Israel in September 2026: the most important developments in society
In September 2026 Israel's society was in the news chiefly through reactions abroad to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to the UN General Assembly on 24 September. Many delegates walked out, and Iran placed a portrait of Qasem Soleimani on its empty seat. Protests took place in Manhattan, and police detained more than 100 demonstrators, among them the actors Susan Sarandon and Hannah Einbinder. Netanyahu said many Jews felt unsafe in New York since the election of Zohran Mamdani.
A second theme was the dispute over the documentary NAZA about Gaza, which won an award at the Venice Film Festival. On 14 September a minister threatened to strip the filmmakers of their citizenship; Netanyahu and other critics called the film a blood libel and the army opened an investigation. More than a thousand Israeli filmmakers, later more than 1,500, signed petitions in support of the makers, and more than 40 Israeli organisations issued a joint statement.
Boycott and protest actions touched sport, culture and business. Ireland played Israel in the UEFA Nations League late in the month on neutral ground; the Irish squad wore black armbands, did not shake hands and did not stand for the anthem, and Ireland won 3-0. Ireland announced it will not take part in the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest, citing Israel's participation. Adidas Arabia apologised for an advertisement featuring a former Israeli soldier after boycott calls, and in Thailand protesters rallied against Israeli tourists. Slovenia opened Israel's first embassy in Ljubljana amid protests.
Inside Israel, ultra-Orthodox demonstrators blocked a main entrance to Jerusalem on 5 September over Shabbat bus services, and thousands marched in Jerusalem on 29 and 30 September against military conscription. A Reform synagogue in Jerusalem was egged on Rosh Hashanah, its second such attack in a month. A study reported that 1,370 doctors left Israel in three years. A rare algae bloom shut most desalination plants; by 27 September algae levels had dropped while the plants remained partly closed. On 20 September Itamar Ben-Gvir entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound with 570 settlers, and Jordan and the Palestinian Authority condemned the visit.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
Click a day in the chart above for that day's brief.