Israel

Mosque torching in Israel: Could it spark Arab Spring-style protests?

Today's mosque torching in northern Israel prompted clashes between police and Arab citizens, raising fears of an intifada inspired by the Arab Spring.
Israel arrives at a tough diplomatic intersection

Israel's crises with key regional partners Egypt and Turkey could pressure the Jewish state to make a renewed push for peace with the Palestinians.
Terrorism & Security
Turkey's Erdogan heads to Egypt, unnerving an embattled Israel

Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan's North Africa tour comes at a critical time for Israel, whose diplomats were forced to flee Cairo this weekend after protesters attacked the Israeli embassy.
Palestinians forge ahead with UN statehood push. Are they ready?

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas yesterday confirmed a push to seek full membership at the UN as a sovereign state. But despite support for recent Palestinian Authority reforms, the UN move could backfire.
Terrorism & Security
Turkey-Israel ties fall to new low in response to UN flotilla report

Turkey expelled Israel's ambassador today in protest over a UN report that justified Israel's blockade of Gaza, though not the fatal raid on a mainly Turkish flotilla that sought to run it.
Why one-fifth of US representatives went to Israel this summer

The record delegation of 81 congressmen, whose expenses were paid by an AIPAC affiliate, is seen as a circling of the wagons just weeks ahead of a UN vote on Palestinian statehood.
Israel's Iron Dome system reassures nation on Gaza

Israel's 'Iron Dome' missile-defense system protected Israeli civilians from Gaza rockets, reducing pressure for retaliatory strikes and giving mediators a window for hammering out a cease-fire.
Israel retaliates against Gaza, but deterrence game has changed

Egypt's weakening control in the Sinai, from which militants launched attacks that killed eight Israelis yesterday, is a wild card in the policy of mutual deterrence between Israel and Hamas.
Israelis blame 'terrorist' border attacks on Gaza militants, poor security

Multiple attacks killed at least seven Israelis today near the Egyptian border. Israel's defense minister blamed militants in Gaza, while a former ambassador said Israeli forces were caught by surprise.
Israel border attacks signal weakening Egyptian control of Sinai

Militants killed at least five Israelis in an attack on southern Israel. Israel Radio reported that the militants were dressed in Egyptian uniforms, and fired on a bus and cars from across the border.
Israelis protest costly housing – but not cost of settlements. Why?

Israel yesterday announced new homes in East Jerusalem to ease a housing shortage. But critics argue that the cost of building in contested territory is partially to blame for Israel's economic woes.
Why Netanyahu is suddenly unpopular in Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose approval rating has dropped nearly 20 percent, today scrambled to respond to a widening movement protesting pocketbook issues.
Israeli activists shift from Palestinian cause to pocketbook concerns

Tent-city protests over surging living costs started last week in Tel Aviv, the traditional hub of peace activism, and spread throughout the country. Housing prices have spiked 30 percent since 2007.
Israel's new friend: Why Greece is thwarting Gaza flotilla

Since last year's flotilla debacle killed nine Turkish activists, Israel has cultivated ties with Greece, offering the debt-ridden country generous military aid.
Gaza flotilla renews debate on Israel's blockade

A flotilla of ships set to leave Greece for Gaza this week is reigniting arguments about the wisdom of Israel's trade restrictions to the Palestinian territory.
Intense Israeli lobbying stalls Gaza flotilla

A US contingent is bringing Arabic translations of a book about Martin Luther King Jr., saying they want to show Palestinians that nonviolent resistance can work. But they're stuck in Athens.
Terrorism & Security
Fatah-Hamas leadership dispute could jeopardize Palestinian statehood campaign

Fatah and Hamas are meeting in Cairo today to choose the leader of the Palestinian unity government. But strong disagreements could derail their reconciliation pact.
Feeling winds of Arab Spring, Israel douses sparks of Palestinian uprising

The trial of Palestinian protest leader Bassem Tamimi underscores Israel's eagerness to prevent small-scale demonstrations from turning into a broader movement.
Global News Blog
Israeli entrepreneurs seek to alleviate Tel Aviv's parking woes

At any point in time, 30 percent of Tel Aviv residents are searching for a parking spot. Two Israelis have found a way to open up private parking to desperate drivers.
Golan Heights: Five keys to understanding the dispute

Weekend clashes along the Israeli-Syrian border between Israeli forces and pro-Palestinian protesters put the spotlight on the Golan Heights, a Syrian territory that Israel has controversially occupied for more than four decades. Here are five keys to understanding the dispute.
Golan protests: Is Syria's Assad stirring up trouble with Israel?

While the Golan Heights returned to a tense calm today, yesterday's clashes signaled increased turmoil ahead – perhaps spurred by Syria's Assad as he battles revolt at home.
Jerusalem Day: Why the Holy City is at the crux of the peace process

Israel insists Jerusalem is its ‘undivided and eternal’ capital while Palestinians insist on securing a capital in East Jerusalem. Here are three reasons why Jerusalem is so important to both sides.
Global News Blog
Israel's navy trains for second major Gaza flotilla

Another Gaza flotilla will set sail next month with the Mavi Marmara flagship, which Israeli navy commandos raided last year, killing nine activists in violent clashes.
Backchannels
Hamas is not the Palestinian Al Qaeda

Really.
Backchannels
Can we please stop calling it a peace process?

Recognizing that the Israeli-Palestinian peace process exists in name only is a far cry from saying peace is impossible. Rather, it might actually allow rhetoric to focus more on making tough compromises.