KFAR SABA, Israel (AP) — Ohad Munder-Zichri’s 9th birthday is on Monday. But instead of celebrating at home with his family and friends, he is believed to be somewhere in Gaza, one of more than 200 hostages held by Hamas since the militants’ devastating Oct. 7 incursion. The fourth-grader from the central Israeli city of Kfar Saba was nabbed along … Read More
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Yaniv Zohar, a former Associated Press videojournalist and beloved colleague who covered conflicts and major news in his native country for three decades, was killed in his home during Hamas’ bloody cross-border rampage on Oct. 7 along with his wife and two daughters. He was 54. Zohar worked for the AP’s Israel bureau for 15 years, from … Read More
AL-DHAFRA AIR BASE, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Jared Kushner and U.S. officials visited a major air base in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, speaking to Emirati and American pilots on the tarmac, as Iran’s supreme leader called the UAE’s recognition of Israel “treason that will not last for long.” The U.S.-brokered deal to establish diplomatic relations between Israel … Read More
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — In less than 24 hours on the ground, Israel’s first-of-its-kind delegation to the United Arab Emirates received a warm welcome that would have been nearly unthinkable just a few weeks ago. Dozens of Israeli officials and their accompanying traveling press corps got a dizzying taste of Abu Dhabi’s glamorous hotels, historic landmarks and scorching climate. … Read More
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A Star of David-adorned El Al plane flew from Israel to the United Arab Emirates on Monday, carrying a high-ranking American and Israeli delegation to Abu Dhabi in the first-ever direct commercial passenger flight between the two countries. The Israeli flag carrier’s flight marked the implementation of the historic U.S.-brokered deal to normalize relations between … Read More
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — From the Israeli captain’s emotional greeting in Arabic upon takeoff in Tel Aviv, to the warm Emirati reception on the ground in scorching Abu Dhabi, it was obvious this was no typical flight. Monday’s El Al flight LY971 marked the first-ever direct flight from Israel to the United Arab Emirates, placing a significant stamp on … Read More
JERUSALEM (AP) — For eager Israelis, anticipation is mounting that Dubai’s glitzy Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, will soon join the ranks of the Pyramids in Egypt and the ancient ruins in Jordan’s Petra as a once-forbidden destination now within reach. Last week, the United Arab Emirates said it would establish full diplomatic ties with Israel, which would make … Read More
JERUSALEM (AP) — When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rival, Benny Gantz, agreed to form an “emergency” government in May after three bitter and deadlocked election campaigns, the goal was to stabilize Israeli politics in the face of a global pandemic. But less than 100 days later, their fractious coalition government could be headed toward collapse as Israel grapples … Read More
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The 1972 Munich Olympics were marked by historic achievements and unprecedented controversy but will be forever defined by devastating catastrophe. In hosting the 1972 Munich Games, West Germany was eager to erase the stain of the 1936 Games in Berlin that came to symbolize a paragon of Nazi propaganda. Munich introduced the first-ever Olympic mascot, … Read More
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Just before heading to sleep on Sept. 4, 1972, Israeli Olympic racewalker Shaul Ladany lent his alarm clock to wrestling coach Moshe Weinberg, a fellow Israeli delegation member known by his nickname “Muni,” who had an early morning practice to run. Ladany, a reserve artillery officer in the Israeli army who said he could “sleep … Read More
RAANANA, Israel (AP) — Israel’s returning ambassador to the United Nations affirmed the country’s bond with the Trump administration Tuesday, dismissing notions that Israel would pay a price for its tight ties to the divisive president should he be defeated in November. In his first comprehensive interview since returning from the diplomatic posting, Danny Danon said he was relieved that … Read More
JERUSALEM (AP) — In attending his first-ever public protest, 34-year-old Nimrod Gross arrived with the only prop he felt reflected him — the blue-and-white Israeli flag. The former combat soldier and current tour guide and after-school science teacher had seen his monthly income plunge to around $500 as a result of the harsh economic fallout from the coronavirus. A centrist … Read More
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s largely ceremonial president lashed out Thursday at squabbling members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s so-called unity government, beseeching them to quit bickering at a time of national emergency and stop floating the prospect of yet another “terrible” election campaign. Reuven Rivlin’s tweet comes amid a wave of angry protests against Netanyahu for his perceived mismanagement of … Read More
JERUSALEM (AP) — With an unprecedented new surge in coronavirus cases battering Israel’s economy, one of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s closest confidants was dispatched to a TV studio recently to calm the nerves of a jittery nation. Instead, he dismissed expressions of some of the public’s economic pain as “BS.” The flippant comment by Cabinet minister Tzachi Hanegbi is symptomatic … Read More
JERUSALEM (AP) — As scandal-plagued Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands trial for corruption, his 28-year-old son has emerged as a driving force in a counterattack against critics and the state institutions prosecuting the longtime Israeli leader. A favorite of the prime minister’s nationalistic base and far right leaders around the world, Yair Netanyahu has become a fixture in the news, clashing with … Read More