Israel News - Haaretz Israeli News source.

U.S. aid to Syrian rebels is a signal to Iran

In what was clearly an officially-sanctioned leak, the U.S. sent Iran a clear message just a few days before the next round of Iran-West nuclear talks in Baghdad.

By Anshel Pfeffer | May 16, 2012 | 06:28 PM | 2

Jews are gathered at an assembly point in the Kaunas ghetto, Kanusas, Lithuania, October 26, 1943

Lithuania reinstates event to honor Nazi collaborator

The Lithuanian Parliament published on Wednesday an updated schedule of events in honor of the repatriation to Lithuania of...

By Ofer Aderet | 08:36 PM | 2

The temporary rainbow crosswalk in Tel Aviv.

Tel Aviv's rainbow crosswalk draws cheers, then jeers, online

The Tel Aviv municipality provoked public ire this week when, in a bid to advertise Gay Pride Day, it painted a city-center...

By Ilan Lior | 08:58 PM

J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami on stage with William Kristol at the event.

J Street's Ben-Ami: 'U.S. Congressmen live in fear of pro-Israeli intimidation'

Many American senators and congressmen “keep quiet” and refrain from criticizing Israeli policies because they “live in fear”...

By Chemi Shalev | 03:07 PM | 24

Israel Police establishes new West Bank settlement demolition task force

Move to create the task force comes in light of the high number of outpost and settlement demolitions expected to take place by the end of 2012.

By Chaim Levinson | May 16, 2012 | 04:21 PM

India turns down Barak request to make official visit

Defense Minister Ehud Barak sought to visit military expo in New Delhi to symbolize close Israel-India ties; request denied by Indian Defense Ministry due to domestic political sensitivities.

By Barak Ravid | May 16, 2012 | 04:55 PM | 3

The Jewish-Arab Shani Girls’ Choir, at the 'Music For a Better World' concert.

Making dreams come true

Proceeds from the annual benefit of the Diplomatic Spouses' Club support a project that promotes musical education among Jewish and Arab youth.

By Noam Ben-Zeev | May 14, 2012 | 03:41 AM

Former Spain PM: Russia believes Israel will prevent Iran nuclear weapon

Jose Maria Aznar says Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told him in 2000 that Israel must be wiped from the map.

By Amos Harel | May 16, 2012 | 07:02 PM | 2

Middle East

Fayyad replaced as finance minister in Palestinian Authority cabinet reshuffle

Salam Fayyad, a Palestinian leader widely credited by the West with introducing transparency to a corruption-plagued and...

By Reuters | 04:57 PM

Palestinian girls walk past an overflowing garbage container in Kufr Aqab village near Ramallah.

After years of neglect, Palestinians going green

In a society preoccupied with the struggle for independence from Israel, protecting the environment has often been sidelined -...

By The Associated Press | 12:11 PM | 4

Iran executes alleged Mossad agent for killing nuclear scientist

Iran has hanged a man it said was an agent for Israeli intelligence agency Mossad whom it convicted of killing one of its...

By Reuters | 11:03 AM | 4

IAEA urges Iran to grant access to military site as Vienna talks begin over Islamic Republic's nuclear program

Senior official from UN nuclear watchdog says aim of two-day meeting is to reach agreement with Iran on approach to resolving issues about disputed atomic activities.

By Reuters | May 14, 2012 | 11:41 AM | 29

Syria clashes kill 27; fighting hits Lebanon

Four killed in Lebanon; Syria's Muslim Brotherhood calls for international investigation into Damascus bombings that killed 70.

By DPA | May 13, 2012 | 10:20 PM | 7

New image reportedly depicts Iran's military nuclear testing site

Drawing obtained by Associated Press is said to come from inside the Parchin military base near Tehran, provided by a country tracking the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.

By The Associated Press | May 13, 2012 | 06:50 PM | 103

Diplomacy & Defense

Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Ali Akbar Salehi

ISIS: Iran's foreign minister established clandestine nuclear program in the 90s

Communications from the 1990s suggest Iran's current foreign minister, Ali Akbar Salehi, had knowledge of a program to procure...

By Reuters | 03:58 AM

Israel's Military Intelligence chief visited U.S. for secret talks on Iran, Syria

Military Intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi made a secret visit two weeks ago to Washington and to UN headquarters in...

By Barak Ravid | 12:41 AM | 9

Top U.S. think tank warns against Israeli, American strike on Iran

The RAND Corporation, a think tank which advises the Pentagon, warned on Tuesday against an Israeli or American attack on...

