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.

Thousands gather at Hostage Square to celebrate the return of the hostages, October 13, 2025. We have rejoiced alongside their families, who spent two years trapped in a waking nightmare.

No one left behind, Israel completes hostage recovery - comment

People walk past a projection depicting Israeli and US flags on the walls of Jerusalem's Old City on Oct. 22, 2025.

Israel's 'model ally' from Pentagon is key signal, even if downplayed by media - analysis

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett seen with Gadi Eisenkot during 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

With new players and old alliances, Israel’s post-October 7 political map takes shape


Israel’s calculated bet on Trump’s Board of Peace - analysis

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel would accept Trump’s invitation to join, but did not say whether Jerusalem would pay the $1 billion fee required to become a founding member.

Israeli military vehicles on the Israeli side of the Israel-Gaza border in southern Israel, January 21, 2026.

Israel demolishes UNRWA's Jerusalem HQ, but fails to explain why it had to go - comment

Without context, the move to demolish UNRWA’s east Jerusalem headquarters looks like just another incident of Israeli hard-heartedness - an attack on a UN body that wants only to help.

A sign that reads "Entering the area is prohibited!" is hung on fencing at the Jerusalem headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), in east Jerusalem, January 20, 2026

‘Are you an Israeli agent?’: Harris’s vetting process exposes rift over Israel support - analysis

Shapiro’s memoir reveals the intense vetting process for Harris’s VP pick, raising questions about Israel loyalty in the Democratic Party and its impact on his candidacy.

US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harri greets supporters during a campaign rally in Ann Arbor, Michigan, October 28, 2024.

Trump’s new Gaza Board is a fact, Israel’s job now is to shape the decisions - analysis

Israel is not going to succeed in expelling Turkey or Qatar from the Gaza Board of Peace; the more realistic goal is to limit how much influence they are able to exert.

US President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. participate in a roundtable on rural health, at the White House in Washington, DC, US, January 16, 2026.

Protests and power vacuums: What the Arab Spring can teach us about Iran's protests

MIDDLE EAST AFFAIRS: From Tunisia to Syria, the uprisings of 2011 showed how revolutions often give way to chaos or renewed authoritarianism, a lesson Jerusalem cannot ignore as Iran convulses.

A TUNISIAN expatriate shouts slogans while holding a placard reading ‘Free Tunisia,’ as he demonstrates on January 15, 2011, in Paris.

Gantz willing to make agreement with Netanyahu as 2026 elections approach - analysis

In an interview earlier, Gantz said he does not rule out sitting with Netanyahu in a unity government. “It’s time to abandon the ‘anybody but Bibi’ idea and shift to ‘anybody but extremists."

Benny Gantz (Blue and White) at the Knesset in Jerusalem. December 22, 2025.

Why haven't US, Israel sent help to Iran's protesters? - analysis

The most enduring outcome of not attacking would not simply be the failure of this uprising. It would be the longer-term damage: a confirmation that external backing is largely performative.

 Iranian flags fly as fire and smoke from an Israeli attack on Sharan Oil depot rise, following Israeli strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, June 15, 2025.

Netanyahu begins a farewell to US military aid - analysis

Netanyahu aims to phase out US military aid within 10 years, citing Israel’s growing capacity and the need for greater independence in defense production.

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold a press conference after meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, US, December 29, 2025.

Iran’s protests: A familiar pattern with new variables, risky for the regime - analysis

This wave of protests is unfolding against a backdrop fundamentally different from the past anti-regime movements, in the wake of June's 12-day war.

Demonstrator hold burning photos of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in London, Britain, January 11, 2026

Donald Trump reimagines Israel's border with Syria, from buffer zones to bunny slopes

DIPLOMATIC AFFAIRS: Trump envisions turning Mount Hermon into a ski resort as part of his new peace plan, blending security with economic cooperation for Israel and Syria.

‘AN INTERIM agreement that could one day make it possible to sip hot chocolate in a lodge at the base of a bunny hill on the Syrian half of Mount Hermon is something that may be within reach.’ Here, the first snow this winter hits Mount Hermon in Syria, as seen from the northern Golan Heights, near