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.

 Activist Greta Thunberg stands aboard the aid ship Madleen, which left the Italian port of Catania on June 1 to travel to Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid, in this picture released on June 2, 2025 on social media.

If Greta really wanted to help, she’d launch a flotilla sailing away from Gaza - comment

 L to R: Yisrael Beytenu chair Avigdor Liberman, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against backdrop of terrorists. (illustration)

Netanyahu, Liberman test the line between wartime strategy, political ambition - analysis

 BILLS HAVE already been introduced to dissolve the Knesset, though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is meeting with the key actors in this drama to try to avert that outcome. Here, Netanyahu arrives in the courtroom at the Tel Aviv District Court, before the start of his testimony on Tuesday.

Israel at a crossroads: Is Netanyahu's government on the brink of collapse?


Rocket fire from Syria meets recalibrated Israeli deterrence - analysis

The massacres took place in the south, with Hamas terrorists invading from Gaza. How is October 7 connected to rockets fired from Syria?

 Direction and distance sign for the Syrian capital of Damascus at Mount Bental Israeli military outpost on the Syrian border

Why Israel barred Saudi FM, Arab counterparts from visiting Ramallah - analysis

Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi called the move an example of how Israel “kills any chance for a fair and comprehensive Israeli-Arab settlement.”

 SAUDI FOREIGN Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud addresses the UN General Assembly in New York last month.

Coke, parking, and the long game of parenting - opinion

I do know that at some point, I, too, cut back on Coca-Cola – realizing that too much of a good thing can kill you.

Coca Cola

Breaking Hamas's grip: Israel and US bypass terrorist group to deliver aid

DIPLOMATIC AFFAIRS: A new Israel – and US-backed – aid model bypasses Hamas and delivers food directly to Gazans, shifting dynamics on the ground and triggering strong criticism abroad.

 GAZA RESIDENTS carry aid supplies which they received from the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, near the Netzarim Corridor, yesterday.

Iran deal déjà vu: Netanyahu plays familiar role, Trump a surprising one - analysis

In the unfolding drama of US–Iran diplomacy, Israel again plays the role of anxious bystander.

 (Illustrative) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the backdrop of an Iranian oil field.

A pogrom, a pushback, a Middle East transformed: 600 days since October 7 - analysis

Six hundred days on, those questions still defy comprehension. And those failures—including the inability to bring all the hostages home—shape how many Israelis view the war.

 The aftermath of Hamas's Nova music festival massacre in Re'im, southern Israel, on October 7, 2023. Picture taken November 2, 2023

Rewriting the rules: Jerusalem Day marks Hamas’s waning grip - analysis

The IDF’s pummeling of Hamas in Gaza has taken the terrorist organization out of the Jerusalem equation.

 Jewish men dance with Israeli flags during Jerusalem Day celebrations at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, May 26, 2025.

Why Kosher cruises are a game-changer for observant Jewish travelers - opinion

These cruises are not necessarily easy on the wallet. But for the kosher traveler, it’s the difference between coming along for the ride and actually being a full part of it.

 THE NORWEGIAN CRUISE Line’s Epic in the eastern Mediterranean

A diplomatic storm: Self-inflicted PR damage complicates Israel's uphill battle

NATIONAL AFFAIRS: How much damage can words do? Israel’s internal rhetoric is intensifying global condemnation and playing into the hands of those fueling anti-Israel sentiment.

 PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu tried to project calm at his first press conference since December, but Israel is finding itself increasingly outcast, the writer says.

Why are more Israelis spying for Iran? - analysis

They were the exceptions that proved the rule: Israelis don't work for the enemy.

 The silhouette of a man, seen over the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran (illustrative)