ANNA BARSKY

Anna Barsky is the politics reporter for The Jerusalem Post's sister publication, Maariv.

 A Dubai beach as seen from a helicopter.

Israeli embassies remain open in UAE despite travel advisory warning, terror concerns

  Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attends a Plenum session of the Knesset, Israel's Parliament, also attended by Argentine President Javier Milei (not pictured), in Jerusalem, June 11, 2025.

'We're promoting a new strategy': Smotrich breaks silence on Netanyahu's Gaza plan

President Isaac Herzog visits soldiers in Gaza, July 23 2025

President Herzog makes inaugural visit to reservists in Gaza


Will the Knesset recess open a window for a deal? Netanyahu’s political breathing room - analysis

The Knesset's upcoming recess will potentially give PM Benjamin Netanyahu time to broker a hostage deal and figure out a solution to the issue of the haredi draft law.

 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir at a Knesset debate, July 14, 2025; illustrative.

'My conscience is clear': Why MK Yuli Edelstein won't settle for a soft haredi draft - interview

"This law ends the phenomenon of pretending to study Torah. To me, that’s a disgrace to the world of Torah," Edelstein told Maariv.

 Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee MK Yuli Edelstein speaks at the Muni Expo 2025 conference in Tel Aviv, on July 15, 2025.

Bomb drops, power shifts, insiders weigh Middle East futures - analysis

Until yesterday the White House maintained a clear red line: no direct US involvement on Iranian soil. That line survived tanker wars, drone shoot-downs and proxy salvos.

US Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber performs a fly-over during the Speed of Sound Airshow in 2024

'Killed in their sleep': Inside Operation Narnia, Israel's strikes on Iran's nuclear scientists

In a striking twist, the operation targeting Iran’s nuclear scientists is known as "Narnia" in Israel, a name that reflects the operation’s improbable nature.

Israel’s Mossad operation to eliminate Iranian’s top nuclear scientists is named “Operation Narnia.”

Avner Netanyahu set to have a politician-free wedding, causing mixed reactions from Likud members

A source close to the family explained that the intention behind the exclusion was to create a private and intimate atmosphere, away from political circles.

 Avner Netanyahu arrives to the courtroom at the Distrcit court in Tel Aviv, before the start of the testimony of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the trial against him, December 10, 2024.

UN Security Council to discuss returning hostage bodies to Israel for the first time

This marks the first such discussion since the October 7 terror massacre. This demand will be at the center of an official Security Council debate.

Members of the United Nations Security Council meet on the day of a vote on a Gaza resolution that demands an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan. March 25, 2024

Trump Mideast visit: Israel shifts from central player to distant observer - analysis

Netanyahu has no compelling offer for a US president focused on outcomes. Trump is pressing ahead with his priorities — and that is what matters.

 (L-R) US President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu see on top of Saudi Arabian, US, and Israeli flags (illustrative)

Proposed coalition bill to raise MK salaries to that of senior judges faces backlash

The bill sought to equalize the prime minister’s salary with that of senior members of the justice system, including the High Court of Justice president and justices.

Israeli coalition ministers and MKs seen in the Knesset plenum, in Jerusalem, March 25, 2025

Border Police officer awarded medal after conviction for assaulting Arab-Romani woman

“I saw firsthand her motivation, her love of country, and her strong desire to serve and defend Israel,” Ben-Gvir said. “Despite the difficulties, Orian did not give up."

 Orian Ben Khalifa, a former Israeli police border officer accused of assaulting a Palestinian woman in Jerusalem Old City, seen as she arrives for a court hearing at the Magistrate's Court in Jerusalem, on June 20, 2023

Was Netanyahu warned on Oct. 7? Prime Minister's Office sources weigh in

Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar claims he called the prime minister at 5:15 a.m., but Netanyahu said Bar was making false claims.

 Security cabinet meets to approve hostage deal. January 17, 2025.