger for the premiership in this year’s election, which must be held by the end of October but could come earlier if the coalition collapses.

3 Israelis badly beaten in Thailand in suspected antisemitic attack – reports

Three Israelis were violently attacked at a bar on the Thai island of Koh Samui after being identified as Hebrew speakers, Hebrew media reports, with two of the victims hospitalized.

According to the reports, the group was out at a bar last night when a group of French tourists approached them after apparently hearing them speak Hebrew.

The group allegedly chased the three Israelis into a bathroom, broke down the door and demanded that they empty their pockets.

The three were badly beaten with severe blows to the ribs and body, and two were hospitalized with significant injuries, according to reports.

Further details are still being clarified. There has been no statement from the Foreign Ministry.

Three Israelis were violently attacked at a bar in Koh Samui, Thailand yesterday, after being identified speaking Hebrew.

French tourists of North African origin confronted them, saying “You are Israelis,” chased them into a restroom, forced the door open, and demanded they… pic.twitter.com/MiuT4G56qA

— Combat Antisemitism Movement (@CombatASemitism) February 17, 2026

Smotrich doubles down on saying he would tell his daughter not to serve in IDF

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attends a Finance Committee meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem on February 17, 2026 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich defends his comment that he would tell his daughter not to serve in the IDF, stating in the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee that he does not believe that “anyone can or should preach” to religious Zionists about serving their country.

“What can we do? The position of our rabbis and the Chief Rabbinate is that girls should not serve in the army. They do National Service, they take responsibility, and therefore I hope I succeed in educating my children,” he says. “I will strive to educate my daughter to contribute to the people of Israel from her first day until her last, until 120. Not in army service, but in other places: in National Service and then in many, many other things one can contribute to the State of Israel.”

“At least respect a tradition of thousands of years, even if you don’t live by it yet,” he says, stating that the Biblical prophets said that everyone will eventually become religious.

“Those who carry the flag of liberalism” are “totalitarians,” he claims, who “won’t respect your value system or mine. Only theirs.”

The issue of religious women serving in the IDF is a divisive one in the national religious community, where many instead undertake national service instead of being drafted like their secular counterparts, although it is increasingly common for female graduates of religious high schools to enlist. Many major religious Zionist rabbis have spoken out against women serving in the IDF, arguing that it is not modest or appropriate.

IDF: Gazan terror operative killed after nearing troops ‘in manner that posed an immediate threat’

The military says a Palestinian terror operative who crossed the Gaza ceasefire line in the Strip’s north earlier today was killed in an airstrike.

According to the IDF, the terror operative crossed the Yellow Line and approached soldiers of the Gaza Division’s Northern Brigade “in a manner that posed an immediate threat.”

The Israeli Air Force then struck and “eliminated the terrorist in order to remove the threat,” the army says.

Iran says lifting sanctions an ‘inseparable’ part of any potential deal with US

Iran says the lifting of US sanctions is an integral part of any nuclear deal with the United States, as talks between the two countries begin in Geneva.

“Sanctions lifting is part and parcel of any deal on the nuclear issue,” says foreign ministry spokesman Emsaeil Baqaei in a video broadcast by the English-language state-run Press TV.

Earlier, Fars news agency quoted Baqaei as saying that removing sanctions was an “inseparable” part of any nuclear deal.

Top Hamas official refuses Netanyahu aide’s 60-day disarmament ultimatum

Hamas gunmen guard an area where they are searching for the bodies of hostages with the help of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Gaza City on November 3, 2025. (Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)

Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi rejects Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs’s statement yesterday that Hamas will have 60 days to disarm, possibly starting with Thursday’s Board of Peace conference.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Mardawi says Hamas has received no such information from mediators and calls such statements “merely threats with no basis in the ongoing negotiations.”

Israel has said Gaza cannot be rebuilt until Hamas gives up its weapons.

US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza explicitly says that Hamas must give up its weapons, but the Hamas statement endorsing the plan contained significant conditions and did not directly mention disarmament.

Police say West Bank blaze that killed dozens of sheep caused by electrical fault, not arson attack

A burned lighting fixture damaged in what police say was an electrical fire that led to the burning of dozens of sheep in as-Samu, a Palestinian village in the southern West Bank on February 17, 2026. (Israel Police)

Police say that the blazes that killed dozens of sheep in the southern West Bank were caused by an electrical fire, contradicting earlier suspicions of an overnight arson attack by extremist settlers.