By Amir Oren | 12:19 AM | 16

A relatively quiet Nakba Day, thanks to the Palestinian prisoners

Both Israel and the Palestinians had a stake in bringing an end to the hunger strikes, although none of it would have been possible without the help of members of Egyptian intelligence.

By Amos Harel | May 15, 2012 | 10:57 PM

Israel to funnel aid to Palestinians in case of earthquake

Decision comes in the wake of a 5.5-magnitude quake which rattled Israel and the West Bank on Friday.

By Reuters | May 15, 2012 | 08:55 PM | 3

Irish writer Gerard Donovan accuses pro-Palestinian group of 'bullying' him to boycott Israel

Israeli diplomats say Ireland one of the top three countries in Europe in terms of anti-Israel hostility; Irish Justice Minister accuses activists of ‘cyberbullying.’

By Anshel Pfeffer | May 15, 2012 | 07:05 PM | 9

Jewish World

The cover of the Talmud in Arabic that was published in Amman, Jordan.

National Library acquires first Arabic translation of Babylonian Talmud

On a stand at the book fair in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia about two months ago was a sign advertising the first translation in...

By Nir Hasson | 12:41 AM

President Shimon Peres meeting with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook headquarters

Facebook IPO: Good for the Jews?

If the Talmud were written today, would it look like Facebook? First, the rabbis of the Mishnaic period post a Jewish...

By JTA | 11:12 AM

‘Amy’s National Garden of Hope’ shown in full bloom at Brookside Gardens just outside of Washington,

The Jewish calendar’s lesson on life

We are told that Judaism is a life-affirming religion. The national anthem of Israel is called “Hatikvah, or “The Hope,” and...

By Rabbi Micah Peltz / Jewish World blogger | 10:27 AM

Ultra-Orthodox to host mega-rally in U.S. for a more kosher Internet

Campaign uses Twitter and Facebook while condemning nature of the Web.

By Josh Nathan-Kazis | May 16, 2012 | 08:18 AM

Jews, the Left and the rest

How political history shapes today's Jewish narratives.

By Eitan Kensky | May 15, 2012 | 03:00 PM

Lithuanian university calls off memorial for pro-Nazi head of state

In a letter to parliament, university's rector says political events should not take place on university grounds; it is still unclear if the rest of festivities will take place as scheduled.

By Ofer Aderet | May 15, 2012 | 09:58 PM

National

Right and left-wing activists face-off at the Nakba Day event in Tel Aviv University, May 16, 2012.

At last minute, Haifa University cancels Nakba event

The University of Haifa canceled on Wednesday a student-organized public event to commemorate the Nakba, just three hours...

By Talila Nesher, Revital Hovel | 05:23 PM | 5

U.S. Jews, Israeli feminist organizations target broadcast authority for ‘silencing women’

Members of The Second Authority for Television and Radio have received hundreds of e-mails in the last 24 hours demanding an...

By Emilie Grunzweig | 01:13 PM

Israel's Interior Minister: All African migrants should be jailed

Israel's Interior Minister Eli Yishai said on Wednesday that most of the migrants from Africa are engaged in criminal actions...

By Haaretz | 10:35 AM | 14

Four Eritreans arrested in another TA parking lot rape

19-year-old woman raped and robbed by Eritrean asylum seekers while making her way home through southern Tel Aviv.

By Dana Weiler-Polak, Yaniv Kubovich | May 16, 2012 | 12:41 AM

State ordered to pay hazmat engineers overtime for years of night shifts

Labor court orders Environmental Protection Ministry to pay 50 senior engineers NIS 13-15 million in retroactive payments.

By Revital Hovel | May 16, 2012 | 12:41 AM

Class action: Insurers, HMOs refuse coverage for disabled

Plaintiffs charge that Clal, Dikla, Maccabi, Clalit and Leumit, refused them nursing insurance due to their disabilities.

By Dana Weiler-Polak | May 16, 2012 | 12:41 AM

Culture

U.S. music star Lenny Kravitz to rock Israel in October

Grammy-winning U.S. music star Lenny Kravitz will travel to Israel this fall and hold a concert in Tel Aviv's Hayarkon Park on...

By Haaretz | 10:17 PM

Israeli cinematographer brings poetry to the big screen

In "The Band's Visit," members of an Egyptian band wearing blue uniforms line up against the backdrop of a sprawling desert....

By Nirit Anderman | 05:06 AM

Harpist and composer Renana Neeman releases her first album this summer.

