Jerusalem Report

'Jews never lose': comedian Yohay Sponder finds laughter amid war and hate

Israeli comedian Yohay Sponder is using humor to unite Jewish audiences worldwide, finding laughter amid war, loss, and rising antisemitism

|ByRUTH MARKS EGLASH
Israeli comedian Yohay Sponder has taken his English-language stand-up show to audiences around the world, using humor to tackle war, antisemitism, and Jewish identity. Premium
French actress Melanie Laurent (right) joined the ‘Fauda’ cast for season five, starring and co-created by Lior Raz.PremiumPremium

'What you're contracting is creativity': the hidden strain on Israeli television

Israeli television is still producing global hits, but behind the success, budgets, politics and fewer commissions threaten the industry’s future

|ByHANNAH BROWN
DJ Raphi on stage at his USA Hype Tour in March this year. His shows include interactive, family-friendly live dance and. music performances.PremiumPremium

'Be you, be awesome': the Israeli DJ dancing to a billion views

From a shy child to a billion YouTube views, DJ Raphi is getting children around the world on their feet

|ByCHANI KAPLAN
Yiddish music from Yad Vashem’s archives. Yiddish was the voice of Jewish life across Central and Eastern Europe for nearly a millennium until approximately five million Yiddish speakers were murdered during World War II. PremiumPremium

'The greatest light is concealed in the darkest places': reviving Yiddish songs

The Holocaust silenced millions of Yiddish voices; musicians are now bringing the songs of a lost civilization back to life

|BySHIFRA JACOBS

Israel's next election is a battle for the country's soul - opinion

What is on the minds of Israeli voters as they prepare to head to the ballot box?

MAY 21, 2026ByTAMAR HERMANN, LIOR YOHANANI
Israeli current opposition leader Yair Lapid (L) and former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett stand together in Tel Aviv on May 12, as they hold their inaugural conference of their ‘Together – Under Bennett’s Leadership’ party for the upcoming national election.
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'I refuse to hide my cross': Jerusalem's Christians describe a climate of fear

Clergy, residents, and business owners say assaults against Christians in Jerusalem are becoming more frequent – and more tolerated

MAY 21, 2026ByDANA BEN-SHIMON
‘We were taught to love each other, not to hate. Christians are a peaceful community,’ says Naji Mansour, owner of Mansour Money Change in the Old City.
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How the IRGC's shadow economy keeps Iran's nuclear program alive - analysis

How Iran is financed, and why US attempts to pressure Iran in the Strait of Hormuz have failed

MAY 21, 2026ByDANNY AYALON, MORAN ALALUF
The Islamic Republic has built alternative financial systems, and while ordinary Iranians have absorbed severe economic pain.
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Why polarization, not Iran or Hamas, will decide Israel's next election - analysis

As Israel heads toward another election, the country’s deepest divides may no longer be external enemies – but itself

MAY 21, 2026ByGAYIL TALSHIR
Opposition leader Yair Lapid and former prime minister Naftali Bennett recently held an inaugural conference of their Together – Under Bennett’s Leadership party for the upcoming national election.
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Red card diplomacy: Palestine’s handshake foul rattles FIFA ahead of 2026 World Cup

Palestinian Football Association turns the World Cup tournament into a game of political football

MAY 21, 2026ByGIL ZOHAR
FIFA President Gianni Infantino (C) interacts with the President of the Palestine Football Association Jibril Rajoub as the Vice-President of Israel Football Association Basim Sheikh Suliman (L) looks on during a heated moment in the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver, Canada on April 30.
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IDF chief Eyal Zamir's battle against indiscipline is essential to Israel’s war effort - opinion

Why IDF chief Eyal Zamir’s crackdown on unauthorized symbols is about protecting the IDF’s professionalism and chain of command in wartime

MAY 21, 2026ByANDREW FOX
The IDF’s ethical framework is clear. The ‘Spirit of the IDF’ lists statehood, responsibility, personal example, human dignity, purity of arms, and discipline as its core values.
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The Arab Spring is dead, and a new social contract has replaced it - analysis

Across the Arab world in 2026, ideology is giving way to pragmatism, as publics prioritize stability, security, and economic delivery over reform

MAY 21, 2026BySAGIV STEINBERG
A demonstrator holds empty tear gas canisters during a protest over the deteriorating economic situation, in Riad al-Solh Square in Beirut, Lebanon, in 2023.
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Two books, two realities: How October 7 transformed Lihi Lapid's American book tour - opinion

Publishing two books abroad revealed how October 7 reshaped Jewish identity in the Diaspora – and why shared culture may be the bridge linking Jews together

MAY 12, 2026ByLIHI LAPID
Israeli author Lihi Lapid struggled to get recognition for her first novel due to the Gaza war; but with her second book, published by a Jewish publishing house, she found greater support.

'Too Jewish?' Why Jewish stories still make some audiences uncomfortable

Why Jewish stories still provoke discomfort – and why that discomfort matters

MAY 12, 2026ByRYAN CRAIG
The Rosenbergs, a middle-class Jewish family from Edgware, played by Nicholas Woodeson as the father, David Rosenberg, and Tracy-Ann Oberman as mother, Lesley Rosenberg, in Ryan Craig’s play, staged recently in a London theater.

Naomi Shloush's 'Academic bimbo' confronts Mizrahi identity in modern Israel

Naomi Shloush’s book confronts identity, stigma, and the fragile space between belonging and exclusion

MAY 12, 2026ByJEHUDIT WEINBERGER BASHA
In her novel ‘Frecha Academait,’ Naomi Shloush confronts the stigmas around the derogatory term ‘frecha’ used for women of Mizrahi heritage.