10/30/2022Da Silva wins presidency10/28/2018Bolsonaro elected president09/30/2016Rousseff impeached; Michel Temer assumes presidency09/14/2016Prosecutors file corruption charges against Lula da Silva04/18/2016The House of Representatives impeaches Dilma Rousseff09/07/2014Effects of corruption scandal Operation Car Wash widespread in the government08/18/2011Corruption accusations affecting Rousseff’s administration10/31/2010Dilma Rousseff elected president10/30/2006Lula da Silva wins second term as president06/04/2005Corruption scandal known as Operation Car Wash impacting government10/27/2002Lula da Silva elected president11/13/1998IMF agrees to $41.3 billion bailout for Brazil09/03/1994Fernando Cardoso elected president
06/18/2021Ebrahim Raisi elected president01/02/2020US kills high-ranking Iranian05/08/2019Iran ends some aspects of nuclear agreement04/08/2019US adds sanctions on Iran
10/13/2022New heads of state01/02/2020US kills high-ranking Iranian10/02/2018Abdul Mahdi named prime minister12/08/2017Iraq declares victory over the Islamic State
10/31/2021Ruling coalition retains majority09/29/2021Kishida to be prime minister08/25/2020Abe resigns for health reasons07/21/2019Abe reelected with reduced majority
08/01/2021General assumes prime ministership02/01/2021Military resumes control11/09/2020Suu Kyi’s party claims election win10/10/2016Outburst of violence between government and Rohingya Muslim minority
04/07/2022Hadi transfers powers01/05/2021Qatar blockade ended10/09/2018Disappearance of journalist leads to international attention11/04/2017Anti-corruption crackdown
10/24/2023New government formed01/07/2020Sanchez re-elected prime minister04/28/2019Socialists win plurality06/01/2018Socialists eject Rajoy and take control of government
01/03/2020US kills high-ranking Iranian12/18/2018US announces withdrawal of troops from Syria09/04/2018Assault on Idlib09/26/2016Government attempt to retake Aleppo.09/09/2016Ceasefire08/24/2016Turkish troops enter Syria.08/23/2016Kurdish truce with Syria.09/30/2015Russia enters war.09/10/2014US bombing Islamic State in Syria01/24/2014Geneva peace conference 201409/25/2013Islamic State increasing in Syria08/20/2013Government accused of using chemical weapons03/18/2011Beginning of unrest in Syria that leads to civil war05/21/2008Negotiations with Israel about Golan Heights05/29/2007Bashar al-Assad re-elected10/28/2005Preliminary UN report on Syrian responsibility for murder of Lebanon’s Rafik Hariri03/06/2005Syrian intelligence officers begin to leave Lebanon06/09/2000Hafez al-Assad dies11/12/1970Hafez al-Assad takes power
11/21/2021Ruling party reelected12/07/2020Ruling oalition wins legislature01/05/2020Chaos in National Assembly election08/18/2017Constitutional assembly assumes the powers of the legislature.12/06/2015Opposition wins legislature
Israel continues significant bombing and ground fighting in southern Gaza but restricts fighting somewhat in the north as fighting in northern Israel against Hezbollah attacks continues.
01/12/2024
UN Court of Justice begins hearing on South Africa charge that Israel has committed genocide in Palestine.
01/11/2024
US and UK bomb multiple targets in Yemen, primarily sites involving drones and missiles in retaliation for Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.
01/09/2024
Israel has intensified and continues to intensify attacks on Iran-linked targets in Syria since 10/7/23.
01/08/2024
On a trip to the Mideast, US Secretary of State says that several Arab nations have expressed interest in helping plan for Gaza in the post war including: Jordran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.
01/07/2024
Israel Defense Minister Gallant submits a report to the war cabinet saying that when the war ends, the “vision for phase three” is that civil administration of Gaza would pass to unnamed “Palestinian players,” while Israel would retain the ability to carry out military activities within the Strip after the war.
01/02/2024
Hamas leader Saleh Arouri killed in missile attack in Beirut. Israel is suspected.
01/01/2024
IDF says it will withdraw several thousand troops from Gaza, citing the blow to the economy from withdrawing thousands of workers. It may also be a response to US urging to restrict the fighting.
01/01/2024
Supreme Court rules that it can rule on changes to the Basic Law and also rules that the law restricting its authority is illegal. The controversial ruling may affect the stability of the current war government, especially Netanyahu’s part of it.
12/26/2023
US launches air strikes in Iraq on pro-Iran forces who have targeted US forces. The Iraqi government protests.
12/26/2023
India sends warships to the Arabian Sea a day after a drone allegedly from Iran strikes a tanker off the coast of India.
12/26/2023
Egypt proposes a ceasefire plan but neither Israel nor Hamas shows any interest or responds.
12/25/2023
Israeli airstrike kills senior Iran military commander who oversaw arms shipments to Hezbollah.
12/25/2023
Netanyahu vows to intensify war effort.
12/22/2023
Shelling by Hezbollah into northern Israel. Israel responds with air attacks.
