Haaretz Israel News
Sun, 8 Aug 2021 11:41:09 +03:00A synagogue renovation that could breathe some life into this Bulgarian Jewish community
The town of Vidin has barely enough Jews left for a minyan, but a $6 million renovation to the old synagogue will serve as a reminder of the place's Jewish heritage for Jews and non-Jews alike
Sun, 8 Aug 2021 11:38:58 +03:00Greek firefighters battle huge wildfires with reinforcements
Authorities dedicated the most resources to tackling four major blazes: one, on Greece’s second-largest island of Evia, that has burned for five days, and three in the southern Peloponnese region
Sun, 8 Aug 2021 11:18:27 +03:00Why does Israel need an Eiffel Tower and a Statue of Liberty in the middle of its desert?
The small southern city of Netivot is expanding beyond its pious past, with the help of one eccentric developer
Sun, 8 Aug 2021 09:59:21 +03:00Linoy Ashram's inspiring journey to Olympic gold
For five years, the Israeli rhythmic gymnast was bearing a heavy weight on her shoulders, but it was the obstacles along the way that showed the world what she's made of
Sun, 8 Aug 2021 09:29:29 +03:00In a Seinfeld moment, Israeli archaeologists hail momentous find of nothing
Gath, the hometown of the biblical giant Goliath, was destroyed 2,800 years ago by the Arameans. Now, researchers may have found how exactly it was done
Sun, 8 Aug 2021 09:21:18 +03:00COVID in Israel: Rise in serious cases as fewer new cases logged
Going into a lockdown is 'a last resort,' Israeli Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said on Sunday, as a slew of new restrictions go into effect to stop the spread of the delta COVID variant
Sun, 8 Aug 2021 06:50:56 +03:00Israeli army kept silent on second safe room breached by Gaza rocket shrapnel
After 5-year-old killed in May by shrapnel that penetrated his family's safe room in Sderot, the army chalked it up to a 'rare ballistic trajectory,' but didn't mention the other safe room three floors up that was also breached
Sun, 8 Aug 2021 06:03:46 +03:00Israel police solved 71 percent of murders in Jewish community, but only 23 percent for Arabs
The Israeli government budgeted over $310 million to fight crime in the Arab community, but national officials admit they’re failing
Sun, 8 Aug 2021 06:01:04 +03:00Education Ministry: Despite improvements, most teachers deem remote learning inadequate
Only 31 percent of teachers responding to survey said meaningful learning took place when all instruction went remote last year. Meanwhile, in parallel survey of parents, 97 percent reported their children did learn online
Sun, 8 Aug 2021 05:19:22 +03:00Israeli soldiers kill an 11-year-old Palestinian, and his brother still hears the shooting
Mohammed al-Alaami went shopping with his father and siblings, when ‘insane shooting started,’ as the father described it. He told the children to keep their heads down and drove on
Sun, 8 Aug 2021 03:58:44 +03:00The burning issue of climate change
Sun, 8 Aug 2021 00:17:24 +03:00Haaretz cartoon
Sat, 7 Aug 2021 23:16:59 +03:00Serious COVID cases in Israel hit 4-month high as new restrictions go into effect
Israel reaches the highest number of COVID patients in serious condition since Gregorian calendar month before the green passport – proof of immunity or a negative coronavirus test – is once again required for certain services
Sat, 7 Aug 2021 23:11:39 +03:00Imagine an Arab representing Israel at the Olympics
Sat, 7 Aug 2021 23:10:56 +03:00IDF chief is on an unstoppable mission. That's bad for both Israelis and Palestinians
Sat, 7 Aug 2021 23:07:39 +03:00Lebanese reactions to rocket fire on Israel show support for Hezbollah is waning
The big news over the weekend wasn’t cross-border fire, but a Lebanese Druze who attacked the Hezbollah fighters who shot rockets at Israel. As Lebanon faces a dire crisis, many have had enough
Sat, 7 Aug 2021 22:12:28 +03:00Israel to start using rapid tests as new restrictions require eventgoers to prove immunity
New coronavirus restrictions require unvaccinated Israelis who haven't recovered from COVID in the past to present negative test results to access certain venues. But what's the difference between the two kinds of tests?
