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The Daily Edition

What Matters Most On Tuesday, October 20, 2026

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Footage posted to social media shows Haredi passengers dancing at Ben Gurion International Airport, where 42 ultra-Orthodox men were arrested in a Military Police operation upon their return to Israel from the United States, October 20, 2026. (Screenshot/Social media: used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law via Channel 12);

Hendel conditions joining government on universal enlistment

Netanyahu comes out against arrest of Haredi draft dodgers as 42 detained at airport

By ToI Staff, Emanuel Fabian and Ariela Karmel

Arrests are ‘deliberate attempt to harm the process of drafting Haredim without coercion,’ PM claims; 40 of detainees freed after pledging to enlist; ultra-Orthodox MKs decry ‘political intereference’; opposition leaders slam premier

2026 Knesset election

Ariela Karmel, Stav Levaton, Tal Schneider, Noam Lehmann and ToI Staff

Everything you need to know: ToI’s guide to the 37 parties that Israelis can choose from

After four years of government stability despite protests, upheaval, tragedy and war, voters will once again have their say at the ballot box. From frontrunners Yashar and Likud to the one-man Shema and the perennial also-ran Pirates, these are the factions vying for the Knesset’s 120 seats on October 27

A sample voting booth is displayed at the Central Elections Committee warehouse in Shoham, ahead of the upcoming election, October 14, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth talk during an honor cordon ceremony at the Pentagon, July 9, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

PM reportedly took private plane instead of military chopper

Hegseth meets Netanyahu during secret visit to Israel; said to discuss ‘threats in region’

By ToI Staff and Agencies

Meeting held at Ovda airbase, where US jets are stationed; US defense secretary confirms previously unannounced visit to region to meet troops, but doesn’t specify location

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, right, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrive for a news conference after their meeting at Iran’s Foreign Ministry in Tehran, Iran, October 19, 2026. (Vahid Salemi/AP)

Iran’s foreign minister: Russia, Iran have never before ‘worked as closely’ together

By AFP and ToI Staff

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Denounces 'waves of nationalist crime,' Haredi non-service

Ex-Netanyahu ally Hanegbi, longtime Likud stalwart, announces he’s voting for Liberman

Former national security adviser says he is breaking with voting habits of almost 50 years to cast ballot for Yisrael Beytenu; laments ‘messianic’ and ‘racist’ voices in PM’s bloc

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi at a press conference at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, on September 28, 2023 (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

Blue and White chair Benny Gantz speaks during a press conference at Kfar Maccabiah in Ramat Gan at which he formally confirmed his withdrawal from Israel’s upcoming election, October 19, 2026. (Avshalom Sassoni/ Flash90)

Blue and White’s Benny Gantz pulls out of race, sealing precipitous political fall

By Ariela Karmel and ToI Staff

The Democrats party chairman Yair Golan speaks during an election conference at Tel Aviv University, ahead of Israel’s upcoming general elections, October 18, 2026. (Avshalom Sassoni/ Flash90)

‘Wanted dead or alive’: Golan campaign billboard vandalized, amid fears of political violence

By Stav Levaton, Nava Freiberg and ToI Staff

Report: PM’s aide Urich admitted he kept working for Qatar after Oct. 7, saw no moral problem

By Stav Levaton and ToI Staff

Citing police transcripts, Channel 12 reports Urich said he was paid hundreds of thousands of shekels by Doha; Bennett, slamming ‘traitors’ in the PMO, demands that Netanyahu ‘tell public the truth about your Qatar ties’

Jonatan Urich arrives for a court hearing at the Rishon Lezion Magistrate's Court, January 14, 2026. (Jonathan Shaul/ Flash90)

Founding editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's Daily Briefing podcast. (ToI/AFP)

ToI podcastDaily Briefing Oct. 20 – A Qatar mole in the PM’s office?

By Amanda Borschel-Dan and David Horovitz

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir meets with a cadet of the Hasmonean Brigade for ultra-Orthodox troops near the Western Wall in Jerusalem, October 20, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)

Live updates (closed)

Oct 20: IDF chief hails first-ever officers from IDF’s Hasmonean Brigade for Haredi troops

Zamir says military will ensure election held ‘without external interference’ * Netanyahu claims French protests fueled by ‘invasion of extremist Islam’ * Israeli fighter jets reportedly flew toward Iran overnight as part of a drill

8:10 pm

Rubio accuses Iran of using 'Nazi tactics' in Strait of Hormuz by targeting commercial shipping
8:01 pm

Trump says he 'can't' elaborate on meeting between Netanyahu, Hegseth
7:34 pm

Netanyahu claims French protests fueled by 'invasion of extremist Islam'

A billboard featuring the photos of six hostages who were killed in Rafah in August 2024 is seen on the side of the Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv, on October 20, 2026. (Spokesperson for the Victims of the Failure)