12/22/2023
UN Security Council passes a resolution calling for an indefinite pause to allow humanitarian to be delivered. The United States abstained because the resolution did not support Israel’s right to self-defense.
12/21/2023
Israel has not yet found evidence that the al-Shifa hospital was a Hamas headquarters.
12/20/2023
US announces ten-nation coalition to counter Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. The Houthi attacks have been highly popular in Yemen, helping it to recruit new adherents.
12/14/2023
US urges Israel to change their strategy and tactics to reduce civilian deaths in Gaza.
12/13/2023
Biden critical of Israel policy on Gaza, saying Israel is losing world support. Netanyahu responds that Israel will continue until Hamas is eliminated.
12/12/2023
Israel warns of wider war in Lebanon with Hezbollah, which has intensified its rocket attacks on northern Israel.
12/11/2023
Cruise missile claimed to be launched by Houthi rebels in Yemen strikes Norwegian tanker in the Red Sea.
12/09/2023
IDF increases raids on Palestinians in the West Bank.
12/08/2023
US embassy in Baghdad targeted by rockets, causing minor damage and no casualties.
12/05/2023
IDF enters Khan Younis in southern Gaza, formerly Gaza’s second-largest city. Israel has told the tens of thousands of refugees to evacuate Khan Younis, but there is now here for them to go. Israel says it is making surgical attacks in the city looking for Hamas leaders. Palestinians say IDF is shooting anything that moves. Hamas still firing missiles from northern Gaza into Israel, with little effect.
12/05/2023
IDF enters Khan Younis in southern Gaza, formerly Gaza’s second-largest city. Israel has told the tens of thousands of refugees to evacuate Khan Younis, but there is now here for them to go. Israel says it is making surgical attacks in the city looking for Hamas leaders. Palestinians say IDF is shooting anything that moves. Hamas still firing missiles from northern Gaza into Israel, with little effect.
12/04/2023
Israel continues bombing. Calls on Gazans to leave southern Gaza, though they have nowhere to go.
12/01/2023
Israel resumes bombing Gaza, accusing Hamas of violating the ceasefire.
11/30/2023
Pause is extended another day and hostages and prisoners are exchanged as negotiations on a longer agreement continue.
11/29/2023
Pause continued as more hostages are released by Hamas and more Palestinians prisoners released by Israel. Negotiations over a more extended ceasefire are continuing.
11/27/2023
Final day of initial pause in fighting, but Israel and Hamas agree to extend the pause for two more days.
11/26/2023
After brief interruption when Hamas says that Israel is not releasing hostages as agreed (longest in prison first) and allowing agreed amount of aid to enter Gaza, exchange continues. 117 Palestinian prisoners released and 58 Israelis. In addition some Thais who worked on Israeli kibbutz were released by Hamas.
11/26/2023
US seizes Houthis who captured Israeli ship in the Red Sea.
11/24/2023
Israel and Hamas release hostages as agreed.
11/22/2023
Israel says that pause cannot begin until 11/24.
11/21/2023
Agreement reached on pause in fighting and release of 50 hostages, women and children, and release of 150 Palestinians currently held in Israeli jails, also women and children. There is to be no fighting for five days.
11/20/2023
IDF now besieging another hospital known as the Indonesian hospital. Israel says that it has proof of a tunnel underneath the al Shifra hospital and that hostages were taken there.
11/19/2023
Yemen Houthis seize cargo ship in the Red Sea said to be owned by an Israeli.
11/16/2023
UN halts aid transport after communications break down in Gaza.
11/16/2023
Netanyahu announces that they body of a hostage was found near the hospital. Skepticism is mounting that the attack on the hospital was unjustified.
11/15/2023
Israeli military enters Al Shifra hospital. The IDF reports that they found weapons there and evidence of Hamas communication devices on site. However, the military has banned journalists from entering the hospital, so the statements cannot be verified.
11/13/2023
US again attacks Iran-backed military sites in Syria in retaliation for attacks on US personnel.
11/12/2023
Increasing criticism of Israeli attack on Gaza as the IDF continues attacking hospitals, insisting they are atop Hamas leadership headquarters. Israeli snipers have surrounded one, the Al-Shifra hospital and are firing at anyone near it, trapping hundreds inside. The hospitals have closed, having no fuel and little medicine.
11/11/2023
Saudi Arabia leads meeting of Arab nations over the Israel-Hamas war.
11/09/2023
Israel commits to daily four-hour pauses in north Gaza and to announce them three hours in advance.
11/09/2023
US forces in Iraq attacked in three places by drones and an explosive device.
11/08/2023
US bombs military facility in Syria linked to the Iran Revolutionary Guards in retaliation for multiple attacks on American forces in the region.
11/06/2023
Israeli forces sever Gaza in half. More than 10,000 Palestinians are said to been killed.
11/05/2023
Increasing calls for a humanitarian pause or ceasefire. Netanyahu asserts that there will be no pause until the hostages are all released.
11/02/2023
Bahrain recalls its ambassador to Israel as a consequence of the war with Hamas.
11/02/2023
Israeli forces encircle Gaza City. The US, among others, calls for a humanitarian pause. Increased violence in the West Bank.
