ANNA BARSKY

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

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir meets with Finnish Chief of Defense Gen. Janne Jaakkola on August 24, 2026.

European states criticize Israel, but keep relying on its defense technology - analysis

MK Karine Elharrar arrives for a hearing at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem on petitions seeking to overturn the election of attorney Michael Rabello as State Comptroller, June 28, 2026.

Yesh Atid MK Karine Elharrar announces decision not to run for Knesset in upcoming election

Head of Ra'am Mansour Abbas holds a joint press conference with new party member Yoav Segalovich in Nazareth.

Mansour Abbas bets on Yoav Segalovich to make Ra'am acceptable to Israel's center - analysis


Quarter of Israelis consider using AI for election votes amid rising online disinformation surge

Some 56.8% of respondents said they have encountered fake or impersonating accounts frequently or occasionally, while only about 20% said they had never encountered the phenomenon.

The future of AI software development may not be about who can generate the most code, but who can decide which code is worth trusting.

Bennett, Eisenkot draw the battle lines in race to lead Israel’s next coalition - analysis

Bennett is offering soft-right voters an alternative to Netanyahu, while Eisenkot is seeking to hold the political center while persuading right-wing voters that he is not dependent on the Left.

Naftali Bennett and Gadi Eisenkot at a march for conscripting haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Jews into the IDF, in Jerusalem, January 15, 2026; illustrative.

Smotrich enters joint ticket talks with former Likud MK Feiglin as Likud slams Ben-Gvir

Simultaneously, tensions grew between National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and the Likud party after he announced that Otzma Yehudit would not run together with the Religious Zionist Party.

(L-R): National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich seen in the Knesset plenum, December 29, 2022

Winter's claimed support for Netanyahu overshadows his campaign, may siphon Likud voters - analysis

Winter is seeking to remove from the agenda the campaign portraying him as a risk to the right, as someone who could help replace Netanyahu or siphon votes away from the bloc.

The launch of the new Amcha Yisrael party, led by Ofer Winter, ahead of the upcoming Israeli general elections, in Jerusalem, August 25, 2026.

Netanyahu weighs rotation gov't with Eisenkot amid fears of not securing majority bloc in Knesset

Against this backdrop, the possibility of Netanyahu taking over the presidency after Herzog's term ends is being discussed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a vote at the plenum hall of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on July 16, 2026.

Netanyahu appoints sole Russian-speaking Likud candidate Elkin to lead party's immigrant outreach

The appointment adds weight to the possibility that a decision guaranteeing that outcome will soon follow, moving Elkin into a realistic position on the Likud list.

Minister Ze’ev Elkin attends a Likud party conference ahead of the party’s primary elections in the northern city of Haifa, August 16, 2026.

After strike on Turkish base in Syria, US urges Israel to show restraint

Washington says restraint and dialogue are the best path forward to prevent further escalation among Jerusalem, Damascus, and Ankara.

Syria's Ahmed al-Sharaa and Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan arrive for a joint press conference at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, February 4, 2025

Movement for Quality Government demands answers over Channel 14's Jerusalem relocation deadline

The Movement for Quality Government in Israel asks the Second Authority to clarify its plans after the extension allowing Channel 14 to delay moving its news operations expires at the end of August.

A large billboard sign channel 14 posted on a building in Jerusalem. August 14, 2023.

Smotrich, Strock push Netanyahu to bar ISF from operating in Gaza before Hamas disarmament

Last Friday, Strock attended a tour of the Life Support Area Endurance camp, a staging site for ISF forces, and viewed ongoing preperations for the deployment of the ISF.

Minister of Finance and Head of the Religious Zionist Party Bezalel Smotrich leads a faction meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, July 6, 2026.

Ben-Gvir courts disappointed Likud, Shas voters, pushes for fully right-wing government

With dissatisfaction growing on Likud’s right flank, Otzma Yehudit is positioning itself to attract voters from Likud and Shas while opposing a potential broad coalition.

 Itamar Ben-Gvir gestures following the announcement of exit polls at his party headquarters in Jerusalem.