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.

Amid reports that the Shas Party could be willing to sit with him in government, Yashar Party head Gadi Eisenkot did not rule out that option entirely. Here, Eisenkot attends the Sagi Laws for Equality Confrence at the Peres Center in Jaffa earlier this week.

Why Gadi Eisenkot is rejecting the haredi political embrace that once helped Netanyahu win

Israeli soldiers at a staging area near the Israeli border with Syria in northern Israel, February 28, 2026.

Why lessons learned on October 7 prevent Israeli withdrawal from Syria - analysis

Smoke rises following an Israeli strike on a metal foundry in Gaza City, July 12, 2026.

Hamas's Yahya Sinwar welcomed apocalyptic nuclear war if it meant destroying Israel - analysis


What Lindsey Graham's passing says about Israel's standing in US politics - comment

Israel enjoyed massive bipartisan support in Congress because representatives followed public opinion. Public opinion has now changed, as a third of Americans believe Israel has committed genocide.

US Senator Lindsey Graham holds a press conference on the subject of the International Criminal Court’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant, in Jerusalem, November 27, 2024.

The Alaska perspective: A reminder that the world doesn't revolve around Israel - comment

In Alaska, one is reminded that the world neither revolves around Israel nor is obsessed with it.

All of America, it turns out,  is not Mamdani’s Manhattan.

As Iran fades, Turkey emerges as Israel's biggest strategic threat

DIPLOMATIC AFFAIRS: Netanyahu’s campaign against selling F-35s to Ankara reflects a growing conviction in Jerusalem that Turkey is shaping up to be Israel’s principal long-term challenge.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkey holds a press conference at Beştepe Presidential Compound during the NATO Summit on July 8, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey.

Shin Bet chief Zini's loyalty remarks raise defining questions for Israel's elections - analysis

The central question raised by Zini’s remarks is not whether the Shin Bet chief should obey the elected government; it is how he diagnoses what has gone wrong in Israeli governance.

Designated head of the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) director David Zini seen with Ultra orthodox jewish soldiers from the Hasmonean Brigade after completing their beret march, at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old city on August 6, 2025.

Political logic behind Netanyahu’s controversial legislative blitz - analysis

Netanyahu’s controversial legislative push risks voter backlash, but could strengthen his ties with the parties he may need to form his next government.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his wife Sara Netanyahu, and Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu attend a cornerstone-laying ceremony for the Atarot Heritage Center in northern Jerusalem, July 5, 2026.

Will there be a constitutional crisis? Second Authority dispute tests judicial authority - analysis

Whether either side actually intends to force a constitutional showdown, or whether both ultimately expect this dispute to be resolved before the country reaches that point, remains an open question.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the State Comptroller elections at the plenum of the Knesset, in Jerusalem, June 3, 2026.

Political rivals Lapid, Edelstein, surprisingly align on national priorities - analysis

Both men are defining Israeli politics not through the traditional categories of Left and Right, but through questions of national responsibility, military service, governance, and consensus.

MK Yuli Edelstein speaks during a conference at the Reichman University in Herzliya, on January 13, 2026.

In unity government push, Netanyahu bets Israel's political boycott is beginning to crack

POLITICAL AFFAIRS: PM Netanyahu’s emerging campaign is built around a simple proposition: The political boycott against him is losing its rationale, and a broader coalition is again possible.

PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu announces his intention to run in elections scheduled for later this year.

Why Israel stopped when Trump said stop: Understanding the 12-hour Iran war

DIPLOMATIC AFFAIRS: A startup’s relationship with Google and North Korea’s path to the nuclear bomb offers unexpected insights into this week’s 12-hour war with Iran.

PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump. Never has Israel had a more supportive president in the White House, and never has Israel been so dependent on a US president, the writer asserts.

Shas pushes tone-deaf Torah study law while soldiers die in Lebanon, Gaza - comment

Those who see Torah study as essential should acknowledge the unique burden borne by those who leave their lives behind to defend the country, and that yeshiva study is not a comparable sacrifice.

Israel’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish sector has been protesting over the attempts to draft young haredi men into the military.