First prime minister and founding father of Israel
The Altalena, a wartime Irgun cargo ship sunk in June 1948, has been located off Tel Aviv. Israel has been salvaging the wreckage for years. Heritage Minister Amihai Eliyahu calls the find a deep national wound and notes it underscores Menachem Begin’s order to prevent civil war. Netanyahu’s government now leans on the episode to frame right-wing strength.
Haaretz has published book excerpts saying UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed warned Benjamin Netanyahu in late September 2023 that Hamas was planning a major operation. Haaretz says Netanyahu reacted calmly and did not inform Israel's security chiefs; Netanyahu has denied the call, instructed lawyers to sue Haaretz, and rivals have seized the story ahead of the Oct. 27 election.
Netanyahu has faced sustained political pressure as he heads into a parliamentary election. Critics say he relies on victimhood rhetoric and populist tactics to deflect scrutiny, amid new reporting and shifts in opposition dynamics that could reshape Israel’s political landscape.
Britain’s consulate in East Jerusalem has been renamed the UK Mission, Jerusalem, with a skeleton staff remaining after a last‑minute agreement with Israel. London says East Jerusalem remains occupied; Israel says the move is a response to sanctions on West Bank settlements. A wider standoff between the allies continues as talks proceed.