11/02/2023
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nazrallah says that Hezbollah will not increase the intensity of its attacks on Israel in support of Hamas unless Israel does so against Lebanon but calls for the war to end.
11/01/2023
Some wounded are allowed to enter Egypt as well as some foreign nationals in Gaza.
10/31/2023
Yemen Houthis make a confirmed air strike at the Israeli port on the Red Sea.
10/31/2023
Bolivia breaks diplomatic ties with Israel over the invasion of Gaza.
10/31/2023
Chile and Colombia recall their ambassadors to Israel for consultation over the invasions of Gaza.
10/30/2023
Netanyahu rejects calls for a ceasefire.
10/30/2023
Fierce fighting in and bombing of Gaza City.
10/30/2023
UN General Assembly passes a resolution calling for an immediate “humanitarian truce” in Gaza to allow aid to be delivered. An amendment sponsored by Canada that would have condemned the Hamas 10/7 attack failed to pass.
10/29/2023
Gazans break into aid storage facilities, taking supplies.
10/28/2023
Netanyahu says that the “second stage” of the war has begun. Israeli settlers continue to attack Palestinians in the West Bank.
10/27/2023
Israel makes additional incursions into Gaza and carries out some of the heaviest bombing of the war.
10/27/2023
Hamas representatives and Iranian foreign minister meet for talks in Russia.
10/26/2023
Hamas says that 7000 Gazans have been killed by Israeli bombing. The internet has gone dark.
10/26/2023
Israeli troops and tanks make limited incursion into Gaza, but no firm decision has been made as to when and how to mount the main attack. Negotiations about the hostages continue.
10/25/2023
Fuel running out in Gaza. Israel says that Hamas in withholding fuel that it has stockpiled in the tunnels and elsewhere. UN aid work is also being curtailed by a lack of fuel.
10/24/2023
Shortages in Gaza now severe, and the lack of fuel is forcing hospitals to shut down all but basic services.
10/24/2023
US warns Iran against attacking US troops in the Middle East. This is in the context of the Israel-Hamas conflict. There have been multiple attacks by Iranian allies on US positions.
10/24/2023
US vetoes a UN Security Council resolution that condemned Hamas’s attack on Israel and called for humanitarian access to Palsinians, and release of the hostages. The US vetoes the resolution because it did not mention Israel’s right to self-defense.
10/23/2023
Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank attack Palestinians in the area, killing some and destroying property.
10/23/2023
There are growing calls for Netanyahu to resign. He is blamed for not acting on intelligence in advance of the Hamas attack, for undercutting Fatah in the West Bank to the advantage of Hamas, and of allowing Qatar to funnel substantial aid to Hamas.
10/23/2023
Hamas releases two more hostages, two elderly Israeli women.
10/23/2023
US and allies pressuring Israel to delay the ground attack on Gaza in order to save some Palestinians, allow more time to negotiate hostage releases, and prevent the war from expanding further.
10/22/2023
Israel relocates some citizens living near the border with Lebanon, as fears of a wider war increase. US orders some diplomatic personnel to leave Iraq.
10/22/2023
Israel bombs airports in Damascus and Aleppo to prevent them from being used to widen the war with Hamas.
10/21/2023
Leaders from multiple countries, mostly Arab but also from Europe, Russia, China and the US, meet in Cairo to discuss the Israeli-Hamas war.
10/21/2023
Hamas agrees to release two hostages, an American mother and daughter, to the Red Cross and ultimately the United States, in a deal brokered by Qatar.
10/20/2023
Rafah border is opened to allow humanitarian aid trucks to pass. No Palestinians or other people are allowed to cross in either direction.
10/20/2023
Increased attacks by Iranian proxies in the Middle East target US installations. This indicates an intention to foment a wider conflict that would be in line with Hamas’s intentions.
10/19/2023
With Israeli airstrikes continuing, nearly 4000 Gazans have been killed. Human rights experts are calling Israeli actions “crimes against humanity.”
10/18/2023
US vetoes a UN Security Council resolution condemning all violence in the Israel-Hamas war and calling for a humanitarian pause in the war, saying it is too early to craft a response and criticizing the resolution for not affirming Israel’s right to self-defense.
10/18/2023
President Biden in Israel. He announces an agreement on aid to Gaza, and a humanitarian corridor to open on the Egyptian border of Gaza.
10/18/2023
Hezbollah increases its rocket attacks on Israel from Lebanon, raising fears of a wider regional war.
10/18/2023
In the aftermath of the hospital bombing, PLA’s Abbas, Jordan and Lebanon cancel scheduled meeting with US President Biden, a blow to hopes for a regional approach to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
10/17/2023
US President Biden announces that an agreement has been made with Egypt to allow 20 trucks of humanitarian aid into Gaza at the Rafah Crossing. However, the area has been bombed and will need to be repaired, which will take a few days. Fuel is not included in the aid.
10/17/2023
Bombing of hospital in Gaza kills hundreds. There is outrage and initial suspicion falls on Israel, although afterwards, evidence tends to point to Islamic Jihad missile that malfunctioned.