The fire broke out in a Palestinian-owned sheep pen in as-Samu, near Hebron, which has seen attacks in the past by settler extremists.

After reaching the scene, police say they determined the blaze was caused by an electrical malfunction in which the canvas awning covering the sheep pen caught fire, burning the livestock.

“Based on the investigation, the assessment indicates that it is not a criminal or nationalistically motivated act,” police add.

As nuclear talks start, Khamenei warns Trump ‘won’t succeed’ in destroying Iran, threatens US warship

This handout picture provided by the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei shows him during an address in Tehran on February 17, 2026. (Handout / KHAMENEI.IR / AFP)

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says that US President Donald Trump will not succeed in destroying the Islamic Republic, as talks between the two countries begin in Geneva.

“In one of his recent speeches, the US president said that for 47 years America has not succeeded in destroying the Islamic Republic… I tell you: You will not succeed either,” says Khamenei in a speech.

He also warns that the US warship deployed in the Gulf could be sunk.

“We constantly hear that [the US] has sent a warship toward Iran. A warship is certainly a dangerous weapon, but even more dangerous is the weapon capable of sinking it,” says Khamenei.

The USS Abraham Lincoln is in the region along with its accompanying guided-missile destroyers.

The supreme leader’s comments come days after Trump said regime change in Iran “would be the best thing that could happen.”

Iran fires missiles into Strait of Hormuz during military exercise as nuclear talks begin

This handout photo released by Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)'s official website Sepanews on February 16, 2026, shows a boat firing a missile during a military exercise by members of the IRGC and navy in the Gulf (SEPAH NEWS / AFP)

Iran has begun live-fire exercises toward the Strait of Hormuz, according to multiple semi-official Iranian news agencies.

The semi-official Tasnim news agency, which is close to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, says missiles launched inside Iran and along its coast struck their targets in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran announced that its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard started a drill early yesterday morning in the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, waterways that are crucial international trade routes through which 20% of the world’s oil passes.

The development comes as the US and Iran begin their second round of indirect talks on Iran’s nuclear program.

Smotrich tells Arab MKs it’s not the government’s fault that ‘you murder one another’

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attends a Finance Committee meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem on February 17, 2026 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich enters into a shouting match with Arab lawmakers, yelling that it is not the government’s fault that “you murder one another” during a heated meeting of the Knesset Finance Committee.

The far-right minister shouts at MK Iman Khatib-Yassin and other Arab lawmakers after she argues that his proposed 1.5 percent property tax on vacant land would harm members of the Arab sector who own land but cannot afford to develop it, and accuses the government of failing to take responsibility for rising crime in the Arab sector.

In response, Smotrich asks if the government is “also to blame for the fact that you murder one another,” prompting opposition lawmakers to yell that he is “disgusting” and a “racist.”

“Shame, shame, shame,” yells Khatib-Yassin while Yisrael Beytenu MK Hamad Amar shouts that the government takes “no responsibility.”

“Educate your public to stop murdering,” shouts Smotrich. “Let’s start with you condemning terror and condemning violence. Define Hamas as a terror organization.”

According to the Abraham Initiatives watchdog, 51 Arabs have been killed in Israel since the start of the year. The spiraling homicide rate in Arab society, which is largely fueled by mafia-style organized crime, has recently been the focus of escalating protests against what the community says is neglect by the government and law enforcement.

Addressing the committee, Smotrich says that “there is no good tax, I wish we could not collect taxes at all, but we are always looking for the least bad tax” and that he must enact a new tax in order to lower income taxes, “otherwise the deficit will increase and it will cost more to the citizens of Israel.”

Hitting back, Degel HaTorah chairman Moshe Gafni argues that Smotrich’s economic reforms will do nothing to lower the cost of living and “will only severely harm people whose economic situation is difficult.”

The new tax also comes under criticism from Ilan Gordo of the Contractors Association, who tells the committee that it is unfair that when builders purchase land but cannot build for years because of red tape, they will have to pay taxes on the unused land.

