Haaretz Israel News
Sun, 2 Jan 2022 11:49:16 +02:00Despite lower hospitalization risk, Israel fears severe COVID cases in elderly
A British study shows older people are three times less likely to be hospitalized with omicron than with delta. But as new infections are spiking at an unprecedented rate, Israel shifts to focusing on at-risk populations
Sun, 2 Jan 2022 11:15:35 +02:00'I lost everything': One Afghan woman’s flight from the Taliban
Thousands of Afghan refugees live on temporary visas in neighboring countries, but for many, the document’s expiration date reads like a death sentence. Marina, a journalist and interpreter, shares her story
Sun, 2 Jan 2022 10:37:23 +02:00More of the same, or reality check? Israel's foreign policy goals for 2022
On the two most major challenges Israel faces, the Palestinians and Iran, 'continuing the status quo' is a euphemism for avoiding decisions, which can be good for politicians, but doesn't make for good policy
Sun, 2 Jan 2022 09:58:22 +02:00COVID in Israel: Serious cases rise, one in four will get virus 'within weeks'
Adviser to COVID cabinet warns that Israel's testing infrastructure will 'collapse' under the pressure of the omicron wave, and that the country could soon lose track of new infections
Sun, 2 Jan 2022 05:55:57 +02:00STEM is in, humanities out in Israel's high schools
Shifting priorities of students and parents within the school system reflect changes in Israel's labor market and the country's aspiration to compete in the global marketplace, experts say
Sun, 2 Jan 2022 01:02:36 +02:00Israel killed 319 Palestinians in 2021. How is Mahmoud Abbas the terrorist?
Sun, 2 Jan 2022 00:43:48 +02:00Israel strikes Gaza hours after rockets fired at Tel Aviv
Hamas told Egypt earlier on Saturday that a disproportionate response would lead to escalation
Sun, 2 Jan 2022 00:10:04 +02:00A country so proud of high birth rates must prioritize early childhood education
Sat, 1 Jan 2022 23:36:59 +02:00Haaretz Cartoon
Sat, 1 Jan 2022 22:28:47 +02:00Israeli 'deterrence' seems to evade Hamas, leaving Gaza cease-fire in peril
Hamas and Islamic Jihad are trying, each for its own reasons, to pressure Israel into easing restrictions, even at the risk of renewed hostilities in the Gaza Strip
Sat, 1 Jan 2022 22:18:47 +02:00Court denies Israel's request to demolish Arab housing project for power line
Kalansua residents in a government-approved project say they will press for fully legalizing their homes, built on land zoned for a high-voltage power line that was only built two years ago
Sat, 1 Jan 2022 21:53:33 +02:00Austrian Holocaust survivor 'Mrs. Gertrude,' featured in anti-hate campaign, dies at 94
Gertrude Pressburger, who lost her family in Auschwitz, became famous in Austria during the 2016 presidential campaign with a video warning about hate and exclusion
Sat, 1 Jan 2022 20:51:05 +02:00Post trauma without trauma
Sat, 1 Jan 2022 20:48:38 +02:00Israel needs a national program to care for homeless people
Sat, 1 Jan 2022 20:24:11 +02:00Tel Aviv's monstrosity of a central station is a symbol of the city's failures
Sat, 1 Jan 2022 20:20:46 +02:00Israel must learn how to separate art and science from politics
Sat, 1 Jan 2022 20:01:10 +02:00Iran Guards say they killed six 'bandits' in second day of clahses in Sunni province
The Sistan-Baluchistan province, near the Pakistani and Afghan borders, has long been plagued by unrest from both drug smuggling gangs and Sunni Islamist militants fighting Iran's Shi'ite authorities
Sat, 1 Jan 2022 19:35:19 +02:00New COVID cases in Israel triple within days, infection rate hits six-month high
Hebrew University researchers predict the rapid spread of omicron would lead to as many as 20,000 new cases a day next week