10/16/2023
Hamas offers to free hostages from foreign countries when the conditions are right. Not clear what this means precisely.
10/16/2023
US announces that there is an agreement to allow foreigners in Gaza to leave through the Rafah Gate to Egypt and that a humanitarian corridor will be set up into southern Gaza. It also announces that President Biden will visit Israel within the week.
10/13/2023
Israel orders civilians in northern Gaza to evacuate. They can only go to southern Gaza if they are able to travel at all. Israel has dropped more than 6000 bombs on Gaza in the last several days.
10/12/2023
Israel says that there will be no fuel, food, or electricity in Gaza until the hostages are released. Hamas has been in contact with other Arab countries about creating a humanitarian corridor from Egypt into Gaza to allow for medical and food aid.
10/11/2023
Photos of children being beheaded by Hamas during the attack engenders widespread condemnation.
10/11/2023
Netanyahu forms emergency unity government with Benny Gantz, leader of the Israel Resilience Party, which holds six seats in the Knesset. It will last only until the war with Hamas is over. Yair Lapid, who had also called for a unity government, was not included because he demanded that the far-right parties be excluded. Netanyahu’s approval has suffered due to the policy and intelligence failures preceding the Hamas war.
10/11/2023
Israel says it has mobilized 300,000 reservists. Power plants in Gaza likely to run out of fuel this day or within another day. Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant promises a ground invasion of Gaza. Hamas is said to have more than 200 hostages, Israelis and people from other countries.
10/11/2023
Israel shells southern Lebanon in response to Hezbollah rocket attacks from there.
10/10/2023
Israel orders siege of Gaza while levelling parts of the territory in the stated effort to destroy Hamas strongholds, which it says are in apartment buildings that it is destroying.
10/09/2023
European Neighborhood Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi says the EU will suspend more than $700 million in development aid to Palestinians then retracts the statement after protests by member states.
10/09/2023
Israel announces interdiction of food, fuel, and electricity to Gaza. Continuing bombing of Gaza, including refugee camps, said to have killed more than 500. Israel says it hit 1000 targets in Gaza and will continue even at the cost of Israeli captives in Gaza.
10/09/2023
Israel says that battles with Hamas in southern Israeli towns have ended.
10/09/2023
Hamas continues shelling of Israel.
10/08/2023
Attempted incursion into Israel from Lebanon by Gaza-based Islamic Jihad thwarted. The group also says they are holding thirty Israeli captives.
10/08/2023
Israel formally declares war on Gaza. Bombing of Gaza continues and Netanyahu warns that all Hamas strongholds will be razed.
10/08/2023
Hezbollah in Lebanon fires rockets at Israel in support of Gaza. Israel returns the fire.
10/07/2023
Israel bombs Gaza widely, killing at least 200. Netanyahu says Israel is “at war” with Gaza.
10/07/2023
Hamas attacks Israel
Hamas attacks Israel by land, sea, and air in retaliation for past atrocities notably the attack on the Al-Aqsa mosque in 4/23. More than 5000 thousand missiles are fired at Israeli targets and there is an invasion across several border points with Israel by approximately 1500. At least 100 Israelis are killed and a substantial number are taken prisoner. There is widespread killing of civilians unrelated to any military objective.
There is discussion that this attack, supported and equipped by Iran, is intended to rebalance Iran’s regional position, caused in part by the reported normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Iran may also have been behind a recent terrorist bombing in Ankara, Turkey, which caused Turkey to bomb PKK sites in Syria. The attack also took place on the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War. There is concern in Israeli intelligence at the failure to detect any sign of the preparation for the attack, which must have been substantial.
07/26/2023
Supreme Court agrees to hear an appeal against the new law, with the hearing to be held in September.
07/24/2023
Knesset passes first part of judicial overhaul law, which limits the Supreme Court’s power to limit government power.
07/12/2023
Protests throughout the country against the judicial reform bill.
07/05/2023
Incursion ends with eleven Palestinians killed and one Israeli soldier.
07/03/2023
Israel begins two-day incursion in Jenin refugee camp in an “extensive counterterrorism effort.” It involves helicopter gunships, more than 150 armored vehicles and 1000 special forces.
06/23/2023
UN criticizes Israel’s use of heavy military equipment, including helicopter gunships, in recent raid on Jenin.
06/20/2023
Palestinians kill four Israeli West Bank settlers. Subsequently, Israeli West Bank settlers riot through Palestinian towns, killing one.
06/19/2023
Israel attacks Jenin refugee camp to arrest two suspects. At least seven Palestinians are killed including children.
06/04/2023
Protests against judicial changes continue for the 22nd week.
05/11/2023
Reciprocal attacks continue.
05/09/2023
Israel attacks kill three leaders of Islamic jihad in Gaza as violence between the two countries continues. Gazan forces will no doubt respond with more attacks.
05/02/2023
Palestinian hunger striker in Israeli custody dies, sparking new conflict. A ceasefire is agreed to quickly.
04/06/2023
Israeli police raid Al-Aqsa mosque again and fire missiles at Gaza in response to Gazan missile attacks.