Sat, 7 Aug 2021 21:23:41 +03:00Nasrallah says crisis in Lebanon won’t stop Hezbollah from responding to Israeli actions
Nasrallah says that despite Lebanon's dire economic and political situation, Hezbollah will not hesitate to take action against Israel, after Hezbollah fired 19 rockets at Israel last week
Sat, 7 Aug 2021 19:57:37 +03:00A boy was killed. No one cares
Sat, 7 Aug 2021 18:53:34 +03:00Pro-Israel, Jewish groups welcome Michael Herzog's appointment as Israel's U.S. ambassador
U.S. organizations from across the political spectrum hail Michael Herzog's smarts, skills, experience and record after his appointment as U.S. envoy by Prime Minister Bennett
Sat, 7 Aug 2021 17:52:46 +03:00Israel isn’t coming through on its pledge to help risk groups beat the heat
Three and a half years ago the Social Affairs Ministry was instructed to help the poor, ill and elderly cope with extreme weather, but little has been done
Sat, 7 Aug 2021 17:42:08 +03:00Israel's exhausted hospitals fear wave of serious COVID cases
Staff worry they'll be overwhelmed if forecasts of 1,000 patients in serious condition by September come true. Department heads say the crowding resembles that at the height of winter – in the middle of a summer heat wave
Sat, 7 Aug 2021 15:51:01 +03:00Russia fumes as Israel ends its streak of Olympic golds in rhythmic gymnastics
Russian Olympic figures – and a lawmaker – decry 'injustice' after Linoy Ashram takes home the gold after 20 years of Russian wins
Sat, 7 Aug 2021 13:21:05 +03:00Israeli rhythmic gymnast Linoy Ashram snags gold at Tokyo 2020
Israel's Linoy Ashram was fierce throughout the contest, beating her strongest rivals, Russian twins Dina and Arina Averina
Sat, 7 Aug 2021 10:31:08 +03:00Israeli rhythmic gymnast Linoy Ashram snags gold medal at Tokyo Olympics
Taekwondo fighter snatches first Tokyo 2020 medal for Israel ■ Israeli mixed judo team nabs bronze ■ Israeli gymnast Artem Dolgopyat picks up gold
Fri, 6 Aug 2021 21:45:37 +03:00Hamas leader Haniyeh meets with Iran's hardline President Raisi
Raisi, who was sworn on Thursday, vows that Iran will continue supporting Hamas, according to the militant group
Fri, 6 Aug 2021 20:49:19 +03:00Hezbollah is testing Bennett, but is playing with fire
Hezbollah’s claim of responsibility for the rocket fire from Lebanon into Israel speaks louder than the incident itself
Fri, 6 Aug 2021 20:41:52 +03:00Greek Jewish community body deplores cemetery desecration
The Jewish cemetery of Ioannina has been repeatedly vandalized in the past, the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece says
Fri, 6 Aug 2021 20:04:49 +03:00Israel strikes Hamas targets in Gaza in response to explosive-laden balloons
Incendiary balloons launched from Gaza earlier sparked four fires in Israeli border communities
Fri, 6 Aug 2021 19:23:11 +03:00G7 foreign ministers blame Iran for 'deliberate and targeted' deadly ship attack
'Iran’s behavior, alongside its support to proxy forces and non-state armed actors, threatens international peace and security,' G7 foreign ministers said in a joint statement
Fri, 6 Aug 2021 18:14:35 +03:00Bennett taps Michael Herzog as Israel's U.S. ambassador
Herzog, a veteran diplomat and brigadier general, will replace Gilad Erdan in Washington
Fri, 6 Aug 2021 17:39:55 +03:00A Palestinian plumber was shot dead by Israeli troops while trying to fix a water outage
Why did the soldiers kill this man? And why is Israel refusing to return his body?
