Sep 01, 2026

Israel News Today: Segalovitz Joins Ra'am in Historic Step as Nobel Laureate Ada Yonath Dies at 87

Former deputy minister Yoav Segalovitz announced he will run with Mansour Abbas's Arab Ra'am party in the October 27 election, a first for the party. Israel mourned Nobel Prize-winning chemist Ada Yonath, who died at 87, and US President Donald Trump ruled out using a nuclear weapon against Iran.

Segalovitz to Run With Ra'am

Mansour Abbas and Yoav Segalovitz, a Jewish former police official and deputy minister, announced that Segalovitz will run with Abbas's Arab Ra'am party in the October 27 election. While the Arab party Hadash has long included a Jewish lawmaker, Ra'am never has, The Times of Israel reported.

Nobel Laureate Ada Yonath Dies at 87

Ada Yonath, the crystallographer who won the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the Israel Prize, has died at 87, according to the Weizmann Institute, which said her work helped pave the way for more advanced antibiotics, The Times of Israel reported.

Trump Rules Out Nuclear Strike on Iran

Asked whether he had ruled out using a nuclear weapon against Iran, Trump said he had, calling the question "stupid," The Times of Israel reported.

Bar Kalifa Named Central Command Chief

Maj. Gen. Dado Bar Kalifa was officially nominated as the next chief of Central Command, the IDF's top position in the West Bank, a role he will begin in 2027, The Times of Israel reported.

Hamas Weapons Supply Commander Killed

The IDF said an airstrike in Gaza City's Sabra neighbourhood killed Omar Mohammed Roshdy Saraj, a commander in charge of supplying weapons to Hamas, The Times of Israel reported.

Desalination Plants Return to Full Operation

The Sorek A and B desalination plants returned to full operation, with Palmachim and Ashdod expected to follow, the Water Authority said, The Times of Israel reported.