FEATURES
The joint slate is dominated by RZP candidates, with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich first and former Likud MK Moshe Feiglin second.
Itamar Ben Gvir campaigns on security, sovereignty and tougher anti-terror laws.
A 28-year-old Turkish Muslim student who became a vocal defender of Israel after the Oct. 7 attack has been granted asylum in the Jewish state.
Avigdor Liberman’s movement seeks secular right-wing role in post-Netanyahu government.
“Captivity was too hard to handle, and every moment you didn’t know if it was going to get even worse,” she said.
At Nir Am’s Oct. 7 ceremony, the family of paratrooper Binyamin Meir Airley share his story and discuss the retreat center established in his memory.
How Bennett and Lapid plan to challenge Netanyahu.
Built from a patient’s own cells, the technology is advancing toward its first human trial at Sheba Medical Center in 2027, pending regulatory approval.
The ‘Shepherd Camera Project’ aims to document confrontations in real time and provide footage to police, media and the public.
The Israeli foreign minister announced that Colombia will become the 10th country to open an embassy in Jerusalem.
Conservatives examined Israel’s high birthrates—and debated whether duty or self-fulfillment can revive family life across the West.
Gadi Eisenkot’s platform, partners and path to power.
MADE IN ISRAEL
HAREDIM IN ISRAEL
A series by Shimon Sherman
MEET THE PARLIAMENT
A series by Amelie Botbol
The Yesh Atid lawmaker argues that the country’s recovery must begin with national healing.
The Yesh Atid lawmaker says Israel needs a broad Zionist coalition to rebuild the country after the Oct. 7 attacks.
“We have made sure to help the public—the Sephardi Haredi public, but not exclusively. Shas is not a niche party; it helps everyone,” Abutbul told JNS.
The next government must secure the nation’s future through economic strength, internal security and diplomatic agreements, the former Jerusalem police chief tells JNS.
IDF reservists’ rights, highway safety among the causes championed by the Likud legislator.
“I think we need to invest in Israel’s Arab society—in education, employment and infrastructure. If we don’t, we’ll be the ones who suffer,” the lawmaker told JNS.
“Iran threatens world peace, and the world should stand up to it. It’s very simple,” the Likud lawmaker told JNS.
“Today, we see that the majority of the Israeli public wants a government of consensus,” Blue and White party chair tells JNS.
The former school principal and welfare minister emphasized the importance of every child studying math, English, Hebrew and science.
The deputy foreign minister talks with JNS about Lebanon, Iran, surging antisemitism and the importance of Africa.
The nation must protect its periphery, agricultural sector, environment, shape Gaza’s future, the Yesh Atid lawmaker tells JNS.
Schuster advocates for Gaza demilitarization, national unity and strengthening the periphery.
“It will be hard—wars are no fun—but we need to do this so that our children will not experience what we experience, so that they will have greater quiet,” the lawmaker told JNS.
Right-wing voters must understand they are voting for legal advisers to assume an actual advisory role, for the Supreme Court’s authority to be capped and for the communications market to open to competition, says Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi.
The Likud lawmaker spoke with JNS about the lack of a right-wing fiscal approach in Israel, the importance of sovereignty and the urgency of dealing with the Iran threat.
The opposition lawmaker says Israelis agree on 80% of key issues.
Enabling ride-sharing services, limiting the state’s right to appeal citizens’ acquittals are among the initiatives driven by the Blue and White lawmaker.
While a Knesset lawmaker’s work includes legislation, committee activity and media appearances, Likud lawmaker Amit Halevi said the media is often the most effective tool for driving change.
Israel should not press ahead with the U.S.-mediated Gaza ceasefire deal until Hamas returns the body of the last hostage, the Yesh Atid lawmaker told JNS.
We need to address shortages of teachers and overcrowded classrooms, the new head of the Knesset Education Committee tells JNS.
The Likud legislator calls on all Knesset members to unite for the good of the nation.
Protecting children from social media, Israel’s high cost of living and strengthening the periphery rank high on the Yesh Atid lawmaker’s agenda.
No troops from Turkey or Qatar will enter the Gaza Strip, the Likud lawmaker tells JNS.
Noam Party wants state recognition of Jewish identity, and eligibility under the Law of Return, to be determined by “halachah.”
The Religious Zionism lawmaker seeks the replacement of the Palestinian Authority, which she says continues to fund and support terrorism.
“It is possible to hold the book in one hand and a weapon in the other,” said Moshe Solomon on the haredi draft.
“The cost of living is one of the two key issues that will be decisive in the next elections, along with national security,” says MK Simon Davidson.
