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.

(L-R): Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani; Mossad Director Roman Gofman

Israel’s Syria strike may have jolted diplomacy back to life - analysis

S Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack accompanies US President Donald Trump (not seen) during a press conference following the annual NATO Summit at Presidential Complex in Ankara, Turkey on July 8, 2026; illustrative

US envoy Tom Barrack’s Israel criticism tests his credibility as a mediator - analysis

ANKARA IS seeking to entrench itself in Syria for strategic and economic reasons, but Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s broader ideological and historical ambitions are putting Turkey on a collision course with Israel, the writer argues. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Erdogan.

Israel’s new Syria dilemma: Netanyahu’s Russia playbook faces 'Turkey test'


Ben-Gvir’s gallows spectacle gives Israel’s enemies ammunition- comment

Ben-Gvir said the facility would include viewing booths, just like those in the US , for the families of terror victims.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir attends a House committee meeting at the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament in Jerusalem on, June 8, 2026.

Netanyahu comes out on top in Likud primaries, but voters want more - analysis

In Netanyahu’s Likud, reaching the top of the list is only half the challenge. The other half is remaining there without appearing too eager to reach for the crown.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the Negev Conference in Dimona, July 14, 2026

Mamdani, not Trump, may be Netanyahu’s more useful campaign asset - analysis

From Trump and Modi to Khamenei and Mamdani, Netanyahu’s campaign billboards reveal a striking shift in the political appeal he is selling to Israeli voters.

A drone view of an election billboard by Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party depicting Iran's Mojtaba Khamenei, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem and a text in Hebrew that reads "They Want Netanyahu to Lose, Don't let them Win."

Netanyahu's ‘Islamic Republic of Britain’ remark reveals how Israel views Europe - analysis

Was this comment diplomatic? Obviously not. Was it a sweeping exaggeration? Certainly. Does it reflect Netanyahu’s view of Britain? Probably far more accurately than the usual diplomatic niceties do.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a state ceremony reburying Shimon and Rivka Herzl, the grandparents of Theodor Herzl, founder of modern political Zionism, alongside their grandson on Mount Herzl, in Jerusalem, August 05, 2026; Illustrative.

As foreign elections shape Israel’s alliances, Jerusalem seeks to control the diplomatic whiplash

DIPLOMATIC AFFAIRS: Latin America and Slovenia are examples of countries’ shifting ties with Israel that reflect how relations have become an ideological marker in domestic politics.

Here, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks alongside Colombia’s then-president, Juan Manuel Santos, in Bogotá, in 2017.

Hamas must be banned from Palestinian Authority elections - comment

October 7 is not the only date from which Israel – and the world – needs to learn. January 25, 2006, is another.

Hamas terrorists celebrating during a rally in the northern Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu rose through Likud democracy. Now he risks hollowing it out from within - analysis

Netanyahu wants the ability to add people from high-tech, economics, security, and other fields who can broaden the party’s appeal and give it greater governing credibility. The problem is the scale.

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

India-Israel ties will bloom amid Middle East's new Mecca Pact - analysis

Ties with Greece and Cyprus are also likely to benefit from the agreement, with Athens and Nicosia as concerned about an expanded Turkish footprint in the eastern Mediterranean as Jerusalem is.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meet in Jerusalem, February 26, 2026.

El-Sayed won the Democrats a victory, but may lose the war - analysis

El-Sayed’s primary victory could ultimately cost Democrats control of the Senate. For those whose overriding concern is preserving strong US support for Israel, this may not be viewed as bad.

Abdul El-Sayed, winner of Michigan US Democratic primary, speaks during a press conference in Detroit, Michigan, US August 5, 2026.

Reading the signposts: What bus seats and pension meetings teach us about aging - opinion

Growing older may be unavoidable, but surrendering to it is not. The writer finds humor in the moments that reveal just how close retirement has become.

The aging process