Jesse Jackson, US civil rights icon, dies at 84

Civil Rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson visits with guests at the National Bar Association's annual convention on July 31, 2025, in Chicago, Illinois (SCOTT OLSON / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

US civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, an eloquent Baptist minister raised in the segregated South who became a close associate of Martin Luther King and twice ran for the Democratic presidential nomination, has died aged 84, his family says.

“His unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love uplifted millions, and we ask you honor his memory by continuing the fight for the values he lived by,” Jackson’s family says.

“Our father was a servant leader – not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” the family says.

As a close associate of Martin Luther King Jr in the 1960s, a dynamic Black orator and a successful mediator in international disputes, the longtime Baptist minister expanded the space for African Americans on the national stage for more than six decades.

Jackson was present for many consequential moments in the long battle for racial justice in the United States.

He was with King in Memphis in 1968 when the civil rights leader was slain; openly wept in the crowd as Barack Obama celebrated his 2008 presidential election; and stood with George Floyd’s family in 2021 after a court convicted an ex-police officer of the unarmed Black man’s murder.

He was not without controversies. In 1984, Jackson referred to New York as “Hymietown” while on the campaign trail, and later apologized. He was also tied for a number of years to Louis Farrakhan, the antisemitic leader of the Nation of Islam, and met with Palestine Liberation Organization chairman Yasser Arafat.

Swiss Olympic commentator suggests Israeli bobsleigh athlete be barred over ‘support of genocide’

Israel's AJ Edelman salutes the public at the end of a two-man bobsleigh run at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A Swiss Olympic commentator questioned the participation of Israeli bobsleigh athlete AJ Edelman in the 2026 Games, suggesting that he should be barred over his support for Israel’s war against the Hamas terror group in Gaza.

Stefan Renna, of the Swiss RTS Sport channel, said during the two-man bobsleigh team’s first appearances on the ice yesterday at the Milano Cortina Olympics that Edelman had offered “support of genocide in Gaza.” Renna, who cited the UN for his use of the word “genocide,” also called out Edelman for calling the war “the most morally just in history” and for mocking “Free Palestine” graffiti during a World Cup event last year.

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“This raises his the question of his presence in Cortina during these Games,” said Renna, pointing to International Olympic Committee guidelines that allows Russian athletes to compete only as “individual neutral athletes” and only as long as they have not expressed or participated in pro-war activity. Those guidelines do not apply to athletes from other countries. Competitors are allowed to express themselves in any way outside of Olympic sites and venues, according to IOC guidelines.

A Ukrainian skeleton athlete was barred from competition last week after he refused to back down from wearing a helmet depicting Ukrainian athletes killed in the war against Russia.

Renna’s commentary garnered him praise online from pro-Palestinian activists, while Israel supporters called for him to be fired for his comments.

Edelman wrote on social media that he was “aware of the diatribe the commentator directed towards the Israeli Bobsled Team.” Dismissing the rhetoric, Edelman praised his team for “working together towards an incredible goal and crushing it. Because that’s what Israelis do. I don’t think it’s possible to witness that and give any credence to the commentary.”

I am aware of the diatribe the commentator directed towards the Israeli Bobsled Team on the Swiss Olympics broadcast today.
I can't help but notice the contrast: Shul Runnings is a team of 6 proud Israelis who've made it to the Olympic stage. No coach with us. No big program.… https://t.co/D7xAhhVAL0

— AJ Edelman, OLY (@realajedelman) February 16, 2026

The two-man bobsleigh team, led by Edelman, will race again this evening, and the four-man team, also piloted by Edelman, will compete on Saturday and Sunday.

Nuclear talks hinge on US avoiding unrealistic demands, Iranian official says

Seriousness about lifting sanctions on Iran and the avoidance of unrealistic demands on the part of the United States are key to ensuring effective nuclear talks in Geneva, a senior Iranian official tells Reuters.

The official, who declined to be named, claims Tehran is coming to the negotiating table with “genuine and constructive proposals.”

No further details are given.

Iran has insisted that the discussions be limited to the nuclear issue, though Washington has previously pushed for other topics to be discussed, including Tehran’s ballistic missiles and support for terror groups and armed militias in the region.

Belgium summons US envoy after antisemitism accusation over illegal circumcision charges

Belgium's Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot speaks with the media as he arrives for a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the European Council building in Brussels, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Belgium has summoned the US ambassador over a social media post in which he accused the country of antisemitic prosecution of Jewish Belgians, the kingdom’s foreign minister says.