Religious Zionism lawmaker Ohad Tal tells JNS that peace can be achieved only by applying Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria and Gaza.
“The IDF withdrew from Lebanon in 20o0, and Hezbollah ended up becoming the largest terror army in the world,” Otzma Yehudit lawmaker Yitzhak Kroizer tells JNS.
MK Shelly Tal Meron of Yesh Atid’s work centers on the hostage issue and Hamas’s sexual violence.
Religious Zionism’s Simcha Rothman talks with JNS about his key achievements in the Knesset, and the challenges the country still faces.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza “has a lot of potential,” Likud lawmaker Dan Illouz told JNS at the Knesset.
The joint slate is dominated by RZP candidates, with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich first and former Likud MK Moshe Feiglin second.
Itamar Ben Gvir campaigns on security, sovereignty and tougher anti-terror laws.
Avigdor Liberman’s movement seeks secular right-wing role in post-Netanyahu government.
At Nir Am’s Oct. 7 ceremony, the family of paratrooper Binyamin Meir Airley share his story and discuss the retreat center established in his memory.
How Bennett and Lapid plan to challenge Netanyahu.
The ‘Shepherd Camera Project’ aims to document confrontations in real time and provide footage to police, media and the public.
Gadi Eisenkot’s platform, partners and path to power.
Candidates from across Israel’s political spectrum debated security, conscription, the economy and the country’s future at an English-language town hall.
From its home in Binyamin, Psagot Playgrounds combines Israeli ingenuity with decades of experience to create unique play spaces in Israel and the United States.
Memory and hope can coexist, and that choosing to live, rebuild and remain can itself become an act of defiance.
“There are people who look away, and then there are the ones who can’t stop looking. I’m the kind who has to look, and memory of what I saw will be there forever,” said Capt. Ariel Armbrister.
A senior official reveals how the IDF disrupted enemy weapons and explains how the future of warfare lies far above Earth.
AfD and Die Linke election victories deepen concerns over antisemitism and test the political center’s ability to keep both parties from power.
Yoni Finlay, who was shot while defending his synagogue on Yom Kippur, says heightened security continues to shape Jewish life a year after the deadly attack.
Twenty-five people who made aliyah, many of them via Nefesh B’Nefesh, share their experiences.
40 years after Chabad sent its first emissary to the region, communities once centered on travelers and business people are building schools, mikvahs and cemeteries for Jews who have come to stay.
As students return to campuses worldwide, Nate Leipciger urges them in a letter to embrace their Jewish identity.
An exhibition slated for next summer at the Strong National Museum of Play in New York will focus on Jewish contributions to play, and recent publications tackle the same subject and its history.
Ten wounded soldiers take on a grueling trek through the Drakensberg Mountains as part of a recovery program supported by local Jewish communities.
The siblings met for the first time in nearly a decade at a camp for Ukrainians organized by the Chabad-Lubavitch movement.
The British-born former venture capitalist tells JNS that the Jewish state is the world’s strongest long-term investment—economically, strategically and spiritually.
At a memorial event, U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee and Levin’s parents reflected on the Lone Soldier Center that has transformed the lives of thousands in the military from Israel and abroad.
There’s no mistaking the building on Pacific Avenue in Wildwood, N.J., as a synagogue. But it’s also a place that emits the history of a farming community—and continues to draw people in.
Eyal Ostrinsky told JNS that the 125-year-old Zionist institution is broadening its support for Jewish communities worldwide, while reaffirming its mission of settlement, forestry and national development.
“We will dance again": Israelis celebrate the Torah three years after Oct. 7.
The Zamir Choral Foundation drew 475 people from North America, Europe and Israel to its annual festival, where music reverberated through the halls of a hotel in Stamford, Conn.
The Sukkot event attracted Israelis and visitors for a day of culture and activities.
A short prayer has been composed for combat soldiers who must eat on Yom Kippur, Lt. Col. Rabbi Udi Schwartz, head of the Military Rabbinate’s Halacha Department, tells JNS.
“During this moment of spiking antisemitism, Jews can take a measure of comfort in recalling to ourselves and to all Americans how Hebraic ideas have helped shape American political language,” Rabbi Stu Halpern, of Yeshiva University, told JNS.
Zev Shandalov, a Ma’ale Adumim-based rabbi and teacher, transformed the six words Berger wrote after 482 days in Hamas captivity into a thousand-year-old poetic form.
Originally intended to accommodate a few hundred Torah scholars, the exemption of ultra-Orthodox yeshivah students from IDF service evolved into one of Israel’s most contentious public policy issues.
