Lazar Berman

Milstein Writing Fellow

Lazar Berman is the diplomatic correspondent at the Times of Israel, where he also covers Christian Affairs. He holds an M.A. in Security Studies from Georgetown University and taught at Salahuddin University in Iraqi Kurdistan. Berman is a reserve captain in the IDF’s Commando Brigade and served in a Bedouin unit during his active service.

Articles by this Author
With Hamas refusing to release the hostages on Israel’s terms — and after a deadly terror shooting in Jerusalem on Monday and a deadly attack on an Israeli tank in Gaza the same day — Israel’s patience ran out. Elements of the Al-Qassam Brigades at the funeral of a terrorist killed in Gaza, in the city of Khan Yunis; February 13, 2025.
Middle East Forum Online
Hamas Is Afraid Gaza Will Become Lebanon. So Is Israel
Maintaining Its Arms Will Enable Hamas to Prevent Israel from Achieving the Aim of Keeping Hamas Away from Governance
November 6, 2025
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Lazar Berman
President Donald Trump has declared that “nothing is going to jeopardize” the Gaza ceasefire. Above, President Trump speaks in the White House Cabinet Room, confirming his intention to attend the signing of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage release deal in Egypt; October 9, 2025.
Middle East Forum Online
Giving Hamas Hope, Gaza’s Future Rests on Three Somewhat Contradictory Documents
The First Phase of the Ceasefire in Gaza Is Still in Effect, but It Remains So Only Because of a Concerted Diplomatic Effort from the United States
October 31, 2025
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Lazar Berman
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has heard growing grumbling from coalition partners about Israel’s tepid response thus far, and the issue represents a line of attack from the opposition that would resound among the Israeli public as the country moves into an election year. Here seen at a Feb. 4, 2025, White House press conference held with President Donal Trump.
Middle East Forum Online
Trump Remains Committed to Gaza Ceasefire, but Restraint Becomes Harder for Netanyahu
The Ceasefire in the Gaza Strip Has Been Fragile Since U.S. President Donald Trump Willed It Into Existence Earlier This Month
October 30, 2025
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Lazar Berman
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) has maintained a highly productive relationship with President Donald Trump, marked by four visits to the White House in just nine months. Netanyahu has repeatedly argued that “Israel has never been as strong as it is now,” and that the alliance with the US is at dizzying heights. Meeting at the White House to discuss the Gaza peace plan, September 28, 2025.
Middle East Forum Online
Trump’s Bearhug Leaves Netanyahu with Little Room to Move, and an Election Is Coming
October 29, 2025
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Lazar Berman
Hamas has slow-rolled the release of the 28 slain hostages. By Sunday, it had handed over only 12, six days after the end of the 72-hour window to give up all 28 bodies. Above: Hamas’s Al-Qassam Brigades during the handover of Israeli prisoners to the Red Cross; Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, February 8, 2025.
Middle East Forum Online
Hamas Isn’t Acting like a Defeated Force, Which Puts the Entire Gaza Ceasefire at Risk
Hamas Seems Determined to Show That It Controls Events on the Ground
October 20, 2025
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Lazar Berman
Art installations for the release of Hamas hostages in the Kidnapped Square in front of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art; February 3, 2025.
Middle East Forum Online
Israel Believes Hamas Could Return Most Deceased Hostages, Argues It Is Breaching Deal
Israel’s Assessment of Hamas’s Ability to Return the Majority of Hostage Bodies Contradicts Statements Made by Top U.S. Officials
October 19, 2025
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Lazar Berman
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s (left) bold decision to go to war against Iran in June not only knocked Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs back significantly, but it also did wonders for his personal relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump. At the White House in Washington, D.C., April 7, 2025.
Middle East Forum Online
Gaza Deal Is Stunning Achievement for Trump, and for Netanyahu — Provided It Holds
Hostage Families and Their Supporters Finally Allowed Themselves to Smile After Two Years of Anguish
October 10, 2025
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Lazar Berman
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right) has maintained a highly productive relationship with President Donald Trump, marked by four visits to the White House in just nine months. Netanyahu has repeatedly argued that “Israel has never been as strong as it is now,” and that the alliance with the US is at dizzying heights. Meeting at the White House to discuss the Gaza peace plan, September 28, 2025.
Middle East Forum Online
Two Years After October 7, Israel Rediscovers the Scale, and Limits, of Its Power
Netanyahu Has Repeatedly Argued That ‘Israel Has Never Been as Strong as It Is Now’
October 9, 2025
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Lazar Berman
The most significant aspect of the Trump-Netanyahu meeting is, of course, the US president’s proposal itself. If implemented, it would represent Israel’s most direct path to victory in Gaza. Photo: At the White House, April 7, 2025.
Middle East Forum Online
Trump’s Unique Diplomacy Offers Netanyahu a Path to Goals in Gaza and Beyond
The World Suddenly Looks Very Different than It Did for Israel—And for Hamas—Only a Week Ago