“Labeling Belgium as antisemitic is not just wrong, it’s dangerous disinformation that undermines the real fight against hatred,” says Belgian foreign minister Maxime Prévot in a post on X. The summons is a rare move between staunch allies.

“An ambassador accredited to Belgium has a responsibility to respect our institutions, our elected representatives, and the independence of our judicial system,” Prévot says. “Personal attacks against a Belgian minister and interference in judicial matters violate basic diplomatic norms.”

Prévot says that “Belgian law permits ritual circumcision when performed by a qualified physician under strict health and safety standards” and that he would not comment on an ongoing investigation.

National broadcaster VRT said Belgian authorities are investigating whether three men in Antwerp were performing circumcisions without certified medical training.

US Ambassador Bill White said on a post on X that this investigation was “unacceptable harassment of the Jewish community here in Antwerp and in Belgium.

He said he would visit the three accused men in Antwerp and asked Belgium’s minister of health to join him.

“You must make a legal provision to allow Jewish religious MOHELS to perform their duties here in Belgium,” he said, using a Hebrew term for a Jewish officiant trained in circumcision.

Second round of Iran-US talks begin in Geneva, Iranian state media says

A second round of talks between Iran and the United States has begun in Geneva, Iranian state TV reports.

“The indirect talks between Iran and the United States began today with the two sides exchanging messages” through Omani mediators, it says.

UAE, Saudi Arabia, other Muslim countries condemn Israel’s West Bank land registration decision

This picture shows an Israeli flag fluttering above the Israeli settlement of Beit Romano (unseen), with Palestinian buildings in the background, in the West Bank city of Hebron on February 9, 2026. (HAZEM BADER / AFP)

Eight Muslim countries, including Israel’s regional partners, issue a statement condemning the opening of a land registration process in the West Bank for the first time since 1967, calling it a “flagrant violation of international law.”

“This illegal step constitutes a grave escalation aimed at accelerating illegal settlement activity, land confiscation, entrenching Israeli control, and applying unlawful Israeli sovereignty over the Occupied Palestinian Territory and undermining the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people,” say the foreign ministers of Qatar, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.

“The Ministers reiterate their categorical rejection of all unilateral measures aimed at altering the legal, demographic, and historical status of the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” they say.

“They stress that such policies constitute a dangerous escalation that will further heighten tensions and instability in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the region as a whole.”

Court says suspicions against Braverman ‘strengthened substantially,’ extends restrictions

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's chief of staff, Tzachi Braverman, is seen at the Knesset in Jerusalem, March 13, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The Lod-Central District Court extends the restrictive release conditions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chief of staff Tzahi Braverman and says that the evidence gathered during the police investigation has “substantially strengthened” the suspicions against him.

The decision overturns a ruling last week by the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court, which did not extend the restrictive conditions as requested by the police.

The Lod-Central District Court extends the restrictions until February 24, which include being barred from the Prime Minister’s Office and IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv; a ban on contacting the prime minister, Netanyahu’s media adviser Eli Feldstein, and several other employees in the PMO; and a ban on leaving the country.

Braverman is scheduled to take up the post of ambassador to the United Kingdom, but restrictions on leaving the country have delayed this appointment.

The district court notes that the restriction was harming Braverman’s rights to a greater extent than is usual, but says that the strengthening suspicions against him rule out removing it.

Braverman is being investigated on suspicion of interfering with an investigation, the transmission of official information by a public servant, and fraud and breach of trust, in connection to allegations that Braverman told Feldstein that he could quash a military investigation into the latter’s leak of a classified document to the German Bild newspaper.

Judge Michael Karshan of the Lod-Central District Court is also strongly critical of Rishon Lezion Magistrate Court President Menahem Mizrahi, saying his ruling last week against extending the restrictions contained numerous flaws and criticizing disclosures of the details of the case Mizrahi made in his decision.

“There is no foundation to the rationale of the lower court that the reasonable suspicion against the respondent [Braverman] has weakened. The opposite is true,” writes Karshan.

He also rejects Mizrahi’s assertion that the police have worked too slowly and without a proper investigative plan, and insists that classified information presented to the magistrate’s court showed that the police had formulated a proper plan.