The initiative brings together the IDF Military Rabbinate, Aleph Military and the International Halacha Institute to address modern halachic challenges facing Jewish service members.
Rare manuscripts by Maimonides, Newton, Avicenna and Galileo trace more than 1,000 years of scientific, religious and philosophical inquiry.
The Shalom Jerusalem Foundation president told JNS that the holy site named “Zion” should be “a house of prayer for all nations.”
Adam Ferziger’s research opened new avenues for understanding “long-standing undercurrents in Israeli society, culture and Jewish identity,” the judges said.
“The challenges facing American Jewry are also very profound,” Rabbi Menachem Genack told JNS. “The risk of rapid assimilation. The level of antisemitism that we’re seeing. The security challenges facing the State of Israel.”
“We will dance again": Israelis celebrate the Torah three years after Oct. 7.
The Sukkot event attracted Israelis and visitors for a day of culture and activities.
From fruit-laden sukkahs to a digital prayer-book app, a community divided between Holon in central Israel and Mount Gerizim in Samaria combines ancient Israelite traditions with modern Israeli life.
Jewish giving has surged since Oct. 7, while donor priorities have shifted from emergency aid to long-term recovery.
A short prayer has been composed for combat soldiers who must eat on Yom Kippur, Lt. Col. Rabbi Udi Schwartz, head of the Military Rabbinate’s Halacha Department, tells JNS.
During cooler days and starry night skies, share some meals with family and friends while harkening back to the booths of yore.
Yoni Finlay, who was shot while defending his synagogue on Yom Kippur, says heightened security continues to shape Jewish life a year after the deadly attack.
Archaeologists presented fresh findings on the Israeli capital’s ancient fortifications, water systems, roads and pilgrimage routes.
“During this moment of spiking antisemitism, Jews can take a measure of comfort in recalling to ourselves and to all Americans how Hebraic ideas have helped shape American political language,” Rabbi Stu Halpern, of Yeshiva University, told JNS.
Savoring the sweet and the sour, as America marks a quarter of a century since Sept. 11, 2001, and the downing of four airplanes as part of terror attacks that left a hole in our hearts.
The dedication at Ramat Negev Winery honored the woman Pollard credits with securing his freedom and bringing him home to Israel.
Participants in the March of the Living warn that internal discord poses a grave threat and call for renewed unity.
Archaeologists presented fresh findings on the Israeli capital’s ancient fortifications, water systems, roads and pilgrimage routes.
Art historian Jacob Wisse told JNS that he is concerned “when museums, which I value for the rigor, depth and richness of their curatorial voice, fall back, lazily, on untruths.”
The wooden beams, preserved for some 2,600 years beneath melted plaster, offer a rare glimpse into the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE.
Project Qumran seeks scientific testing of surviving samples from a 1992 Dead Sea excavation that researchers believe may be remnants of biblical “Ketoret.”
A Bar-Ilan University researcher argues that a cultic stone found at Tel Eton could provide archaeological proof of religious change in Judah during the First Temple period.
Researchers say traces of repeated fire use deep inside South Africa’s Wonderwerk Cave suggest early human ancestors were harnessing naturally occurring fires far earlier than previously confirmed.
Calling it “a dream come true,” the museum’s director Eilat Lieber says the Kishle site will become the Schulich Wing for Archaeology, Art and Innovation.
“It’s not just a display of the scrolls, which of course in and of themselves would be powerful,” but other “wow objects” leave viewers in awe, the museum’s director of exhibits told JNS.
NY exhibit underscores how medieval Christians both sang songs from Hebrew Bible and persecuted Jews
“Here you sing these Psalms every day, yet on Good Friday you go out and you beat up your Jewish neighbors,” Roger Wieck, of the Morgan Library and Museum, told JNS. “I don’t have an answer for you.”
The museum’s president and CEO told JNS that he hopes visitors will learn about the Holocaust and its root causes and apply that to understanding the world today.
“Gaon is the soundtrack of Israeli life,” says Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion.
“The ancient sources implying Queen Zenobia converted to Judaism are possibly accurate,” Haggai Olshanetsky, of University of Warsaw, told JNS.
“For the first time in my life, I’m dividing the restaurant into two sections,” Eyal Shani told JNS. “I have to seduce people to see what’s inside without them feeling that they are going to spend a lot of money or a lot of their time.”
The Zamir Choral Foundation drew 475 people from North America, Europe and Israel to its annual festival, where music reverberated through the halls of a hotel in Stamford, Conn.