An Israeli harpist with an attitude

When Renana Neeman was a girl, her parents told her that her first name means "the song of angels." "I had a fantasy about...

By Uri Zer Aviv | 05:06 AM

In Israel, the paparazzi prefer Gilad Shalit to Homeland stars

Homeland, the award winning Fox 21 drama thriller, which is filming in Israel this week, is causing a paparazzi commotion in the country.

By Danna Harman | May 16, 2012 | 12:41 AM

Reality meets fiction as Gilad Shalit visits the cast of Homeland on Tel Aviv set

Former IDF soldier, who was in Hamas captivity for more than 5 years, meets the stars of the hit show Homeland, which tells the story of a U.S. marine who returns home after being held by al-Qaida for many years.

By Danna Harman | May 15, 2012 | 06:20 PM

The Fountainheads, a religious Israeli band that could, coming to a synagogue near you

If you like cheerful, cheesy, and yet infuriatingly catchy songs about the Jewish holidays, you will love this band.

By Danna Harman | May 15, 2012 | 04:16 PM

Haaretz Select

Designer Mushon Zer-Aviv and artist and illustrator Galia Ofri.

The Israeli couple blazing a new visual trail with 'Illustrated Wikipedia'

As Wikipedia enters its second decade, an Israeli couple are exploring ways to improve and share illustrations on the world's most popular source of info.

By Yuval Saar | Features

In Israel, the paparazzi prefer Gilad Shalit to Homeland stars

By Danna Harman | Arts & Leisure

Israel's baby boomers facing rocky retirement

By Meirav Arlosoroff | Business

Haaretz publisher Amos Schocken holds Q&A session with Haaretz readers

By Amos Schocken | Business

Image grab from video of 'Dayenu - Coming Home,' by the Ein Prat Fountainheads.'

The Fountainheads, a religious Israeli band that could, coming to a synagogue near you

If you like cheerful, cheesy, and yet infuriatingly catchy songs about the Jewish holidays, you will love this band.

By Danna Harman | Arts & Leisure

The theft that changed the Israeli banking system and underworld

By Hagai Amit | Business

Israeli cinematographer brings poetry to the big screen

By Nirit Anderman | Arts & Leisure

Shooting down a canard: Torah study does boost GDP

By Uri Weiss | Opinion

Opinions & Blogs

Let's hope Shapira will be independent

"The state comptroller's work must be revolutionized. Instead of publishing thick reports, the comptroller should focus on...

Diplomania | Barak Ravid Israel ranked alongside Iran as one of countries with most negative global influence

Strenger than Fiction | Carlo Strenger Israel’s universities could be world leaders

Yitzhak Laor Israel's left doesn't want it

Zvi Bar'el Annexing Israel

Adar Primor Russia and Israel: The unexpected alliance

Hannah Weisfeld A toxic attachment

Routine Emergencies | Allison Kaplan Sommer Our new Zionist hero

Hanan Ashrawi Recognizing Nakba, reaching peace

Iran: The Debate

Israel fears nuclear deal between Iran, world powers as Baghdad talks draw near

By Barak Ravid | 06:04 PM | 28

Iran wins release of Turkish journalists captured in Syria, says Turkey FM

By Reuters | 01:57 PM | 7

Iran to IAEA: Meet you in Baghdad

By Zvi Bar'el | 05:23 AM | 2

U.S. Elections 2012

Obama's support for same-sex marriage isn't motivated by morals

By Yael Sternhell | 09:32 PM | 14

Newt Gingrich drops out of race for U.S. Republican presidential candidate

By Natasha Mozgovaya, Reuters | 11:00 PM | 8

New poll shows majority of U.S. Jews support Obama's policy toward Israel

By Natasha Mozgovaya | 07:35 PM | 28

Travel In Israel

Tel Aviv tour teaches English speakers to read the Hebrew graffiti on the wall

By Danna Harman | 12:59 AM

Greening Tel Aviv - Nir Keidar - May 15, 2012

Greening Tel Aviv with vertical gardening

By Zafrir Rinat | 12:59 AM | 3

A family enjoying the spread at the annual Taste of the City food festival in Tel Aviv.

Get a taste of Tel Aviv's finest cuisine

By City Mouse Online | 02:27 PM

Books

Israel bans Lebanese edition of Jewish philosophical work

By Akiva Eldar | 01:59 AM | 15

Peter Beinart's crisis of oversimplifying American Jews

By James Kirchick | 07:28 PM | 3

Turning the page on the third Jerusalem writers festival

By David Green | 11:32 AM

Benjamin Netanyahu