Judges in the Lod-Central District Court have criticized Mizrahi on numerous occasions over his decisions and the handling of the Bild-leaked documents case and the Qatargate case, over which he has presided.

Dozens of sheep burned to death in suspected settler attack in West Bank; police later say electrical fault to blame

A fire is seen burning in the West Bank village of as-Samu, in a suspected arson attack that police later said was caused by an electrical fault, February 17, 2026. (Social media; used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Dozens of sheep were burned to death in a what Palestinian media reports said was an overnight arson attack carried out by Israeli settler extremists in the southern West Bank, Palestinian media reports.

Update: Police later say the fire was caused by an electrical fault.

Israeli security forces are heading to the village of as-Samu, near Hebron, to investigate the incident.

Graphic footage from the aftermath shows the burned corpses of the animals.

Detectives from the Hebron police station have arrived at the scene and begun investigating the circumstances of the incident, police say.

Police add that officers are checking whether the fire is the result of an arson attack, rather than an electrical short circuit.

Oscar-winning filmmaker Frederick Wiseman, documentarian of America’s institutions, dies aged 96

Frederick Wiseman arrives at the 2016 Governors Awards, Nov. 12, 2016, in Los Angeles. (Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

Frederick Wiseman, the celebrated director of “Titicut Follies” and dozens of other documentaries whose in-depth, unadorned movies comprised a unique and revelatory history of American institutions, dies aged 96.

The death was announced in a joint statement from his family and from his production company, Zipporah Films. Additional details were not immediately available.

“He will be deeply missed by his family, friends, colleagues, and the countless filmmakers and audiences around the world whose lives and perspectives were shaped by his unique vision,” the statement says.

Among the world’s most admired and influential filmmakers, Wiseman won an honorary Academy Award in 2016 and completed more than 35 documentaries, some several hours long. With subjects ranging from a suburban high school to a horse race track, his work was aired on public television, screened at retrospectives, spotlighted in festivals, praised by critics and fellow directors and preserved by the Library of Congress.

Wiseman was born in Boston, his father a prominent attorney, his mother an administrator at a children’s psychiatric ward and a would-be actor who entertained her son with stories and imitations.

His education was elite despite attending schools with Jewish quotas — Williams College and Yale Law School — and his real life experiences were invaluable for the movies he would end up making.

Wiseman was in his mid-30s before he made his first full-length movie, but was soon ranked with — and sometimes above — such notable peers as D.A. Pennebaker and Robert Drew for helping to establish the modern documentary as a vital and surprising art form.

Starting with “High School” and the scandalous “Titicut Follies,” he patented a seamless, affecting style, using a crew so tiny that Wiseman served as his own sound engineer. The results led to acclaim, amusement, head-shaking, finger-pointing and — with “Titicut Follies” — prolonged legal action.

“I don’t set out to be confrontational, but I think sometimes the content of the movie runs against people’s expectations and fantasies about the subject matter,” Wiseman told Gawker in 2013.

Wiseman’s vision was to make “as many films as possible about different aspects of American life,” and he often gave his documentaries self-explanatory titles: “Hospital,” “Public Housing,” “Basic Training,” “Boxing Gym.” But he also dramatized how people functioned within those settings: an elderly welfare applicant begging for assistance, a military trainee complaining of harassment, a doctor trying to coax coherent answers out of a dazed heroin addict, sales clerks at Neiman Marcus rehearsing their smiles.

“The institution is also just an excuse to observe human behavior in somewhat defined conditions,” Wiseman told The Associated Press in 2020. “The films are as much about that as they are about institutions.”

The Guardian publishes X-rays from Iran showing ‘deliberate targeting’ of protesters’ vital organs

Bodies lie in body bags on the ground as people stand amid the scene outside Kahrizak Forensic Medical Centre in Tehran, Iran, in this screen capture from a video obtained from social media, January 11, 2026. (Social Media/via REUTERS)

The Guardian publishes an exclusive set of x-rays and CT scans from Iran that medics say show the “deliberate targeting” of the vital organs of protesters during the brutal crackdown last month.

A medic, named as Dr. Ahmad, whose name has been changed to protect his identity but whose credentials have been verified by the newspaper, says he spoke to colleagues across Iran who “report a recurring pattern of deliberate gunshot injuries targeting specific organs, most notably the eyes and heart, and less frequently the genital region.”