Fri, 6 Aug 2021 16:56:40 +03:00Palestinian protester killed by Israeli fire near illegal West Bank outpost
Imad Duikat, a 38-year-old father of five, was hit by Israeli live fire in the chest and later succumbed to his wounds
Fri, 6 Aug 2021 12:49:24 +03:00Iran's Raisi wants to navigate the nuclear minefield with an ideological compass
In his inaugural address, new Iranian president Raisi swore to tackle the explosive issues he inherited. Urgent economic needs are likely to return him to talks over resuming the nuclear deal -- which he has tried to foil
Fri, 6 Aug 2021 11:00:15 +03:00Israel believes Hezbollah not seeking escalation after 19 rockets fired at north
IDF striking sites in southern Lebanon ■ 19 rockets launched at Israel ■ Bennett, Gantz to convene security cabinet meeting
Fri, 6 Aug 2021 10:39:44 +03:00LISTEN: Snow in Brazil, denial in Israel: Why extreme weather is the new normal
Fri, 6 Aug 2021 10:38:53 +03:00Hamas agrees to Israel, U.S. approving list of Qatar cash recipients
Israel and the U.S. will ensure that the list of 160,000 families does not include any people who are Hamas operatives or suspected of terrorism
Fri, 6 Aug 2021 10:26:02 +03:00COVID in Israel: 3,843 new cases, 253 patients in serious condition
Of all the coronavirus tests conducted on Thursday, 3.79 percent returned positive, a slightly higher number than the day prior
Fri, 6 Aug 2021 09:08:16 +03:00Saudi Arabia spends billions on ‘sportwashing’ in bid for global respectability
Crown Prince Mohammed can build luxury stadiums and modern training facilities, but he can’t create any athletes out of nothing, much less female athletes, who are still imprisoned in a web of prohibitions and restrictions that bars their participa...
Fri, 6 Aug 2021 06:01:19 +03:00Iranian drone attack gave Israel an unexpected gift
It is Israel that began the maritime conflict, but Iran that made a deadly mistake ■ Lebanon becomes yet another front in the Israeli-Iran conflict
Fri, 6 Aug 2021 06:00:41 +03:00Former state watchdog warned Israel about NSO almost a year ago
At a meeting last September with Defense Ministry officials, Joseph Shapira said failure to beef up oversight of cyber tools could 'blow up in Israel's face'
Fri, 6 Aug 2021 06:00:05 +03:00Israel's COVID rhetoric turns grim, reflecting real trouble
Delta variant smashed all of Israel's working assumptions, but talk of a fourth lockdown ignores its many negative ramifications
Fri, 6 Aug 2021 02:05:15 +03:00COVID lockdown may be imposed this month, Israeli Health Ministry director warns
Nachman Ash says there is no specific number of severe COVID cases that would trigger a lockdown, but expects a decision in two to three weeks
Fri, 6 Aug 2021 01:54:10 +03:00Talk of another COVID lockdown is sending tremors through the Israeli economy
Post-COVID-19 recovery could be stalled by another lockdown, Finance Ministry warns ■ Restaurants already report drop in business ■ Experts warn of permanent changes to economy
Fri, 6 Aug 2021 01:53:18 +03:00Foreign Minister Lapid has checkmated Prime Minister Bennett
Fri, 6 Aug 2021 01:23:43 +03:00In Israel, a picture is really worth a thousand words
Fri, 6 Aug 2021 01:05:51 +03:00Israel should enforce COVID rules and vaccinate, but panic won't help
Fri, 6 Aug 2021 00:17:07 +03:00Israeli city barring unvaccinated from entry accused of anti-Palestinian discrimination
Ban imposed by Acre's municipality goes beyond national restrictions, with mayor saying residents of the West Bank 'are almost all not vaccinated'
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 23:57:07 +03:00Israel exempts houses of worship from COVID restrictions
COVID regulations will only apply to prayers involving more than 50 people ■ Source says attorney general warned broader restrictions might violate freedom of worship
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 23:36:56 +03:00Haaretz cartoon
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 23:33:00 +03:00Insults and threats: Israel’s ultra-Orthodox parties struggle to adjust to life in opposition
Haredi politicians recently compared a cabinet minister to a king who persecuted the Jews, accused a Russian-born legislator of not knowing Hebrew and appeared to make fun of a deaf lawmaker. What's behind the tantrum?