04/05/2023
Israeli police raid Al-Aqsa mosque, arresting hundreds of Palestinians during Ramadan. Israeli police said in a statement that its forces entered al-Aqsa after “hundreds of rioters and mosque desecrators (had) barricaded themselves” inside. “When the police entered, stones were thrown at them, and fireworks were fired from inside the mosque by a large group of agitators,” according to the statement.
03/27/2023
Netanyahu says he is suspending judicial vote in order “to prevent the country being torn apart.” Some are suspicious that he will have the vote once the protests die down.
03/26/2023
Netanyahu fires defense minister Yoav Gallant after he criticizes the judicial reforms.
03/22/2023
Jordan parliament votes to expel Israeli ambassador over remarks by religious conservative Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who recently denied the existence of Palestinian culture.
03/20/2023
Netanyahu delays Knesset vote on judicial changes until the Knesset reconvenes on 4/20/23.
03/19/2023
Israeli and Palestinian negotiators meet to try to find a way to reduce tensions.
03/12/2023
Protests against judicial plan continue at strength.
03/08/2023
General strike in the West Bank in response to Israeli killings.
03/07/2023
Israeli raid in Jenin in the West Bank kills six Palestinians.
02/26/2023
Backed by the Israeli army, Israeli settlers in villages south of Nablus carry out about 300 attacks on Palestinians, burning homes and cars. One person is killed, hundreds injured. The attacks are in revenge for the killing of two Israelis in the area.
02/13/2023
More than 100,000 people from across Israel protest government’s plan for the judiciary. Even some of the religious right are opposed to parts of the proposals.
02/05/2023
Large protests against judicial changes continue.
01/29/2023
Drone attack on military plant in Isfahan. Government says that there was no damage and no casualties. Israel is believed to be behind the attack.
01/28/2023
Government allows Israelis to obtain firearms more easily to arm themselves.
01/28/2023
Several IRGC top commanders killed in Israeli attack on Damascus airport.
01/27/2023
Palestinian kills seven Israelis near a synagogue in East Jerusalem.
01/26/2023
Israel launches air attacks on Gaza after a raid in Jenin to pursue suspected Islamic Jihad militants.
01/17/2023
Supreme Court rules that Aryeh Deri, a senior minister in Netanyahu cabinet and a leader of an ultra-Orthodox Sephardic party, cannot be seated because he was convicted of tax fraud.
01/15/2023
More than 80,000 protest the government’s proposed changes to the judicial system, which would make Supreme Court nominations via a review committee and enable parliament to overturn Supreme Court rulings.
01/03/2023
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir visits Temple Mount, which Palestinians see as an intentional provocation. Ben Gvir had to delay the visit with Netanyahu, but went ahead despite that.
12/22/2022
Netanyahu forms new government
Netanyahu forms new governing coalition with inclusion of very conservative parties.
12/03/2022
Continuing violence in the West Bank.
11/16/2022
Attacks and reprisals continue in the fighting between Israel and Palestinian Territories, especially in the Ariel settlement.
11/16/2022
Israel deploys remote-controlled, AI-directed guns directed at Palestinian camp and a center of protest in the West Bank.
11/03/2022
Netanyahu coalition wins election
The Likud Party and its ally the ultra-nationalist Religious Zionism Party, win 64 seats in the Knesset. Lapid concedes.
11/02/2022
Partial results indicate that Likud and allies are likely to win as many as 65 seats in the Knesset, a clear majority larger than recent governments.
11/01/2022
In voting for the Knesset today, exit polls suggest that Netanyahu’s coalition will have a slim majority.
10/27/2022
Israel and Turkey relaunch formal security ties after a decade.
10/26/2022
Israeli army continues crackdown in Nablus, in the Palestinian Authority, focusing on new militant group, Lion’s Gate, that has been responsible for attacks recently.
10/18/2022
Australia rescinds decision to recognize West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel until peace negotiations are finalized.
10/13/2022
Several days of new fighting between Israeli forces and militants in Gaza.
10/11/2022
Israel and Lebanon agree to exploit the maritime gas fields by defining the maritime border between the two countries (though not the land border, which is also in dispute). Hezbollah had threatened to attack a new offshore gas facility that Israel is readying for production in what Lebanon claims are disputed waters and Israel had put its military on alert, but this deal should calm those concerns. It will also provide Lebanon with a new cash flow.
10/06/2022
Israel rejects Lebanese changes to maritime treaty, putting it in doubt.
10/04/2022
EU and Israel hold diplomatic talks for the first time in ten years.
09/23/2022
Israel to supply the UAE with air defense systems for protection against Houthi attacks.
09/01/2022
Israeli jets fire on the Aleppo International airport in Syria, claiming that Iranian missiles were housed there.
08/17/2022
Israel and Turkey resume diplomatic relations after four years.
08/07/2022
Israel and Islamic Jihad group agree to a ceasefire. At least two commanders have been killed and at least twenty other people arrested.
08/04/2022
Israeli airstrikes kill nine in Gaza, including a senior jihadist commander.