“These injuries commonly involve penetrating eye trauma, globe rupture, severe intraocular bleeding, retinal damage, and permanent vision loss,” he says.

The Guardian says it reviewed over 75 sets of medical images from one hospital in a major Iranian city that were taken in one evening during the crackdown.

The newspaper says many of the images show the protesters were shot at close or medium range.

Medical experts tell the newspaper that doctors would only take images of patients that they believe can be saved — meaning that there are no images of those killed or who arrived at medical centers with the most catastrophic injuries.

Another unnamed doctor tells the newspaper that those who arrived at their hospital for medical treatment ranged in age from toddlers to grandparents.

“They came in with gunshots and also pellets in different locations on the body – to the chest, the abdomen, limbs, genitals … basically the entire body. Live ammunition wounds from pistols, AK47s,” the doctor says.

“I am still trying to cope with it,” he says. “You can only witness so much.”

High Court begins hearing on egalitarian prayer at Western Wall

Members of the Reform movement and the Hebrew Union College hold a mixed men and women prayer in front of the Western Wall, in Jerusalem's Old City, on November 16, 2017. (Noam Rivkin Fenton /Flash90)

The High Court of Justice’s hearing on rights for egalitarian prayers at the Western Wall begins.

It is the first hearing on the matter in three years.

Isaac Amit, the chief justice, presides over the hearing, which has a panel of seven judges.

Petitions on the matter were submitted by Masorti Israel, the Reform Movement in Israel, and Women of the Wall over several years, with the most recent hearing held in February 2023.

The demands include ensuring access to the Western Wall from the egalitarian plaza, known as “Ezrat Israel,” and allowing Torah scrolls to be brought into the women’s prayer section.

Russian negotiators arrive in Geneva for Ukraine talks

Russian officials have arrived in the Swiss city of Geneva for talks with US and Ukrainian teams aimed at ending the years-long conflict in Ukraine, a source within the Russian delegation tells journalists.

The talks are taking place in Geneva at the same time as US-Iran negotiations.

The plane carrying the Russians, led by nationalist historian and former culture minister Vladimir Medinsky, landed in Geneva, according to the source.

There is no anticipation of any significant progress on ending the Ukraine war at the meetings in Switzerland as both sides appear to be sticking to their negotiating positions on key issues, despite the United States setting a June deadline to reach a settlement. The future of Ukrainian land that Russia occupies or still covets is a central issue.

IDF says troops found ‘large number’ of weapons including RPG, assault rifles in Rafah area

A cache of Hamas weapons found by IDF troops in southern Gaza's Rafah, in a handout photo issued by the military on February 17, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

IDF troops located a cache of weapons belonging to Hamas operatives amid mop-up operations in the Rafah area of the southern Gaza Strip, on the Israeli side of the ceasefire line, the military says.

The IDF says the find was made yesterday by troops of the 7th Armored Brigade during efforts to demolish Hamas tunnels in the area.

The troops located a “large number” of assault rifles, an RPG, and an explosive device, the military says, adding that the weapons were intended to be used by Hamas operatives from the terror group’s Rafah Brigade to attack Israeli forces in the area.

Dozens of Hamas operatives are believed to be underground in the eastern Rafah area, on the Israeli side of the ceasefire line. The IDF has reported killing or capturing some 50 of them in recent months.

High-stakes talks between US and Iran set to be held in Geneva today

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff delivers a speech as Jared Kushner looks on upon the signing of the declaration on deploying post-ceasefire force in Ukraine, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, January 6, 2026. (Ludovic Marin, Pool photo via AP)

The US and Iran are set to hold indirect talks in Geneva today, with little indication of potential compromise as the United States ramps up its military presence in the Middle East and Iran holds large-scale maritime exercises.

Iran has insisted that the discussions be limited to the nuclear issue, though Washington has previously pushed for other topics to be discussed, including Tehran’s ballistic missiles and support for terror groups and armed militia in the region.

US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will take part in the negotiations, which are being mediated by Oman, alongside Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Yet the US military is also said to be simultaneously preparing for the possibility of weeks of operations against Iran if President Donald Trump orders an attack.

