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Analysis

Kerry’s gamble: A resounding first victory or political humiliation

The Secretary of State might not be returning to the region soon, but he will continue to pressure Netanyahu and Abbas into saying yes to his plan, the outlines of which are sketched here.

By Barak Ravid | May 25, 2013 | 10:25 PM

Kerry departs, urges Israel and Palestinians to 'make hard decisions'
By Barak Ravid | 2

Kerry’s gamble: A resounding first victory or political humiliation 02:18 AM

Must reads

Chemi Shalev

Obama's speech: Israel should be concerned

Ari Shavit

Lapid's bad sign for peace

Anshel Pfeffer

Israel, what about Diaspora Jews?

Khaled Diab

An Egyptian shop called 'Hitler'

Ben Cohen

Church of Scotland's parody of Judaism

Bradley Burston

If an entire nation had PTSD

Asher Schechter

Bibi, bed and beyond

Allison Kaplan Sommer

U.S.-style shooting stuns Israel

Reuven Pedatzur

As usual, the defense budget balloons

Yair Ettinger

Holy wars in store for Bennett

Habayit Hayehudi MK Uri Ariel, center, meeting with representatives of ultra-Orthodox factions

IDF Draft reform needs to include Arabs, not just ultra-Orthodox, Habayit Hayehudi demands

Habayit Hayehudi and Yisrael Beiteinu have coordinated a demand that legislation to draft ultra-Orthodox Jews into the Israel...

By Jonathan Lis | 01:41 AM

The separation fence east of the West Bank settlement of Alfei Menashe.

Development agencies slam EU's inaction over Israel's Area C policies

A group representing international development agencies says the European Union has failed to honor the pledge it made last year....

By Amira Hass | 02:12 AM

This Friday, May 10, 2013 photo shows damaged fragments of the Dead Sea Scrolls in Jerusalem.

Little bits of the Dead Sea Scrolls put up for sale

Nearly 70 years after the discovery of the world's oldest biblical manuscripts, the Palestinian family who originally sold them...

By The Associated Press | 09:32 PM

If Syria falls, so will Palestine, Hezbollah's Nasrallah warns in speech

In a televised speech, Nasrallah says Israel 'fears rockets' and cautions that militant factions taking over Syria 'pose a threat to Lebanon.'

By Jack Khoury | May 25, 2013 | 09:10 PM | 5

Mobile homes being transported from the site of Migron

Yesh Atid minister: Isolated settlements should be dismantled

Days after Yair Lapid told The New York Times he opposes a freeze on settlement construction, Social Affairs Minister Meir Cohen says some settlements should be evacuated unilaterally.

By Jonathan Lis | May 25, 2013 | 06:50 PM | 4

Israelis protesting plans to export natural gas.

Hundreds of Israelis demonstrate in protest of plan to export natural gas

At previous demonstrations, protesters clashed with police, but a large police presence kept the demonstrators in check on Saturday night.

By Eran Azran | May 26, 2013 | 01:02 AM

Israeli official: Syria attempted to mount cyberattack on Haifa's water system

Attack was meant to be a retaliation for what foreign news sources reported were Israeli airstrikes in Syria, former security adviser Isaac Ben-Israel said.

By Yanir Yagna | May 25, 2013 | 02:17 PM | 2

Diplomacy & Defense

Palestinian protesters throwing stones at an Israeli bulldozer.

Settlers sling accusations at IDF as stone-throwing increases in West Bank

Settlers driving on roads in the West Bank have encountered a genuine problem in recent months: a steep increase in the number of...

By Amos Harel, Chaim Levinson | 01:41 AM

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry speaks at a news conference in Tel Aviv

Kerry departs, urges Israel and Palestinians to 'make hard decisions'

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry left Israel early Friday afternoon following an additional round of talks with Prime Minister...

By Barak Ravid | 04:34 PM | 2

Kennedy - NY Daily News via Getty Images - March 2012

Did John F. Kennedy admire Hitler?

John F. Kennedy admired Hitler as a young man and felt fascism was right for Germany, according to a new book in German that...

By Ofer Aderet | 02:39 PM

Middle East

Hezbollah, Syrian government launch artillery campaign on rebel stronghold

Syrian government forces and the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah launched a fierce campaign to seize more rebel territory in...

By Reuters | 07:01 PM

Report: Wave of cyberattacks on U.S. energy firms tracked back to Iran

A series of potentially destructive cyberattacks seeking to sabotage corporations in the U.S. has been tracked back to Iran, the...

By Haaretz | 11:33 AM | 2

Demonstrators protest against Syrian President Assad in Istanbul

Syrian opposition talks face collapse as Assad's foes fail to cut a unity deal

Syrian opposition talks aimed at presenting a coherent front at an international peace conference to end the civil war faced the...

By Reuters | 06:00 AM

Jewish World

An FBI agent at the scene of the house where Ibragim Todashev was shot and killed.

Police backtrack on motive for killing Jewish triple murder suspect with Boston bomber ties

Law enforcement officials are now unsure of what spurred the killing of Ibragim Todashev, or if he was ready to confess to his...

By The Forward | 01:40 PM

"The Gathering of the Manna," by James Tissot

Freed of fantasies / Parashat Beha'alotcha

Midway through this week’s Torah reading, the Israelites embark on their journey through the wilderness toward the Promised Land....

By Yakov Meir | 12:23 PM

Monument to the heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto.

Vandalism at Poland's Blonie cemetery destroys last traces of a Jewish past

WARSAW - The Jewish cemetery in the Polish town of Blonie, one of the smallest and most ancient in the country, was, to all...

By Roman Frister | 02:03 PM

Adelsons donate $40 million to Birthright

The latest gift by casino tycoon Sheldon Adelson and his wife, Miriam brings the couple’s overall donations to the program to $180 million.

By JTA | May 23, 2013 | 07:39 PM | 2

U.S. Jews need to decide if they are tourists in Israel, or extended family

The conference of Jewish Presidents has urged Yair Lapid to rethink plans to charge tourists VAT. If the U.S. Jewish connection to Israel is merely linked to how cheap it is for tourists, however, then we are in serious trouble.

By Joel Braunold / Jewish World blogger | May 23, 2013 | 11:14 AM | 4

In the Orthodox world, a rare dance and an historic gesture

At the Belzer wedding in Jerusalem, attended by thousands of people, the rabbi had a special dance not just with the bride, but with Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. Such warmth between ultra-Orthodox Ashkenazi and Sephardi rabbis is not an everyday occurrence.

By Yair Ettinger | May 23, 2013 | 01:34 AM | 5

Israel's motley mosaics

One of many stunning mosaics found in Tzippori.
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Moshe Gilad
Fruit basket at the Inn of the Good Samaritan
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Miriam Feinberg Vamosh
Cross at Mamshit from the period before the Church banned such images on church floor...
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Miriam Feinberg Vamosh
Geometric pattern at Inn of the Good Samaritan
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Miriam Feinberg Vamosh
Bird at Mamshit.
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Miriam Feinberg Vamosh