Sat, 1 Jan 2022 18:30:52 +02:00Pressure mounts on PA to save Palestinian hunger striker in 'imminent danger'
Palestinian groups call for the release of Hisham Abu Hawash, who has refused food to protest his detention without trial for 140 days
Sat, 1 Jan 2022 18:10:56 +02:00Germany cancels award to Israeli historian accused of Bosnian genocide denial
Prof. Gideon Greif denies that he minimized the death toll of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre in which around 8,000 Bosnian Muslims were murdered by Serb nationalist forces
Sat, 1 Jan 2022 15:14:39 +02:00Iraqis call to expel remaining U.S. troops at rally commemorating Iran's Soleimani
The killing of Gen. Qassim Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis at Baghdad’s airport pushed Iran and the U.S. perilously close to all-out conflict and sparked outrage in Iraq
Sat, 1 Jan 2022 14:54:58 +02:00Netanyahu ex-aide's testimony pleased everybody, but his lawyers are still sweating
Nir Hefetz's comment that 'neither I nor Netanyahu had any awareness of anything criminal' helps, but an 'accumulation of incidents' conviction against a former top cop augurs badly for Bibi regarding his ties to the media
Sat, 1 Jan 2022 08:11:15 +02:00Two Gaza rockets fall in sea off Tel Aviv coast, Israeli military says
Hamas warns that disproportionate response by Israel would lead to escalation
Sat, 1 Jan 2022 07:58:19 +02:00'Israel's system will collapse': Top COVID officer warns of mass omicron infection
Head of Israeli army's COVID task force: 'We will reach tens of thousands of infected people a day. People will not be able to be hospitalized'
Sat, 1 Jan 2022 07:36:41 +02:00How the Tel Aviv Museum of Art sinned against Yayoi Kusama
In its eagerness to sell tickets, the Tel Aviv Museum sinned to Yayoi Kusama, her work, and the public that crowded cheek-to-jowl at the exhibit
Sat, 1 Jan 2022 07:33:28 +02:00Bird flu outbreak in Israel unlikely to become pandemic, experts say
Bird flu has ravaged Israel, with over half a million chickens culled as a precautionary measure
Sat, 1 Jan 2022 07:29:27 +02:00Christian archaeology in 2021: More than just the Four Horsemen
The Byzantines and the Crusaders both did well this year, but let’s not forget that plan to make the Apocalypse a great day out
Sat, 1 Jan 2022 07:28:26 +02:00How ‘Succession’ conquered the world, and 11 must-see shows from 2021
The amoral Roy family rose to even greater heights in 2021, while there was bad news for ‘Hummussolini’ in Israel. A look back at the year in television, and a look ahead to 2022
Sat, 1 Jan 2022 07:25:38 +02:00Why you can't have wolves as pets and more top animal stories of 2021
Fri, 31 Dec 2021 23:55:17 +02:00The Middle East seeks alternatives as the U.S. leaves and Iran returns
In the new year, local alliances will replace international coalitions. The process dividing the region into American- and Russian-led blocs is falling apart
Fri, 31 Dec 2021 23:37:59 +02:00Iran space rocket fails to reach orbit
The attempted launch drew criticism for occurring during negotiations in Vienna over Iran's nuclear program
Fri, 31 Dec 2021 21:32:47 +02:00Poorer communities have lower vaccination rates, Israeli study shows
The gap between well-off and disadvantaged localities in Israel is even greater when it comes to COVID booster shots
Fri, 31 Dec 2021 20:55:25 +02:00Plan to close Tel Aviv's Central Bus Station delayed by four years
With the original plan to shift operations to the Panorama complex abandoned, some 50 percent of the Central Bus Station's operations will be transferred to new terminals in south Tel Aviv within two years
