Herb Keinon

Herb Keinon is a senior contributing editor and analyst, writing extensively on diplomacy, politics and Israeli society. He has been at the paper for 35 years, 20 of those as its diplomatic correspondent, and during this time has covered up close the major stories that have shaped the nation for more than three decades: from the first intifada to the withdrawal from Gaza; the massive immigration of Soviet Jews to the Rabin assassination; the Ariel Sharon premiership to that of Benjamin Netanyahu. Keinon also writes a popular monthly "light" column on daily life in Israel. A collection of these columns, French Fries in Pita, was published in 2014. Keinon lectures widely in Israel and around the world on political and diplomatic developments in the country. Originally from Denver, Keinon has a BA in political science from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and an MA in journalism from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.

Israeli security forces at the scene where a house was hit by an explosive drone launched by Hezbollah from Lebanon in Metula near the Israeli-Lebanese border, May 25, 2026.

Israelis are paying a heavy price for the IDF's restraint in Lebanon - analysis

 Donald Trump over a backdrop of an Iranian flag. (Illustrative)

Trump's agreement weakens Iran, but doesn’t end its threat - analysis

US President Donald Trump attends a GCC summit photo session in Riyadh, alongside Qatari, Saudi, and  Bahraini leaders, May 2025.

Iran war pulls some Gulf states toward Israel, while pushing others away


The fascination with the haredi problem, and where it leads - analysis

Will the ultra-Orthodox allow Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu one last chance to push through the controversial haredi conscription law?

Israelis, bereaved families and politicians take part in a march in support of the conscription of ultra-Orthodox Jews into the IDF, from the entrance of Jerusalem to the Knesset, January 15, 2026.

Israel-Lebanon ceasefire a dangerous fiction in the war against Hezbollah - analysis

Negotiations detached from the realities on the ground do not end terrorism. Rather, they create space for the terrorists to adapt, regroup, and strike again.

Israeli soldiers are seen on the Israeli border with Lebanon, May 2, 2026.

The Rubble Doctrine: Inside Israel's new security policy in southern Lebanon

NATIONAL AFFAIRS: The destruction of El-Khiam reflects a profound shift in Israeli military thinking after October 7: deny the enemy not only the desire, but the capability, to strike.

INSIDE THE remains of a small clothing store, where some articles of clothing still hung on racks, the ‘Post’ was shown a 25-meter shaft leading to an underground Hezbollah command center beneath the floorboards, where communications equipment, weapons, and uniforms were found.

‘The threat is manageable’: IDF downplays Hezbollah drone campaign

The deputy commander of the Sabar Battalion said he believes the drone threat is being “exaggerated beyond proportion, mainly by those back at home trying to understand what is happening.”

 A drone is seen during a military exercise in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on October 4, 2023.

Delegitimization in action: EU’s distorted narrative on settler violence - comment

Europe can criticize Israel, just as Israel can criticize Europe. But when that criticism crosses the line into moral distortion, it loses credibility.

View of the settlement of Sa-Nur in the West Bank, April 19, 2026.

Netanyahu on '60 Minutes' - what he said, didn't say - analysis

The full 80-minute interview, which CBS posted online, was far more revealing.

 Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a ceremony commemorating Israel’s Remembrance Day for fallen soldiers, or Yom HaZikaron, at the Military Cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem April 21, 2026.

Israel's Remembrance, Independent days did not change - we did - comment

From childhood awe to adult loss and connection, Israel’s holidays change as people grow older and more rooted.

Medical staff at Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center wave at an Israel Air Force flyover on Independence Day

Trump turns time into a weapon as Iran war shifts to economic pressure phase

NATIONAL AFFAIRS: By extending the truce while tightening the blockade, the US shifts from military force to economic attrition in a bid to shape Iran’s choices.

A billboard with a graphic design about the Strait of Hormuz on a building in Tehran, Iran, April 13, 2026

Israel at 78: Unbowed, strong, and determined as it swings between a miracle and a mess - comment

It has been a year of sirens and safe rooms, of long stints of reserve duty, of families stretched to the breaking point. A year of loss, strain, and uncertainty.

Prayer in a Safed bomb shelter.

‘Whether people like Israel or not’: What six words in a Trump post reveal - analysis

Israel has just fought shoulder to shoulder with the US, yet Trump's choice of words suggests that Israel has shifted from a broadly accepted ally to a debated one.

US President Donald Trump speaks about research into mental health treatments in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., April 18, 2026.