Joshua Davidovich

New Minister of Education Yifat Shasha-Biton speaks at a ceremony as she takes over from Yoav Gallant, at the Education Ministry in Jerusalem on June 14, 2021. (Olivier Fitoussi/FLASH90)

July 29, 2021, 4:33 pm

Vax on, vax off: What the press is saying about Shasha-Biton and the third shot

The education minister’s pro anti-vaccination leanings are raising hackles among some, and a booster dose gets the go-ahead

By Joshua Davidovich

A police officer enforces COVID-19 regulations at Ben Gurion International Airport on July 19, 2021. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)

July 22, 2021, 11:41 am

We’ll cut it off at the pass: What the press is saying about virus curbs and NSO

The press knows what ministers will do before they do it, and why it will or won’t solve rising morbidity rates. Plus NSO finds the bad guys behind its bad press: Ben and Jerry

By Joshua Davidovich

One of Sheba's innovation projects: the "hospital room of the future," built in the Israel Center for Medical Simulation at Sheba Medical Center (courtesy of Sheba Medical Center)

July 9, 2021, 9:52 am

Feint by number: What the press is saying about hazy math and home demo friction

Reports question the Health Ministry’s counting skills, and the media jumps on hints of frayed ties between the US and Israel, and Bennett and Lapid

By Joshua Davidovich

Israelis wear protective face masks as they walk in Tel Aviv on March 11, 2021. (Miriam Alster/FLASH90)

June 25, 2021, 10:42 am

Comeback COVID: What the press says about masking faces and looking for Jews

A renewed face covering mandate comes with assurances that things probably won’t get too much worse. The same, unfortunately, cannot be said for Florida tower collapse victims

By Joshua Davidovich

IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi, center-right, and US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, center-left, salute outside the US Department of Defense in Washington, DC, on June 21, 2021. (Israel Defense Forces)

June 21, 2021, 2:04 pm

IDF chief in Washington warns against return to Iran nuke deal

In first visit since Biden took office, Aviv Kohavi tells top Pentagon officials that existing pact allows Tehran to make ‘significant advances’ in nuclear program

By Joshua Davidovich

Masked Palestinian members of the Islamic Jihad terror group launch incendiary balloons from Gaza toward Israel on June 15, 2021. (Atia Mohammed/FLASH90)

June 18, 2021, 10:34 am

Back so soon? What the press is saying about a pesky ex-PM and Gaza fighting

The IDF is again threatening to go to war in Gaza as balloons set the south ablaze, and pundits see much behind Netanyahu’s slothlike move away from his former official residence

By Joshua Davidovich

Shas head Aryeh Deri gives a press statement (together with UTJ MK Moshe Gafni and Yaakov Litzman) at the Knesset, June 8, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

June 9, 2021, 1:39 pm

Whack-a-pol: What the press is saying about the new coalition’s new battles

The Bennett-Lapid government has managed to work out its crinkles and is now set to be sworn in, though more squabbles await, and the opposition-to-be appears raring for a bust-up

By Joshua Davidovich

Yamina chief Naftali Bennett and Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid are seen on Wednesday evening, as they inform President Reuven Rivlin they have succeeded in forming a government, June 2, 2021. (Courtesy)

June 3, 2021, 10:39 am

My so-called coalition: What the press is saying about Lapid’s new government

Papers crow about the ‘success’ of the change bloc in actually agreeing on forming a government, but nobody is quite willing to count Netanyahu out, and Bennett in, just yet

By Joshua Davidovich

Yamina party leader Naftali Bennett speaks during a faction meeting at the Knesset, on April 26, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

May 24, 2021, 1:06 pm

Getting back to basics: What the press says about non-governments and non-laws

As Yair Lapid tries to get the coalition express back on track, he may be derailed by Naftali Bennett playing the switchman; and frivolous lawmaking gets the thumbs-down

By Joshua Davidovich

Rockets are launched towards Israel from Gaza City on May 20, 2021. (Mahmud Hams/AFP)

May 21, 2021, 1:17 pm

Until we meet again: What the press is saying about the Gaza ceasefire

Skepticism over the chances that the halt in fighting will hold for the long term is high, and questions over what may come are rampant. One thing is certain: Israel didn’t win

By Joshua Davidovich

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks with Education Minister Naftali Bennett (L) at the Knesset on March 12, 2018. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

April 9, 2021, 4:14 pm

Brotation speculation: What the press says about the bizarre coalition bazaar

The number of ideas for various parties to find a way to build a coalition are more numerous than stars in the sky, but few think any of them are truly realistic

By Joshua Davidovich

File: Yair Lapid (R) seen with Naftali Bennett at the Knesset in March 2013. (Isaac Harari/Flash90)

March 30, 2021, 4:56 pm

The bloc-less monster: What the media is saying about infighting and outflanking

The political mess is getting messier with the anti-Netanyahu bloc splitting in two, and nobody sure if anybody is in anyone’s camp anymore

By Joshua Davidovich

A medic prepares a vaccine at Meuhedet COVID-19 vaccination center in Kfar Habad, central Israel, on February 16, 2021. (Flash90)

March 30, 2021, 2:10 pm

Netanyahu emerges after week-long silence to push Gantz on vaccine budget delay

Prime minister joins health officials warning that Israel could lose its place in line if government doesn’t shell out the money to pharma companies fast

By Joshua Davidovich

Party leaders in Israel's March 23, 2021 elections. Top row left to right: Itamar Ben Gvir (Otzma Yehudit, part of the Religious Zionism party); Bezalel Smotrich (Religious Zionism); Naftali Bennett (Yamina); Aryeh Deri (Shas); Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism). Middle row left to right: Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beytenu); Gideon Sa'ar (New Hope); Benjamin Netanyahu (Likud); Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid); Merav Michaeli (Labor). Bottom row left to right: Benny Gantz (Blue and White); Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz); Ayman Odeh (Joint List); Mansour Abbas (Ra'am); Yaron Zelekha (New Economy party). (All photos: Flash90)

March 25, 2021, 12:16 pm

Final election results confirm deadlock, offering no clear path to coalition

Central Elections Committee delivers result, which means neither Netanyahu nor his rivals have straightforward Knesset majority and possibly heralds 5th vote in 2.5 years

By Joshua Davidovich and Michael Bachner

A ballot station in the Knesset elections, March 23, 2021. (Avi Roccah/Flash90)

March 24, 2021, 3:52 pm

Israel pleads the fifth: What the press is saying after another indecisive vote

As ballots are counted, pundits are laying out various scenarios based on math that will likely change and may not matter anyway, with many already gearing up for round 5

By Joshua Davidovich