Iran itself began a military drill yesterday in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital international waterway and oil export route from Gulf Arab states, who have been appealing for diplomacy.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to use force to compel Iran to agree to constrain its nuclear program. Iran has said it would respond with an attack of its own. Trump has also threatened Iran over its deadly crackdown on recent nationwide protests.

The first round of talks Feb. 6 were held in Oman, a sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, and were indirect, with SUVs flying the American flag entering the palace venue only after it appeared the Iranian officials had left. The arrangements for today’s round of negotiations are not clear.

Hyatt hotel chain executive steps down after Epstein ties exposed

The executive chairman of the Hyatt hotel chain has stepped down after emails revealing his ties to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein came to light.

US businessman Thomas Pritzker maintained contact with Epstein well after the latter was convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008.

Epstein died in prison in 2019 awaiting charges of sex trafficking girls, in what was ruled a suicide.

“Good stewardship… means protecting Hyatt, particularly in the context of my association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, which I deeply regret,” Pritzker says in a statement picked up by US media.

Maxwell, Epstein’s associate, is serving a 20-year sentence for her role in a conspiracy to traffic girls with the disgraced financier.

Hyatt in a statement says — without mentioning Epstein — that Pritzker would retire from his role as executive chairman of the board of directors and that he would not seek reelection to the board at the company’s shareholders meeting in May.

US media reported on an email exchange from 2018 where Epstein asked Pritzker to help secure reservations for a woman traveling in Asia.

The woman told Pritzker she was “going to try to find a new girlfriend for Jeffrey,” to which Pritzker replied: “May the Force be with you.”

Pritzker is the cousin of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a possible contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028.

Trump says Iran wants to make a deal, as his aides depart for 2nd round of nuclear talks

US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump board Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

US President Donald Trump says he thinks Iran wants to make a deal, in comments made to reporters as his top aides Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner depart for Geneva where American and Iranian negotiators will meet on Tuesday for a second round of nuclear talks.

“I’ll be involved in those talks indirectly, and they’ll be very important,” Trump says aboard Air Force One.

Calling the Iranians “tough negotiators,” Trump says he hopes “they’re going to be more reasonable” than they were during last year’s talks, which didn’t result in a deal and instead saw the US strike Iran’s nuclear facilities.

“I think they want to make a deal. I don’t think they want the consequences of not making a deal,” Trump says.

He is also asked about Thursday’s Board of Peace meeting, Trump says it will “go far beyond Gaza.”

The president then reiterates that he’d like the board to work with the UN amid fears that Washington is trying to use the body to usurp the UN.

Asked if Israel should lift its ban on foreign media being able to independently report in Gaza, Trump dodges the question.

“We’ll be lifting a lot of bands pretty soon,” he says.

“I think you’re going to see everything opening up… You have some flames here and there, but we essentially have peace in the Middle East,” Trump says.

India seizes three Iran-linked US-sanctioned tankers, source says

India has seized three US-sanctioned oil tankers linked to Iran this month and stepped up surveillance in its maritime zone to curb illicit trade, a source tells Reuters, confirming a post on X by Indian authorities earlier in February that had been deleted.

India aims to prevent its waters from being used for ship-to-ship transfers that obscure the origin of oil cargoes, the source with direct knowledge of the matter tells Reuters.

The seizures and heightened surveillance follow an improvement in US-India relations. Washington earlier this month announced it will cut import tariffs on Indian goods to 18% from 50%, after New Delhi agreed to stop Russian oil imports.

The three sanctioned vessels – Stellar Ruby, Asphalt Star and Al Jafzia – frequently changed their identities to evade law enforcement by coastal states, the source said, adding that their owners were based overseas.

Iranian state media cited the National Iranian Oil Company as saying that the three tankers seized by India had no connection to the company. It said that neither the cargoes nor the vessels were linked to the company.

Indian authorities had said in a post on X on February 6 that they intercepted three vessels about 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai after detecting suspicious activity involving a tanker in India’s exclusive economic zone.

The post was later deleted, but the source confirmed that the vessels had been escorted to Mumbai for further investigation.

Australia rules out repatriating citizens from Syrian camp

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says his government will not repatriate Australians living in a Syrian camp that holds families of suspected Islamic State militants.