07/14/2022
US and Israel announce that they will use every means of their disposal to prevent Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon, including military force.
07/01/2022
Lapid becomes interim prime minister until elections.
06/29/2022
Knesset votes to dissolve. New elections will be held 11/1/22.
06/28/2022
Bennet says he will not run for prime minister in the next election.
06/20/2022
New elections called
Bennet and Lapid announce that they will dissolve parliament and call new elections, probably in October.
06/13/2022
Member of Bennet’s Yamina Party says he will stop voting with the governing coalition. Bennet says the government has a week or two to solve its internal problems or lost control, causing new elections.
06/06/2022
Government fails to pass a bill extending legal status of settlers in the West Bank, a setback that could presage new elections. The vote was largely on political grounds, with strong supporters of the settlers voting against the bill in order to weaken the government. The government can submit a modified version of the bill, but if that fails, new elections would probably be called.
06/05/2022
Lebanon warns Israel against any “aggressive action” in sea region where both countries hope to develop natural gas resources.
05/31/2022
Israel and UAE agree to a free trade pact.
05/19/2022
Arab parliamentarian Rinawie Zoabi of the Meretz Party quits the governing coalition. Netanyahu is attempting to have a no-confidence vote.
05/09/2022
Knesset begins new term. Bennet’s government remains a minority, although it seems doubtful it will fall in the near term.
04/29/2022
Israeli police clash with Muslim worshipers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
04/26/2022
Palestinian killed during Israeli raid in the West Bank.
04/26/2022
Israel bombs military positions in Syria linked to Iran, killing five Syrian soldiers and four soldiers of an Iranian militia.
04/25/2022
Leaders of Egypt, Jordan, and the UAE meet to discuss tension in Jerusalem and call on Israel and the Palestinian Authority to stop measures that undermine the two-state solution and return to serious negotiations.
04/25/2022
Israel fires missile into suspected Hezbollah positions in Lebanon in retaliation for rocket attacks.
04/18/2022
Israel launches air attack on Hamas munitions site. No one is killed and Hamas retaliates, but it is an increase in the level of violence between Hamas and Israel that has grown over recent weeks.
04/14/2022
A series of attacks in Israel by Palestinians and responses in Palestinian territories roil the area.
04/06/2022
In a surprise, parliamentarian Idit Silman quits the ruling coalition and joins the Netanyahu bloc, leaving the coalition without a majority. Knesset does not sit again until 5/8.
03/27/2022
Israel hosts meeting with representatives of Bahrain, Egypt, Morocco, the UAE, and the US.
03/23/2022
Leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Israel meet for the first time.
02/03/2022
Turkish President Erdogan says Israeli President Isaac Herzog will visit Turkey in 3/22.
02/02/2022
For the first time, Israel joins in 60-nation US-led naval exercise, which includes Saudi Arabia and Oman. It is likely meant as a show of force to Iran.
12/26/2021
Israel says it will increase settlements in the Golan Heights.
12/13/2021
Israeli prime minister Bennet meets with UAE crown prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the first official visit of an Israeli prime minister to the UAE.
11/04/2021
Knesset passes budget for the first time in three years.
09/07/2021
Israel announces that it has accelerated military planning to counter Iran’s development of nuclear capability.
09/02/2021
The Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank is becoming increasingly violent and dangerous. Occupants are frustrated with the Israeli presence and the failure of West Bank leadership to ameliorate problems. Jenin was one of the topics discussed by Gantz and Abbas.
08/29/2021
Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz meets with Mahmoud Abbas to discuss security issues. There have been recent exchanges between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in Gaza.
08/05/2021
Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon in retaliation for Hezbollah missile attacks.
08/01/2021
US and UK blame Iran for drone attack on Israeli ship.
07/08/2021
Israel and Jordan reach an agreement in which Israel will sell water to Jordan and Jordan will increase exports to the West Bank of the Palestinian Authority.
06/24/2021
Government reimposes mask wearing indoors as delta variant of COVID-19 cases rise.
06/16/2021
Israel launches airstrikes on Gaza after Palestinians send incendiary balloons into southern Israel.
06/13/2021
New coalition government takes office
Knesset formally approves new government with Bennett as prime minister. Lapid will take over as prime minister after two years, according to the agreement among the parties.
06/01/2021
A coalition including Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid (There is a Future) Naftali Bennett’s Yamina, the Arab delegates, and allies say they have enough votes to form a “unity government.” Yesh Atid holds 17 seats and its allies hold 34. Yamina holds 6 seats and the United Arab List 4 seats, to form a one-vote majority of 61. Netanyahu’s Likud holds 50 seats. It would be a very fragile coalition, given the diversity of aims of the various members.
05/22/2021
Ceasefire holding.
05/20/2021
Israel and Gaza agree to a ceasefire, brokered by Egypt.
05/19/2021
US Pres Biden tells Netanyahu to significantly de-escalate the in Gaza today.
05/19/2021
US Pres Biden tells Netanyahu to significantly de-escalate the in Gaza today.