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 23:27:45 +03:00How Israel’s education minister became a hero to the country's COVID skeptics
Yifat Shasha-Biton is arguably one of the most qualified lawmakers to ever run the Education Ministry. However, her plans for academic reform have been overshadowed by her resistance to a schools vaccination program
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 23:11:12 +03:00Israeli president's brother, Michael Herzog, is top candidate for U.S. ambassador
Herzog, a veteran diplomat and brigadier general, is expected to replace Gilad Erdan in Washington
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 22:18:17 +03:00'My dad had a straight nose, not a Jewish nose. He managed to escape Poland'
This week at the Tel Aviv airport: One Israeli mom grapples with her grown kids' individualist paths, while another Israeli mom deals with societal pressure to have more children
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 22:08:07 +03:00Why does Netanyahu envy his former protégé Lieberman?
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 21:55:40 +03:00Israeli soldiers, don't agree to destroy lives, including your own
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 21:47:16 +03:00What Yosef Weitz didn't see while surveying the Palestinian villages he would destroy
I look at the photo of Yosef Weitz, the father of the population transfer plan, and wonder what he was thinking when he sealed the fate of whole villages
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 21:07:03 +03:00Cracking the mystery of Elie Wiesel's Holocaust memoir 'Night'
After Anne Frank’s diary, Elie Wiesel’s work is the most widely read and studied book about the Holocaust. Yet the circumstances of its writing and its variations in Yiddish, Hebrew and French remain enigmatic
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 19:58:48 +03:00Heat wave scorches Israel – but the real sizzle is yet to come
Temperatures are expected to reach 114 F on Friday, Israel's Meteorological Service says, promising a relief on Sunday
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 19:58:37 +03:00Angry outbursts and erotic insinuation: What Freud was really like
The father of psychoanalysis insisted that his students maintain neutrality vis-a-vis their own patients, but he himself tended to be impulsive and often crossed the line with his analysands
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 19:31:15 +03:00'Extreme violence,' attacks on Jewish students: U.K. antisemitism hit record high in first half of 2021
According to the Community Security Trust, 1,308 antisemitic incidents have been recorded since January, a 49 percent increase over the same period last year
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 18:37:11 +03:00Israel's solution for COVID quarantine violators? A kosher tracking system
Disdain for COVID isolation orders by returning passengers to Israel is set to be countered by the 'Heskamon' software, a location-monitoring system that switches off on the Sabbath
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 18:20:04 +03:00Blaze rages near ancient Olympics as Greece battles wildfires for third day
More than a dozen villages have been evacuated on the island of Evia near Athens since Tuesday, while soaring temperatures and strong winds have fanned more than 150 wildfires across Greece in recent days
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 17:30:59 +03:00The last thing 'Hit & Run' creator wants is to compare it to his previous hit, 'Fauda'
After the international success of Fauda, Avi Issacharoff talks about 'Hit & Run,' his new venture with partner Lior Raz, working with Americans and what's left of the two-state solution
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 17:00:16 +03:00In swearing-in ceremony, hardliner Raisi says Iran opposes nuclear weapons, demands end to sanctions
Iranian regime prohibits nuclear weapons, Raisi says. Iran will stand against oppression everywhere, from Europe to Palestine, he adds
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 16:15:03 +03:00'Vaccines work, no doubt about it': Israel’s top COVID expert answers your questions
In a Q&A with Haaretz readers, Prof. Ran Balicer explains what Israel needs to do better to stop the next variant from running rampant and says we should get used to the idea of COVID booster shots
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 15:28:13 +03:00What if you knew when you were going to die?