Fri, 31 Dec 2021 18:18:29 +02:00Tunisia opens probe into former president's death as poisoning speculation resurfaces
The government's decision to look into the death of 92-year-old Beji Caid Essebsi in 2019 comes at a time of acute tensions in Tunisian politics
Fri, 31 Dec 2021 17:52:45 +02:00Saudi airstrike kills 12 Yemeni troops by mistake, officials say
The strike, which took place in the province of Shabwa, also wounded at least eight Yemeni troops
Fri, 31 Dec 2021 17:42:21 +02:00Mahmoud opened the door to find Israeli troops pointing guns at him. Then the violence escalated
IDF soldiers invaded a Palestinian home to take a young man to meet a Shin Bet agent. He was released, but meanwhile, four of his relatives were hospitalized after being beaten or suffering shock
Fri, 31 Dec 2021 17:00:14 +02:00The irony of Orthodox Jews competing to represent Israel at Eurovision
Choosing Israel’s Eurovision representative means excluding certain groups, as painful as that may be
Fri, 31 Dec 2021 14:54:01 +02:00Israeli security forces injured by settlers in evacuation of West Bank outpost
At least one settler was struck with a rubber bullet by Israeli troops during the removal of a caravan near Yitzhar in the West Bank
Fri, 31 Dec 2021 13:35:45 +02:00Israeli army's innovation chief on tech, revolution and losing to Kasparov
Brig. Gen. Eran Niv, one of the most interesting voices in the Israeli army, says failure can be key to success: Look at Iron Dome, he says
Fri, 31 Dec 2021 10:35:44 +02:00Palestinian shot dead in attempted stabbing attack in West Bank, IDF says
The man reportedly got out of a car and charged a bus stop where civilians and soldiers were present, the army is searching for the vehicle which fled the scene
Fri, 31 Dec 2021 10:06:28 +02:00Israel extends fourth COVID vaccine to elderly in care homes in world first
Israel's Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said the decision stemmed from the high rate of COVID infection in care homes, geriatric wards and assisted living facilities
Fri, 31 Dec 2021 07:57:35 +02:00Murder toll in Israel's Arab community reaches 126 after shootings in Umm al-Fahm, Haifa
A man in his fifties was murdered in Umm al-Fahm, while another Arab man in Haifa was critically injured after shooting at a nightclub in Haifa
Fri, 31 Dec 2021 06:01:27 +02:00Bennett is sure his COVID policy is right amid surging infection rates, unrest in cabinet
Israel's prime minister learns a lesson about Zoom meetings. Meanwhile, Netanyahu isn't even bothering to pretend he'll be returning to power
Fri, 31 Dec 2021 06:00:19 +02:00Israel or Hamas: Who really won the 2021 Gaza war
As both Israel and Hamas sum up this year's most significant confrontation, the result is more of a grim tie ■ In the 'cyber vs. fighters' argument within the army, the paratroopers stand out
Fri, 31 Dec 2021 02:22:24 +02:00'We have a kind of a secret fraternity. Like a Chabad House for gays'
This week at the Tel Aviv airport: Two Israelis who have found an international community on an unlikely app, and a Portuguese ex-gymnast who found home at the circus
Fri, 31 Dec 2021 01:44:33 +02:00Putin is trying to erase the past, with the help of an Israeli historian
Israeli historian Aron Shneyer has found himself at the forefront of a campaign by Moscow against Russia’s leading human rights organization
Fri, 31 Dec 2021 00:15:29 +02:00'At my PhD program in Jerusalem, I was the only Arab around. Except the cleaners'
Nihaya Daoud is used to seeing eyebrows raised. That’s the reaction she got when going abroad to do a postdoc for two years without her children, and when she became the first Arab woman in Israel to be appointed professor of public health. And she...