“We have a very firm view that we won’t be providing assistance or repatriation,” Albanese tells ABC News.

Thirty-four Australians released on Monday from a camp in northern Syria were returned to the detention centre due to “technical reasons,” two sources tell Reuters.

3 killed, including suspect, in shooting during Rhode Island youth hockey game

Hockey parents and a player speak to a police officer outside of the Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, after a shooting at the ice rink on February 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Stockwell)

Three people, including the suspect, were fatally shot during a Rhode Island youth hockey game Monday, authorities say.

Pawtucket Police Chief Tina Goncalves tell reporters that three other victims are hospitalized in critical condition.

“It appears that this was a targeted event, that it may be a family dispute,” she says. Goncalves does not provide details about the suspect or the ages of those who were killed, though she says it appears that both victims were adults.

Authorities are continuing to try to piece together what happened and speak with witnesses, she says.

The shooting happened at Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, a few miles outside Providence.

Outside the arena, tearful families and high school hockey players still in uniform can be seen hugging before they boarded a bus to leave the area. Roads surrounding the arena have been shut down as a heavy police presence remained and helicopters flew overhead.

Pawtucket is nestled just north of Providence and right under the Massachusetts state border. A town of just under 80,000, Pawtucket had up until recently been known as the home to Hasbro’s headquarters.

Lebanon says next phase of Hezbollah disarmament to take around 4 months

A member of the Lebanese military stands guard during a visit by Lebanon's prime minister to the heavily-damaged southern village of Kfar Kila, near the border with Israel on February 8, 2026. (Rabih Daher/AFP)

Lebanon’s government says its army will have a four-month extendable period to implement phase two of the military’s plan to disarm Hezbollah in south Lebanon.

Lebanon’s government has committed to disarming Hezbollah, which was badly weakened in a recent war with Israel, and the military said last month that it had completed the first phase of its plan, covering the area between the Litani River and the Israeli border, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) further south.

Phase two covers an area north of the river.

Information Minister Paul Morcos tells a press conference after a cabinet session that the government “took note of the army leadership’s presentation” on the second stage of the plan and that “there is a timeframe of four months, extendable depending on available capabilities, Israeli attacks, and hindrances on the ground.”

Israel has cast doubts on Lebanon’s claim that it has fully disarmed Hezbollah south of the Litani, and has continued to carry out strikes on Hezbollah operatives and infrastructure in the area.

FIFA president celebrates receiving his Lebanese passport in Beirut

FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks as he attends the 2025 Atlantic Council Global Citizen Awards on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on September 24, 2025. (Ludovic MARIN / AFP)

FIFA President Gianni Infantino receives his Lebanese passport at the Interior Ministry in Beirut, months after he was granted citizenship by the country’s president.

Infantino, who is married to Lebanese citizen Lina al-Ashkar, thanked Joseph Aoun, when he received him today, for granting him and his family Lebanese citizenship.

The meeting with Aoun took place after Infantino visited the Interior Ministry where he performed the official process of filing documents, being photographed, and having his fingerprints taken before he was handed a copy of his new blue Lebanese passport.

Infantino also has Italian and Swiss citizenship.

“I’m very proud and very happy to be here in Beirut at the Ministry of Interior to finally get my Lebanese passport,” Infantino says in a video carried by local TV stations. “I love Lebanon.”

Smotrich says he would tell his daughter not to enlist in the IDF

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich speaks ahead of a Religious Zionist party meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem, February 16, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, the head of the Religious Zionism party, says he would tell his daughter not to serve in the IDF.

“If my daughter asked me, I would try to educate her not to go” serve in the military, Smotrich says, in response to a question from a reporter at his party’s faction meeting in the Knesset.

“The Chief Rabbinate is against this. This is the position of my rabbis,” says Smotrich. “I hope that you, these big progressives, can also respect the values of several thousand years…. And I of course respect those who think differently than I do.”

The issue of religious women serving in the IDF is a divisive one in the national religious community, where many instead undertake national service instead of enlisting, although it is also common for female graduates of religious high schools to enlist. Many major religious Zionist rabbis have spoken out against women serving in the IDF, arguing that it is not modest or appropriate.

Smotrich himself served a shortened IDF service after enlisting at age 28. He has in the past spoken out against mixed-gender combat units in the military.