'Their bodies returned in coffins'

Families of 17 hostages killed in Gaza demand PM stop using them for political clout

Letter accuses Netanyahu of trying to ‘evade responsibility and rewrite history’; billboards go up across Israel featuring images of six hostages killed in tunnel under Rafah

Frances Munning, played by Penny Downie in 'The Diplomat,' in a tribute scene to the late Hersh Goldberg-Polin in season four (Screenshot)

Streaming homageNetflix’s ‘The Diplomat’ offers hidden tribute to Hersh Goldberg-Polin

By Jessica Steinberg

Visitors gather on a hill overlooking the Gaza Strip, in Sderot, southern Israel, October 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

2026 Knesset ElectionKibbutz resident: 'We are still people of peace'

Despite the horrors of Oct. 7, the political loyalties of many Gaza border residents have not changed

By Stav Levaton

3 years after unprecedented massacre, residents who lost homes, neighbors and family say Hamas’s onslaught altered their worldview — but they might not bring newfound fears and distrust to the polls

Author Yossi Klein Halevi, a senior fellow at the Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, joins ToI deputy editor Amanda Borschel-Dan on this week's A Mandatory Listen. (ToI)

ToI podcast

A Mandatory Listen – Yossi Klein Halevi: Spiritually coping with this Israeli election

By Amanda Borschel-Dan and Yossi Klein Halevi

In the fifth episode of our new podcast series, we go deep into faith and equilibrium even as the eternal people stands at a crossroad

Vote right, if you wish. Just don’t vote for Bibi

Make no mistake, this election is not about right versus left. It’s about right versus wrong

Jewish nonprofit leaders should be paid like corporate CEOs

High NGO salaries have sparked outrage. But why should serving the Jewish community mean accepting less?

Op-ed

Settler violence harms Israel’s interests. But for PM, halting it could spell political trouble

Netanyahu cast doubt on accounts of Jewish attacks on diplomats, priests and journalists over the weekend. With the election a week away, coalition calculations are taking precedence

This handout photo shows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressing an event celebrating the legalization of West Bank settlement outposts, on August 26, 2025. (Kobi Gideon/GPO)

View of the Tel Aviv University campus. May 15, 2025. (Yossi Aloni/Flash90)

Academic conferences draw Israeli expats home just days before election

By Stav Levaton

Organizers seek to capitalize on arrival of overseas researchers coming to cast their ballots, as study indicates returning voters likely to favor opposition parties

After national standardized exams showed poor grades, education minister halts them

By Stav Levaton

Yoav Kisch also bars body that manages the language, math and science tests from ministry, doubts results, and says steps needed before implementing independent review suggestions

Education Minister Yoav Kisch arrives for a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of the upcoming election, in Petah Tikva, September 10, 2026. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

US Vice President JD Vance speaks during a midterm campaign rally at Hyder Warehouse in Hendersonville, North Carolina, October 19, 2026. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times via AP, Pool)

Vance declines to join Trump’s endorsement of Netanyahu in election

By Agencies and ToI Staff

After US leader gave PM his backing, the vice president, who previously endorsed Orban and met with German far right, says he’s focusing on midterms, not ‘getting involved’ in Israeli vote

US President Donald Trump greets Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club, December 29, 2025, in Palm Beach, Florida. (AP/Alex Brandon)

Analysts and US liberal groups raise eyebrows at Trump endorsement of Netanyahu

By Sharon Udasin

US President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Heartland Credit Union Arena, n Park City, Kansas,October 19, 2026. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)

Trump approval falls to record low of 31% as midterms near

The launch of the Ofek 19 spy satellite from Palmachim air base, September 2, 2025. (Defense Ministry)

IDF appoints first commander of new Space Division as Israel eyes galactic warfare

By Emanuel Fabian

Katz: ‘Star Wars, made in Israel’; division will oversee force buildup and operations beyond earth; military also selects heads of new Robotics Division and revived tank brigade

Two suspects who allegedly planned a terror attack are seen captured by an elite counterterrorism force on the Route 1 highway near Jerusalem, October 19, 2026. (Social media: used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

2 arrested on highway just outside Jerusalem on suspicion of planning terror attack

By Emanuel Fabian

Illustrative: Members of the Moroccan Royal Armed Forces stand guard as they take part in the 20th edition of the African Lion military exercise, in Tantan, south of Agadir, Morocco, May 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Mosa’ab Elshamy)

Board of Peace official to ToI: Up to 500 Moroccan troops are trained for Gaza force

By Nava Freiberg

Official says the US-led training began in August, also reports modest progress on UAE-backed reconstruction efforts, hopes for more cooperation from Israel after election