Fri, 31 Dec 2021 00:02:46 +02:00Haaretz cartoon
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 23:57:04 +02:00Bar-Lev is right: Jewish terror exists
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 23:56:04 +02:00Raze the Tel Aviv central bus station
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 22:48:17 +02:00'S Novim Godom': Secular Russian holiday becomes mainstream in Israel
Novy God, the New Year holiday celebrated by immigrants from the former Soviet Union, is casting off its stigma in Israel as second-generation Russian speakers embrace its festive trappings
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 22:45:09 +02:00Four killed as Sudanese forces fire at anti-coup rally, group says
The protests were the latest in near-daily demonstrations across Sudan over the October military takeover that upended the country's fragile transition to democracy
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 21:59:27 +02:00Israeli drugmaker Teva fueled opioid addiction in New York, jury finds
The state accused Teva of engaging in misleading marketing practices that fueled the opioid epidemic in New York, including by pushing drugs for off-label use
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 21:38:11 +02:00Israeli Ministry Allocates Millions of Shekels to Building West Bank Synagogues
Religious Services Minister Matan Kahana decision will extend to synagogues and religious structures in West Bank settlements, outposts and communities of former Gush Katif settlers
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 21:36:37 +02:00Supreme Court Justice Mazuz stunned Israel when he retired. He finally explains why
A conversation with the man who led Israel's justice system through a series of major crossroads, and one day decided to get up and leave
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 20:31:27 +02:00Israel approves partial rollout of second COVID booster, eyes ending quarantine from low-risk countries
The decision to vaccinate the immunocompromised is a world first, as Israel reintroduces an outdoor mask mandate for gatherings of more than 50 people amid the spread of omicron
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 19:34:47 +02:00IDF secures release of Israeli who crossed into Lebanon a month on
The 25-year-old Israeli, who suffered from mental health problems and sought to make contact with Hezbollah, was repatriated by UNIFIL forces following quiet negotiations
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 19:22:59 +02:00U.S. announces $99 million funding to UN agency for Palestinian refugees
The Biden administration's decision comes amid a grave financial crisis for UN Relief and Works Agency, which provides essential services and care to over 5 million Palestinians across the Middle East
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 19:22:10 +02:002021, the year Israel learned not to take its democracy for granted
With a mountain of caveats, and for all the criticism it gets, Israeli democracy survived this year. It was a remarkable display of resilience, against considerable odds
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 18:51:30 +02:00Israeli and U.S. officials say visa waiver deal still far from happening
Despite optimistic headlines in Israel in recent months, the two sides are now cooling expectations amid technical difficulties. Meanwhile, Biden could face criticism over Israel's treatment of Palestinian-Americans
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 17:26:21 +02:00Citroen pulls 'creepy' Egypt ad accused of promoting sexual harassment
Video featuring mega-star Amr Diab shows him using a camera installed in the car's rearview mirror to secretly take photos of a woman crossing the street, and then invites her in
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 17:07:55 +02:00First batch of Pfizer's COVID pill arrives in Israel amid omicron wave
The antiviral Paxlovid pills are 'an important addition to our toolbox in fighting the pandemic,' Israel's PM says, as the medication arrives a week after FDA approval
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 16:59:21 +02:00Israeli woman with rare double uterus gives birth to twins
A twin pregnancy of this type, where the children develop separately, has a probability of about one in a million
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 16:39:52 +02:00What happens if Israel strikes Iran, and 19 other top opinions of the year
Under the pall of another year of the pandemic, here are the opinions, from Pegasus to the Palestinians, Trump to Tehran, Bennett to Bio-Zionists, that animated, incensed and delighted Haaretz readers during 2021
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 15:33:49 +02:00Israeli teacher admits to raping 12-year-old student in plea deal
Yotam Okon is convicted of raping and committing indecent acts on a 12-year-old female student of his
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 15:28:00 +02:00Why French aliyah to Israel is on the rise again
The French aliyah reached 3,500 this year, topping the annual average of around 2,500 amid the ever-present threat of terrorism against the community
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 14:25:58 +02:00Satellite images show wreckage at Syria port after reported Israeli strike
The alleged attack was among the biggest launched by Israel into Syria, igniting a fire that raged for hours and caused significant damage
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 14:24:02 +02:00Palestinian sentenced to 21 years in prison for stabbing attack in central Israel last year
Walid Mansour of Jenin, who was convicted of attempted murder, admitted to stabbing his victim in the Tel Aviv satellite city because the man was Jewish Israeli
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 14:18:27 +02:00Picturesque but poor, Israel's Golan needs a government boost to thrive
The one billion shekels approved by the Bennett government this week seems designed to tackle the region’s biggest problems, but will Israel's government stay the course?