05/17/2021
Despite increasing calls for a ceasefire, Israel vows to continue to attack Gaza by air until its military capabilities are handicapped.
05/13/2021
Naftali Bennet of the Yamina party says he will no longer negotiate to form a unity government with the centrist bloc, effectively ending efforts at forming a new government, which will lead to new elections.
05/13/2021
Israel masses ground forces on the Gaza border.
05/12/2021
Yair Lapid’s negotiations with the Arab bloc on forming a new government are halted.
05/12/2021
Israeli attacks on Gaza continue, bombing both Palestinian military and civilian targets. Gaza rocket attacks on Israel continue.
05/11/2021
Hamas fires rockets at Jerusalem, most of which are intercepted, in response to the attacks at the al-Aqsa mosque. Israeli fighter jets bomb areas of Gaza.
05/10/2021
Israeli security forces again attack Palestinians at the al-Aqsa mosque, wounding more than 300. Twenty Israelis were injured.
05/07/2021
Israeli police attack Muslims at the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. They were celebrating the final night of Ramadan, and also protesting the eviction of Palestinians from the Sheik Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem as Israelis take over more of the East Bank. Tensions between Palestinians and Israelis have been increasing for months.
05/05/2021
Yair Lapid is given the opportunity to form a government. He has 28 days to do so, but there is no clear path to a majority.
05/03/2021
Netanyahu offers to share prime minister’s office with Naftali Bennet for one year. Bennet seems to reject the proposal. Netanyahu has until 5/4 to form a new government. Bennet’s seven legislators would not be enough alone to give Netanyahu a majority, but he might bring others along. Netanyahu is trying to push through a law allowing for the direct election of prime ministers.
04/30/2021
Fatah postpones elections, citing Israel’s failure to decide whether to allow Palestinians to vote in East Jerusalem in May election. Fatah protests, and most observers believe that Fatah believed it would lose at the polls.
04/11/2021
Explosion at Natanz nuclear facility in Iran. Israel is widely suspected to have set off the explosion, which may end uranium enrichment for as much as nine months. The action complicates discussions about reviving the JPCOA.
04/06/2021
Rivlin asks Netanyahu to form a government, although he also said no leader has enough support to do so.
04/02/2021
Saudi foreign minister says that normalizing relations with Israel would be good for the region, but that it would depend on peace negotiations establishing a Palestinian state.
03/25/2021
Although Netanyahu and allies will win the most seats, it is not clear how he will form a majority coalition. Nafatli Bennet’s Yamina party could join with Netanyahu, but the coalition would still be one seat short of a majority.
03/24/2021
Netanyahu’s coalition seems likely to win a plurality but not a majority of seats in the Knesset. However, the Arab coalition Joint List has gained seats and may be able to dictate which coalition becomes the governing one.
03/23/2021
Elections for the Knesset. Netanyahu hopes that his highly effective vaccination program against COVID-19 will propel his party to a majority.
02/08/2021
Netanyahu appears briefly at his trial for corruption to plead guilty and then leaves.
12/22/2020
New elections called
Parliament is dissolved after the coalition breaks up over the budget and fails to pass a new one for 2021. New elections must be called if there is no state budget.
12/12/2020
Bhutan and Israel to establish diplomatic relations.
12/11/2020
Israel and Morocco agree to establish diplomatic relations. As part of the agreement, US recognizes western Morocco as part of the larger country.
12/02/2020
Knesset takes first step toward new elections by dissolving itself. The government has been hampered by constant infighting between Netanyahu and Benny Gantz. They are still attempting to negotiate an agreement.
11/27/2020
Top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh is assassinated. No group takes responsibility, but Iran accuses Israel and the United States. He was seen as a vital moving force behind the revival of the nuclear program and difficult to replace. The killing may also complicate any further negotiations on the nuclear arms agreement by the incoming Biden administration.
11/22/2020
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu travels to Saudi Arabia for talks with Mohammed bin Salman and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. It is the first meeting ever between an Israeli leader and a Saudi leader. Saudi Arabia official denies that such a meeting took place.
11/17/2020
The Palestinian Authority resumes diplomatic relations with Israel after Israel provides affirmation that it will abide by previous agreements.
10/23/2020
Sudan and Israel agree to discuss normalizing diplomatic relations. Sudan’s legislative assembly will have to approve the agreement. The Popular Congress Party, the second most prominent component of the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) political coalition, denounces the agreement. Former Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi, the last elected leader of Sudan, also decries the agreement.
10/01/2020
Lebanon and Israel agree to negotiate a settlement on disputed border.
09/30/2020
Knesset passes a law the prohibits protests during the COVID-19 pandemic.
09/24/2020
Bahrain's King Hamad says the agreement with Israel should encourage resolution of the Palestinian problem and a two-state solution.
09/20/2020
Honduras will move Israeli embassy to Jerusalem by the end of 2020.
09/13/2020
Israel again goes into nationwide stay-at-home regulations beginning 9/18. It now has more than 150,000 cases and 1100 deaths after a new surge in cases.
09/11/2020
Bahrain agrees to recognize Israel diplomatically.