The event features more than 250 artists, including two Latin American exhibitions tracing Jewish identity from ancestral towns to a possible future beyond Earth.
Richard McBee’s monumental new paintings return to the binding of Isaac, asking what became of the son after the angel intervened and why the biblical silence that followed still matters after Oct. 7.
“During this moment of spiking antisemitism, Jews can take a measure of comfort in recalling to ourselves and to all Americans how Hebraic ideas have helped shape American political language,” Rabbi Stu Halpern, of Yeshiva University, told JNS.
An exhibition slated for next summer at the Strong National Museum of Play in New York will focus on Jewish contributions to play, and recent publications tackle the same subject and its history.
A new movie in English and Hebrew, “For the Love of a Woman,” weaves its way from 1930s’ British Mandatory Palestine to America and Israel in the 1970s, telling a relatable story of relationships.
The 65th Israel Festival opened with a breathtaking aerial performance over the Hinnom Valley, recreating an iconic 1987 crossing between east and west Jerusalem.
Florentine neighborhood becomes a canvas of a nation traumatized by war, but remaining resilient and full of color and life.
Art historian Jacob Wisse told JNS that he is concerned “when museums, which I value for the rigor, depth and richness of their curatorial voice, fall back, lazily, on untruths.”
An exhibition by graduating girls at an Ohr Torah Stone high school reflects on identity, grief, resilience and hope after years marked by COVID-19 and war.
Collaborative works by residents of Kfar Shimon offer a window into the inner worlds of young Israeli adults on the spectrum.
“I want us playing the biggest games in the EuroCup at the end of the season and winning,” owner Matan Adelson said.
The 65th Israel Festival opened with a breathtaking aerial performance over the Hinnom Valley, recreating an iconic 1987 crossing between east and west Jerusalem.
Yosef Dagan championed the penalty shootout following Israel’s elimination from the 1968 Olympics by the drawing of lots.
According to CyberWell, social media posts tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup falsely claim the Argentine soccer star is Jewish or controlled by Jews while recycling conspiracy theories about Jewish control of FIFA.
After becoming the first Israeli women’s national basketball team to win a European medal, the team reflected on the bond that fueled its remarkable run.
David Bolchover talks to JNS about his new book, which tells the stories of 11 Jewish football stars murdered in the Holocaust.
Despite falling short in the series, Team Israel celebrated a historic performance, new friendships and valuable preparation for the European Championship.
Despite facing hostility throughout the tournament, Team Israel captured gold and now has its sights set on qualifying for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Afeka College engineering students are preparing to become the first Israeli team to compete in Europe’s only 24-hour solar car race.
From Cuba to Estonia, immigrants to Israel proudly compete under their former homelands’ flags while celebrating their shared Jewish identity.
Maccabiah Israel Chairman Asaf Goren tells JNS that memorial swims, commemorative pins and even favorite foods are helping athletes remember 18 fallen members of the Maccabi family.
Thousands of Jewish athletes from a record 43 countries gathered at Teddy Stadium to launch the “Jewish Olympics,” with moving tributes to hostages, wounded soldiers and Israel’s fallen.
A “Kan 11” documentary chronicles how Soroka’s medical teams treated 674 wounded during the Hamas massacre.
From Ofakim’s housing boom to startups tackling AI, stroke treatment and trauma, communities near Gaza are rebuilding with an eye toward expansion.
A terror attack, a car accident and the war against Hamas have brought repeated loss to the Mark family—and forged extraordinary resilience.
Anat Meir talks to JNS about building a life for herself and 3-year-old Shaked in the shadow of David’s death.
‘I’m here, I’m alive—and it’s the most important thing in the world,’ former Hamas hostage tells JNS
Luis Har was freed from captivity in Gaza in a daring Israeli military operation 129 days after he was abducted during the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.
Three years after the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre, the families of Capt. Elay Adany and those he helped rescue remain bound by his final acts of courage.
The Education Ministry plans to introduce Project 720 in every school within three years. A preliminary evaluation found gains among struggling students, though its impact on academic achievement has yet to be tested.
Benjamin Netanyahu, security and the battle for the nation’s right.
A coffee cart in northern Israel honors Staff Sgt. Gal Hershko through the things he loved: Nature, friendship and bringing people together.
Nirit Shalev-Khalifa and her Yad Ben-Zvi team are preserving thousands of items from Gaza-border communities devastated in the Hamas massacre for future generations.
A Jerusalem Center study offers a different picture of Palestinian life, documenting growing prosperity alongside poverty and longstanding refugee camps.
“You can enlist at 18, and within a little more than a year you can be operating complex systems.”