Israeli President Reuven Rivlin met with the envoys of 10 Asian-Pacific nations in Jerusalem on Wednesday, expressing his appreciation for their cooperation and a desire to further strengthen relations. Speaking at his residence with ambassadors and charges d’affaires of Australia, India, South Korea, Philippines, China, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Japan, Myanmar, and Nepal,...

Israel is planning to decriminalize the possession and private use of marijuana, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan announced Thursday, adopting a policy similar to certain European countries and U.S. states. At a press conference, Erdan said that he will accept recommendations by the Anti-Drug Authority to pursue the “Portugal Model,” which treats possession...

New American Secretary of Defense James Mattis offered “his unwavering commitment to Israel’s security” in a call on Thursday to Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, the Department of Defense stated in an official summary. By calling his Israeli counterpart during his first week in office, Mattis meant to “emphasize his intent to...

Prof. Haya Itzhaky was on an extended trip to Nepal to study the behavior of post-army Israeli backpackers when the deadly April 25, 2015 earthquake struck. Itzhaky, chair of the PhD program at Bar-Ilan University’s School of Social Work, quickly initiated a study she hadn’t planned on conducting: how were...

The Middle East is the birthplace of many things, some positive, others less so. Amongst the region’s primary creations has been the postmodern idea that there is no real objective truth—simply competing “narratives” with equal claim and validity. But every so often the truth makes itself clear in the most...

Israel and the United States have successfully conducted a landmark operational test of the David’s Sling missile defense system, which is designed to protect against mid-range rocket fire. Israel’s Defense Ministry announced that Wednesday’s test was conducted by the Israel Missile Defense Organisation and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency at...