September 30, 2025
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Lazar Berman
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump.
Middle East Forum Online
Gaza Discord Has Netanyahu Scrambling Ahead of DC Meet, but Trump Offers Him Way Out
September 30, 2025
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Lazar Berman
Trump and ministers from Middle East states sign the Abraham Accords.
Middle East Forum Online
As Abraham Accords Turn 5, Israel’s Willingness to Use Its Military Might Becomes Concern for Allies
Historic Agreements Have Proven Resilient During Gaza War, but Jerusalem’s Aggressive Posture Post-October 7 Has Region Wondering if Israel Is Out to Become a Hegemon, Not Partner
September 23, 2025
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Lazar Berman
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to the UN General Assembly in New York in September 2023.
Middle East Forum Online
Israel Unites Against Hollow Recognition of Palestine, but PM Could Be Pushed Too Far
As Hamas Exults, Opposition Joins Coalition in Blasting Palestinian State Tsunami. Netanyahu Has to Respond, and His Coalition Wants Annexation, but Arab Partners Will Be Pressing Trump Against It
September 23, 2025
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Lazar Berman
Almost no buildings are left standing in Rafah, and what was a city of almost 200,000 two years ago is now a sandy wasteland of broken concrete, twisted metal and packs of feral dogs sniffing hungrily around the ruins. Earlier, displaced Palestinians return to their homes in Gaza City and the north via Netzarim; January 26, 2025.
Middle East Forum Online
Waiting for Gaza City Residents to Head South, Israel Readies New Aid Sites in Rafah
Judging by Its Operations, the Israel Defense Forces Believes It Has Total Control over the Area
September 11, 2025
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Lazar Berman
With Hamas refusing to release the hostages on Israel’s terms — and after a deadly terror shooting in Jerusalem on Monday and a deadly attack on an Israeli tank in Gaza the same day — Israel’s patience ran out. Elements of the Al-Qassam Brigades at the funeral of a terrorist killed in Gaza, in the city of Khan Yunis; February 13, 2025.
Middle East Forum Online
Doha Strike a Huge Blow to Hamas and Qatar, Opportunity for Israel … If It Succeeded
September 10, 2025
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Lazar Berman
Though Iran does not seem to be rebuilding its nuclear program now, there is no guarantee it won’t do so in another six months or a few years down the road. Iranian atomic energy exhibition at Islamic Revolution & Holy Defense Museum; Tehran, Iran, Jan. 29, 2018.
Middle East Forum Online
After Israeli, U.S. Strikes, Europeans Hope Snapback Threats Push Iran to Tougher Nuclear Deal
Iran Has Ways to Retaliate If Sanctions Reimposed, but Must Contend with Possibility of Renewed Israeli Strikes
September 9, 2025
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Lazar Berman
For the past three weeks, the Israel Defense Forces’ 7th Armored Brigade combat team has been fighting on the outskirts of Gaza City to defeat Hamas’s Zeitoun Battalion. Gaza City, Gaza Strip, March 22, 2025.
Middle East Forum Online
Back in Zeitoun for the 7th Time, IDF Adjusts Its Methods to Dismantle Hamas Stronghold
The Very Fact That the IDF Has to Keep Returning to Areas in Which It Has Already Operated Underlines How Complex the Challenge Is
August 29, 2025
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Lazar Berman
In April, French President Emmanuel Macron (right) announced that he might recognize a Palestinian state “in the coming months.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (left) announced July 29 that the U.K. would also recognize a Palestinian state in September unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza and meets several other conditions. Starmer and Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris; Feb. 17, 2025.
Middle East Forum Online
With Palestine Recognition, Allies Try to Get Netanyahu to Listen, but Risk Boosting Hamas
Macron and Starmer Are Sending a Frustrated Message to Israel, but Give Hamas More Reason to Avoid a Ceasefire
August 5, 2025
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Lazar Berman
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly announced new aid policies, enforced them just long enough for criticism to reach a fever pitch, then reversed course entirely.
Middle East Forum Online
Once Again, Israel Tried to Restrict Gaza Aid. Once Again, Its Policy Failed Miserably
The Netanyahu Govt.’s Spectacular Reversal Points to a Lack of a Coherent Strategy and Raises Serious Questions About Israel’s Ability to Win the War
July 29, 2025
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Lazar Berman
Israel’s global standing depends on its relations with the Christian world. The vast majority of the Zionists in the world are Christian. A girl lights a prayer candle in the Church of the Nativity, traditional site of the birth of Jesus, Bethlehem, West Bank.
Middle East Forum Online
Causing Strategic, Moral Harm, Netanyahu Lets Others Dictate Israel’s Ties with Christians
Israel Continues to Allow Citizens to Violate the Country’s Principles While Causing Irreparable Damage to Its Image and Standing
July 21, 2025
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Lazar Berman
An Israel Defense Forces soldier in Gaza.
Middle East Forum Online
With Stunning Campaign in Iran over for Now, Israel Turns Back to Gaza Slog
The IDF Ran Circles Around Hezbollah and Seriously Damaged Iran 1,000 Miles Away; Why the Struggle Against a Far Weaker Hamas?
June 30, 2025
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Lazar Berman
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