Illustrative: Trucks carrying food drive through Khan Younis after entering via the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing, on February 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Israel to resume entry of private-sector goods to Gaza; 5 reportedly killed in Strip

By Nurit Yohanan, ToI Staff and Agencies

Calm holds amid curfews, but protest groups readying for more

Antisemitic conspiracies about French protests spread across social media – watchdog

By Zev Stub and Agencies

Combat Antisemitism Movement finds 1,384 posts on X claiming that Jews, Israel, and Zionists are to blame for or are profiting from the widespread unrest over the weekend

A collection of social media posts tying the violent protests in France to Jews and Israel (Screenshots)

A man walks past a burnt out car on Rue Yves Toudic destroyed after a weekend of protests against the 'high cost of living,' in central Paris on October 19, 2026. (Kiran RIDLEY/AFP)

France announces curfews in Paris and other cities as it grapples with violent unrest

By Jeremy Tordjman, Lea Dauple and Nicholas Roll

Jibril Rajoub arrives to attend a football match between Jabal Al-Mukaber and Shabab Al-Khalil teams during the 'Thousand Martyrs’ Cup' tournament at the Faisal Al-Husseini International Stadium in the West Bank city of Al-Ram, September 4, 2026. (AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP)

Senior Palestinian official warns West Bank is on the verge of an ‘explosion’

By AFP

Jibril Rajoub calls for ‘peaceful, nonviolent struggle,’ as UN rights experts demand Israel protect Palestinian farmers from settler attacks during olive harvest

People of Israel Knesset candidate Fleur Hassan-Nahoum seen shortly after the car she was traveling in was attacked near the Palestinian village of Turmus Ayya in the central West Bank on October 19, 2026. (Screen captures: X, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)

Palestinians attack pro-settlement group including right-wing politician, her party says

By Ariela Karmel, Emanuel Fabian and ToI Staff

The International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, March 12, 2025. (Omar Havana/AP)

US-sanctioned International Criminal Court shortlisted for EU’s top rights prize

By Agencies and ToI Staff

More Headlines

People lay flowers outside the office of Australian politician Helen Haines in the northern regional city of Wangaratta, some 250 kilometers north-east of Melbourne on October 20, 2026. (William West/AFP)

Australian politician loses leg in ramming; family friend charged in counterterror probe

By ToI Staff and Agencies

Thousands of members of the Hajduk’s Torcida fan club march toward the stadium ahead of the Conference League soccer match between Hajduk Split and Ajax in Split, Croatia, October 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Ante Cizmic)

23 people charged over antisemitic, pro-Nazi chants ahead of Croatia soccer match

By AFP

Opera singer Gabriel Sanchez-Ortega holds up a Palestinian flag during the curtain call of the opening night of "Tosca" at the Calgary Opera, in a still taken from a video posted by Sanchez-Ortega on Instagram, on October 16, 2026. (Screenshot/Gabriel Sanchez-Ortega via Instagram)

Calgary Opera ditches performer who held up Palestinian flag during ‘Tosca’ curtain call

Anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian US activist Mahmoud Khalil, center right, listens as other people speak during a news conference in New York, July 14, 2026. (Seth Wenig/AP)

Anti-Israel activist Mahmoud Khalil asks US Supreme Court to hear immigration case

By Nate Raymond and Jonathan Allen

Syrians line the streets awaiting a parade by the new Syrian army marking the first anniversary of the ousting of the Bashar Assad regime in Damascus, Syria, Dec. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Syria’s post-Assad school curriculum glorifies nationalism, demonizes Jews — study

A CapitalOne bank location vandalized with anti-Israel graffiti, in New York City, October 19, 2026. (Courtesy)

New York City bank targeted with anti-Israel graffiti, windows smashed

Illustrative: Destroyed military vehicles sit along a road following fighting between Houthi fighters and the Saudi-led coalition near Mocha on October 17, 2026. (AFP)

Houthi ballistic missile strike on Yemeni military camp said to kill over 50 soldiers

El Al CEO Levy Halevy speaks at launch of new passenger services in Tel Aviv, October 19, 2026. (Sharon Wrobel/Times of Israel)

El Al taps lifestyle brands to elevate its premium cabins as it courts travelers

By Sharon Wrobel

Christiane Amanpour speaks onstage during the 2025 CPJ International Press Freedom Awards at The Glasshouse on November 20, 2025 in New York City. (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images/AFP)

Christiane Amanpour announces she’s leaving CNN after 43 years

By Agencies and ToI Staff

Belgrade University rector Vladan Djokic watches university students collect signatures in support of their demand for an early parliamentary election, in Belgrade, Serbia, December 28, 2025. (Darko Vojinovic/AP)

Serbian opposition figure targeted with Israeli-made spyware, research group says

By Reuters and ToI Staff

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