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 14:12:15 +02:00Haaretz’s 2021 podcasts that had listeners on edge
Iran's nuclear program, a new COVID variant, a war in Gaza and the Evangelicals who discovered Saudi Arabia. A roundup of Haaretz podcasts that captivated our readers and listeners in the year that's about to end
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 13:45:46 +02:00Jerusalem discovery unleashes biblical bedlam: Top archaeology stories of 2021
Many an excavation in Israel and the world resumed in 2021 after the serial coronavirus lockdowns of the year before. Here are some of my favorite archaeology stories of the year.
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 13:13:07 +02:00Ghislaine Maxwell convicted in Jeffrey Epstein sex abuse case
Maxwell, a friend and ex-girlfriend of the financier, faces years behind bars for recruiting and grooming Epstein’s teenage victims and sometimes joining in the sexual abuse
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 12:57:21 +02:00$250 million won't end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But it's a start
Cynical about the so-called 'peace industry'? Don’t believe the clichés, or the slurs. Thanks to massive new U.S. funding, Israeli-Palestinian peacebuilding programs are about to demonstrate what a difference they can make
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 12:49:22 +02:00Israeli environment minister says UAE oil deal is effectively blocked
'The deal exists on paper but there is no way to realize it,' says Israel's Environmental Protection Minister Tamar Zandberg
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 11:46:07 +02:00COVID in Israel: New cases double, reaching three-month high
Israel's new cases, serious cases and coronavirus infection rate have all spiked over the last week
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 10:55:49 +02:00Iran says it launched rocket into space
Iranian officials, however, did not say whether the launched objects had actually reached orbit. Previous launches have drawn rebukes from the United States
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 09:53:12 +02:00Netanyahu secretary admits to shredding docs before Bennett took office
Others who worked in the Prime Minister's Office have also previously indicated that documents were shredded before Netanyahu made way for Bennett
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 09:25:43 +02:00Israeli kamikaze drone maker, top employees charged with violating export law
In 2017, Israel probed a complaint alleging that Aeronautics demonstrated the use of a kamikaze drone in Azerbaijan by attacking a manned position of the Armenian army
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 06:06:40 +02:00In search of 'political horizons', Abbas's trip to Gantz's home was about more than money
Even if Abbas’s goal in his meeting with Gantz was purely diplomatic, the economic bonuses that were promised, if fulfilled, are important for the survival of the Palestinian leadership
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 06:05:41 +02:00With 1.5 million unvaccinated children, Israel prepares for surge of COVID hospitalizations
Israel's Health Ministry directs hospitals to prepare for a spike in the number of children in their COVID wards after reports from countries across the world show an increase in pediatric hospitalization
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 02:50:49 +02:00The bill on social media incitement is a danger to freedom of expression
The proposed law would turn district court judges into a kind of censor whenever prosecutors so request
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 02:44:58 +02:00Income inequality in Israel widens in 2021, despite a drop last year
Israel's National Insurance Institute says standard of living rose 2.4 percent in 2020 due to COVID aid from government. But after aid was halted, income disparities increased to 2019 levels
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 02:36:16 +02:00Is egg shortage really the problem?