A visit to the world’s largest human genome library, maintained by deCODE, a groundbreaking Icelandic corporation that is able to predict the length of a person's lifespan
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 14:56:43 +03:00Lebanon says Israel's overnight air strikes show 'escalation of aggression'
Michel Aoun says the air strikes are a direct threat to the security and stability of southern Lebanon and violate UN Security Council resolutions
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 14:43:42 +03:00Israel's NSO double game
Jerusalem is making a show of investigating and reprimanding NSO now, but for years the state acted as matchmaker between the spyware company and a number of dictatorships
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 13:48:38 +03:00Gantz says Israel is prepared to strike Iran, 'hope we won't get dragged into it'
With tensions running high in the aftermath of the tanker attack off Oman, the defense minister says strikes in Lebanon were 'warning shots'
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 13:37:30 +03:00Saving the world means leaving the old order behind
We would need 1.6 planet Earths to maintain our current levels of consumption and waste production. How we can survive climate change and repair the damage
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 12:57:43 +03:00Israeli ministers Lapid, Lieberman don't attend coronavirus cabinet meetings
Foreign Minister Lapid, who is also alternate prime minister, claims his position isn't directly linked to COVID policy, whereas Finance Minister Lieberman sends another minister in his place, saying he needs to focus on passing a state budget
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 11:34:40 +03:00Iranians fear new bill by hardline lawmakers will restrict internet even further
Iran is a country with some 94 million internet devices in use among its over 80 million people. Nearly 70 percent of Iran's population uses smartphones
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 10:58:51 +03:00Far-right leader claims Tel Aviv Pride 'started Israel's COVID outbreak'
Smotrich also said Muslims are to blame for 'traveling to Turkey and infecting others.' Health Minister Horowitz called the remarks 'ignorant' and 'shameful,' stressing there is no evidence linking the spread of the delta COVID variant and Pride even...
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 10:30:43 +03:00Serious COVID cases keep climbing as Israel mulls fourth lockdown
Another lockdown would be Israel's last resort, the health minister said, calling on people to follow coronavirus guidelines and get vaccinated
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 08:58:19 +03:00Experts explain: If so many Israelis are vaccinated, why is COVID surging and are we headed for an unprecedented lockdown?
Watch a special Zoom briefing with one of the top medical experts in Israel on the unforeseen problems with vaccines
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 06:10:51 +03:00Snubbed by the state, Jerusalem residents try to buy back their homes from developers
The plots, which were previously owned by the Greek Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church, were sold to a private company a decade ago
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 06:04:13 +03:00JNF set to approve plan that could lead to Palestinians' eviction
The Jewish National Fund is expected to greenlight a review of hundreds of property assets beyond the Green Line, many of which hold a similar legal status to homes in East Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarrah
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 06:03:08 +03:00With COVID figures on the rise, can Israel steer clear of another full lockdown?
For some top experts advising the Health Ministry, a return to lockdown is only a matter of time, if Israel is to avoid another major COVID surge. How will Israel deal with the next phase of the pandemic?
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 02:09:37 +03:00Ten killed, 12 injured in Texas in migrant worker van crash
Local media reported that the van was carrying more than 25 migrant workers when it crashed in southern Texas
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 00:56:26 +03:00The Israeli army's new operation: pensions
Thu, 5 Aug 2021 00:00:21 +03:00U.S. planning to restrict unvaccinated foreign tourists amid rising COVID caseload
The move is seen as the first step of a broader plan to bar non-citizens from visiting the U.S. during delta variant spike, an official from Biden's White House says
Wed, 4 Aug 2021 23:37:22 +03:00Haaretz cartoon
Wed, 4 Aug 2021 23:10:54 +03:00The military is looting Israel
Wed, 4 Aug 2021 23:10:17 +03:00So, was ousting 'tyrant' Netanyahu worth it after all?