09/04/2020
Serbia and Kosovo normalize economic ties in a ceremony in the US. Israel and Kosovo also mutually recognize each other as part of the agreement and Serbia will move its Israeli embassy to Jerusalem.
08/25/2020
The UAE cancels talk with the US and Israel after Netanyahu criticizes US weapons sale to the UAE.
08/14/2020
UAE and Israel agree on normalization of diplomatic ties. Israwel agrees to refrain from further annexation in the West Bank until after the US election in November.
07/21/2020
Ongoing protests against the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
07/20/2020
Another in a series of attacks on Iranian positions in Syria, assumed to be carried out by Israel.
07/05/2020
Large explosion at Natanz. Israel is suspected to have engineered the blast.
07/01/2020
Original target date for Israel to take over parts of the West Bank passes without any action by Israel.
06/15/2020
Hamas leader Salah al-Bardawil calls for Palestinian unity to oppose annexation of parts of the West Bank.
06/02/2020
Israeli settlers object to Netanyahu’s plan to annex parts of the west Bank, saying it will create isolated islands of settlements that are more vulnerable to attack by Palestinians.
05/20/2020
Palestinian Authority ends all agreements with Israel and the US due to Israeli expansion of settlements in the West Bank.
05/16/2020
Local elections to be held on 5/16. Opposition parties call for a boycott of the vote due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 5/15/20. Abdullah II says the government is considering all possibilities to respond to Israel’s plan to annex parts of the West Bank. EU to launch diplomatic mission to stop West Bank annexations.
05/07/2020
Knesset passes a law allowing “emergency” coalition government to proceed, but also requires the prime ministership (called a “designated prime minister”) to rotate from Netanyahu to Gantz after eighteen months. Each coalition bloc will have an equal number of ministries. It allows someone to serve as prime minister while under indictment. President Rivlin is expected to nominate Netanyahu to form a government, which will take office by 5/13.
05/06/2020
Court allows Netanyahu to form government while under indictment and allows current coalition structure to remain.
05/03/2020
Court resumes hearing testimony on the legitimacy of the Nethanyahu-Gantz government (since, for instance, it changes the prime minister in the middle of the term) and whether someone charged with serious crimes can be allowed to form a government.
04/20/2020
Agreement on unity government
Netanyahu and Gantz agree to a unity government in which Netanyahu will remain prime minister for eighteen more months and then Gantz will be prime minister for eighteen months. During Netanyahu’s office, Gantz will be deputy prime minister and minister of defense, while Foreign Minister will be a Gantz ally.
04/18/2020
Government eases some COVID-19 restrictions, allowing a higher percentage of workers to return to work and allowing some shops to open. There are more than 13,000 cases and 164 have died.
04/16/2020
With mandate to form a government ending, Rivlin orders the Knesset to form a government. Gantz and Netanyahu continue to negotiate, but the country may be moving toward a fourth election.
04/12/2020
Pres Rivlin denies Gantz’s request for an extension of his time to form a government, which ends on 4/13.
04/08/2020
Government imposes curfew during Passover due to rising COVID-19 outbreak.
03/26/2020
Gantz elected parliament speaker
Gantz is elected speaker of parliament with support from former Netanyahu supporters. He suggests he will pursue an emergency unity government due to the COVID-19 pandemic, contradicting many election promises that he would never work with an indicted prime minister. The Blue and White coalition, a diverse group united mainly by anti-Netanyahu sentiment, breaks apart. Many see it as confirmation of Netanyahu's political skills.
03/25/2020
Parliament speaker Yuli Edelstein abruptly resigns as speaker of the Knesset, allowing the opposition to take control. However, his resignation also prevents a vote on a new speaker as ordered by the Supreme Court.
03/23/2020
Supreme Court rules that Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein must hold a vote on electing a speaker.
03/21/2020
Netanyahu says that Gantz has agreed to a three-year shared power government, in which Netanyahu would step down as prime minister after 18 months and Gantz would take over. However, it is not clear that Gantz has agreed to the arrangement. A suit has been filed by the Blue and White party among others, to reopen the judicial system and allow parliament to meet.
03/16/2020
Gantz is given the opportunity to create a government, having gathered a one-seat majority coalition.
03/15/2020
Government closes all courts due to COVID-19 for two months. This delays Netanyahu’s corruption case. Government has also prevented parliament from meeting, which delays Gantz’s ability to form a new government.
03/05/2020
A proposed law banning an indicted person from being prime minister gains the support of a slim majority of the Knesset. There is also increasing support for a minority government led by Gantz.
03/05/2020
A proposed law banning an indicted person from being prime minister gains the support of a slim majority of the Knesset. There is also increasing support for a minority government led by Gantz.
03/04/2020
Syrian reports fighting “hostile objects” in central and southern Syria and suggests that they are Israeli aircraft striking at what they consider Iranian forces.
03/03/2020
Netanyahu’s coalition wins 58 seats in parliament and will likely from a government, despite opposition efforts to bar an indicted person from being prime minister. The Arab parties united as the Joint List, win their largest number of seats and become the third-largest single party in the Knesset.