Thu, 30 Dec 2021 00:06:17 +02:00Israeli fatally shot is 125th murder victim in Arab community this year
Amin Agbaria was shot to death in what police believe was a criminal feud as violence continues to plague Israel's Arab community
Wed, 29 Dec 2021 23:47:55 +02:00And now for a Bennett-Abbas meeting
Wed, 29 Dec 2021 23:39:14 +02:00Don’t dare speak ill of the settlers
Wed, 29 Dec 2021 23:33:21 +02:00Israeli man gets life sentence plus 20 years for killing baby daughter
Barak Ben-Ami was convicted in a plea deal after confessing to the murder of his baby daughter and attempted murder of his wife and other daughter in 2020
Wed, 29 Dec 2021 22:01:44 +02:00In policy shift, vaccinated, recovered Israelis need only rapid test to avoid COVID quarantine
In practice, the new regulation shortens COVID quarantine time for Israelis infected with the omicron variant from 14 days to 10
Wed, 29 Dec 2021 20:50:37 +02:00Israel 'took care to miss' opportunities with Hamas, ex-hostage negotiator says
Netanyahu 'did not want a prisoner swap deal for his own reasons,' ex-IDF official responsible for prisoners and MIS Moshe Tal tells Army Radio
Wed, 29 Dec 2021 19:56:09 +02:00Israel shifts its COVID tactic, taking a big gamble
Restrictions in Israel won't suffice given omicron's infection rate. Without explicitly saying it, the government is now passing the buck to the public
Wed, 29 Dec 2021 19:01:56 +02:00Israel police nix death anniversary ceremony of Baba Sali for safety reasons
The annual hilula at the tomb of the famed Moroccan-born rabbi was canceled 'to protect the welfare and safety of the public' as the 'necessary safety protocols cannot be guaranteed at the grave site'
Wed, 29 Dec 2021 18:55:10 +02:00Lapid names Ruth Calderon as his candidate for Jewish Agency chief
A Talmudic scholar and former lawmaker, Calderon announced as candidate to replace Isaac Herzog as head of the agency
Wed, 29 Dec 2021 18:25:46 +02:00Israeli minister calls to sack chief rabbi who threatened to halt conversions over reform debate
Yoaz Hendel took fire at Rabbi David Lau, who in protest of the government's proposed conversion reform, said he would withhold Jewish status from converts
Wed, 29 Dec 2021 17:57:21 +02:00'Time to boycott': Major Israeli food producer faces anger over rising prices
Osem, which produces the popular snack Bamba and other staples, is set to boost prices, encouraging other companies to do the same. The chairman of the Knesset Economy Committee called for a boycott of the company
Wed, 29 Dec 2021 17:28:25 +02:00The rabbis are trying to rehabilitate Chaim Walder's image. Here's why they will fail
Walder was accused of sexual assault, but upon his death he was upgraded by some Haredi leaders to the status of a martyr. The attempt to rehabilitate him will be another self-inflicted blow to the rabbis’ authority
Wed, 29 Dec 2021 16:44:38 +02:00Behind Israel’s bird flu outbreak: Greed
5,000 cranes have died at Hula Lake and the number is sure to double. Greed for tourism income led to overfeeding and overcrowding, and now to illness and death
Wed, 29 Dec 2021 15:57:31 +02:00Abbas-Gantz meeting is 'last chance before explosion,' Palestinian minister says
President Abbas 'wouldn’t have come to the home of a former chief of staff of the Israeli military just for VIP passes' for senior officials, source says, stressing Palestinians now expect to see results on the ground
Wed, 29 Dec 2021 15:53:17 +02:00Haredi author Chaim Walder’s suicide is a final attempt to overwrite his victims
Walder was a master storyteller who crushed his victims’ right to tell their own stories of his alleged sexual abuse. Now the Haredi world is giving him, not his victims, the last word
Wed, 29 Dec 2021 15:46:54 +02:00Tel Aviv's central shopping mall is now an amusement park for environmentalists
A colossal composting machine that looks like a big worm, care for the fruit bats who live in the basement, a hydroponic rooftop greenhouse – Dizengoff Center is a playground for tree huggers. But how does all this fit in with consumerism?
Wed, 29 Dec 2021 15:00:36 +02:00Erdogan looking to cash in on economy gains with early election, analysts say
'For Erdogan, a "last minute" success story emerges before every election'