Wed, 4 Aug 2021 23:09:47 +03:00Biden plans shift in arms export policy to favor human rights, sources say
This approach would be a departure from that of former President Donald Trump, who prioritized economic benefits and sold arms to Saudi Arabia and the UAE
Wed, 4 Aug 2021 22:44:40 +03:00Did Hezbollah know about rocket fire at Israel? Either answer is a cause for concern
If Hezbollah allowed the rocket fire, it is no longer deterred by Israel – and if it didn't, armed militants are acting without restraint near the border, a recipe for escalation
Wed, 4 Aug 2021 20:30:07 +03:00Israel's education crisis is not about pedagogy
Wed, 4 Aug 2021 20:20:23 +03:00He won Olympic gold for Israel, but the state still wouldn't give him equal rights
Wed, 4 Aug 2021 20:04:31 +03:00U.S. travelers scramble to get to Israel before quarantine is introduced
Starting August 11, new arrivals to Israel will have to quarantine – so some families are springing for earlier plane tickets so that no one is stuck in isolation
Wed, 4 Aug 2021 19:04:39 +03:00On Beirut blast anniversary, Jordan warns Lebanon crisis 'could spill over beyond its borders'
King Abdullah urges 'properly coordinated international actions' as international conference led by France and the UN raises $357 million in aid funds
Wed, 4 Aug 2021 18:47:19 +03:00These far-right nationalists didn’t like what they read online about World War II – so they rewrote history
A recent probe by the online encyclopedia Wikipedia reveals major historical revisionism by far-right forces in its Croatian and Serbian versions. But it also exposes the dangerous overlap between nationalism and disinformation online
Wed, 4 Aug 2021 18:47:16 +03:00Israeli Ofer family ships frequented Iranian ports. Now Iran's attacking them
Thursday night’s drone attack on the oil tanker in the Arabian Sea was the fifth such attack on a ship with Israeli links in the past year. The international outcry may curtail Tehran’s maritime actions, but Israel – and the Israeli billionaire...
Wed, 4 Aug 2021 18:27:25 +03:00El Al to carry out mid-flight COVID test trial on New York-Tel Aviv route
The Isralei airline announced the plan a day after Israel said travelers from the U.S. would have to self-isolate upon arrival in Israel, hoping to deter international travel as COVID-19 cases surge
Wed, 4 Aug 2021 18:13:11 +03:00Evidence of biblical earthquake uncovered by Israeli archaeologists in Jerusalem
Researchers believe collapsed structures with broken pottery inside found at Jerusalem dig is first evidence that an earthquake in the 8th century B.C.E. caused damage to the ancient city
Wed, 4 Aug 2021 18:08:40 +03:00The Mediterranean has become a 'wildfire hotspot,' EU scientists say
With wildfires raging in Greece and Turkey, the EU's Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service says hot and dry conditions had hiked the danger of further fires
Wed, 4 Aug 2021 18:03:00 +03:00Germany announces $41m investement to fight antisemitism
German officials report a 15-percent increase in antisemitic incidents since last year, but the unreported number of daily attacks on Jews may be 'substantially higher'
Wed, 4 Aug 2021 18:01:47 +03:00Levantines and Arabians have different origins, Middle East genomic study finds
The Arabians have deeper roots in Africa, while the Levantines’ roots lie in Europe and Anatolia in today’s Turkey. They differ in their amount of Neanderthal DNA as well
Wed, 4 Aug 2021 17:45:03 +03:00UN health agency wants Israel, others to stop COVID booster shot campaign
The World Health Organization's director-general made the appeal mostly to wealthier countries that have far outpaced the developing world in numbers of coronavirus vaccinations
Wed, 4 Aug 2021 16:59:23 +03:00Ethiopian Israelis still over-policed, state watchdog finds, with youth bearing the brunt
The police must 'act to eradicate' racism and racial profiling, Israel's state comptroller concludes, in a report pointing to a worsening situation despite a declared objective to rebuild trust