Israel
The Fracture of Israel’s ‘Russians’
The 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine triggered significant shifts within Israel’s Russian-speaking community. Once viewed as culturally and linguistically monolithic, Russians and Ukrainians are now asserting their unique identities, which include political views notably more liberal than those of the generation who arrived as adults in the 1990s.
Jerusalem’s Culture War
Israel is slowly squeezing Arab cultural life from East Jerusalem, using a series of laws banning Palestinian self-rule and raiding cultural institutions, including a historic bookstore and theater.
Iran’s Internet Blackout Was Decades in the Making
After an 88-day internet blackout, Iranians are just beginning to reconnect with the outside world. This is the story of how the Islamic Republic spent two decades building a sophisticated infrastructure for digital isolation.
Israel’s Polluting West Bank Factories
Pollution from Israeli factories established illegally in the West Bank has poisoned the soil on Palestinian farms and damaged farmers’ health. Yet these unregulated industrial sites remain connected to European markets.
Gaza’s Hidden Epidemic of Male Infertility
In Gaza, male infertility is both endemic and taboo. An exclusive investigation follows the hope and heartbreak of one couple’s decade-long quest to conceive, despite blockade and war.
Iran’s Care for Orphans Has Been Transformed by War
As U.S. and Israeli bombs fell on Iran, the country's strict child welfare system was forced to break with decades of practice, placing infants in private homes to shield them from attacks on hospitals and orphanages. The move is reshaping how Iranians think about motherhood and guardianship.
Israel’s Recognition Is Drawing Somaliland Into Regional Tensions
In December, Israel became the first country to formally recognize Somaliland as a sovereign state. Officials in both countries are presenting this controversial move as an opportunity for development and business cooperation, though most analysts see it as a strategic play on Israel’s part. Will Somaliland benefit?