The Times of Israel: News from Israel, Middle East, Jewish World

The Times of Israel has carved out a unique space in global media as a Jerusalem-based, multi-language news outlet launched in 2012 to cover Israel, the Middle East, and the Jewish world for English-speaking audiences. What began as a journalist’s side project has grown into one of the most widely-read sources on Israeli affairs, drawing millions of readers while simultaneously facing persistent questions about editorial independence.

Launched: 2012 · Primary Language: English · Coverage Areas: Israel, Middle East, Jewish World · Platforms: Website, App, YouTube, Facebook

These key facts establish the basic profile of The Times of Israel as a major digital news outlet in the Israeli media landscape.

The table above summarizes essential details about the outlet’s basic structure and digital presence.

What is The Times of Israel?

The Times of Israel is a Jerusalem-based multi-language online newspaper that launched in 2012 with an explicit mission: covering Israel, the Middle East, and the Jewish world for a global audience (Times of Israel official publication). It has since become the largest English-language Jewish and Israeli news source by audience size, according to multiple sources (Wikipedia crowd-sourced encyclopedia).

Overview

Co-founded by journalist David Horovitz as founding editor and investor Seth Klarman, The Times of Israel operates from Jerusalem and publishes content in five languages: English, Arabic, French, Chinese, and Persian (Media Bias Fact Check independent bias evaluator). The publication describes itself as having no partisan political affiliation and seeks to present news in a fair-minded way (Times of Israel official publication). David Horovitz is personally responsible for editorial content decisions, according to the outlet’s about page.

Coverage focus

The publication covers three main beats: Israeli domestic affairs, broader Middle East developments, and Jewish world news — everything from religious communities to antisemitism trends globally. Horovitz himself has said the outlet serves as “a global focal point for Jewish world news” (Times of Israel official publication). The Times of Israel relies on wire agencies like the Associated Press and Jewish Telegraphic Agency for some content, while maintaining its own reporting staff (Media Bias Fact Check independent bias evaluator).

The pattern here reflects a hybrid model: wire content supplements rather than dominates the newsroom’s own output.

What is the history of The Times of Israel?

The Times of Israel launched in 2012, founded by David Horovitz and financial backer Seth Klarman (who serves as chairman). Horovitz, a veteran journalist who had previously worked at The Jerusalem Post, built the outlet with an explicit promise of independence (Times of Israel official publication).

Founding

In interviews, Horovitz has repeatedly emphasized the outlet’s independence. “We are independent; we’re not attached or affiliated with any political party,” he stated in 2012 (Wikipedia crowd-sourced encyclopedia). He repeated this point in a 2016 YouTube interview: “We’re an independent publication, not allied with any political party in Israel or anywhere else” (YouTube video hosting platform).

“We are independent; we’re not attached or affiliated with any political party.”

— David Horovitz, founding editor, 2012

Growth

By 2013, The Times of Israel had recruited over 1,500 bloggers to its platform, creating a multi-author ecosystem alongside its core news operation. This blogging model has been both a strength (diverse voices) and a source of controversy (where those voices get attributed) (Wikipedia crowd-sourced encyclopedia).

In November 2017, Turkish hackers took down the ToI website for three hours, replacing its homepage with anti-Israel propaganda. The incident highlighted both the outlet’s visibility and its vulnerability (Wikipedia crowd-sourced encyclopedia). In 2020, Reuters reported that The Times of Israel had published op-eds from a falsified identity; the outlet removed the content after being contacted (Wikipedia crowd-sourced encyclopedia).

“The Times of Israel has no partisan political affiliation. It seeks to present the news fair-mindedly.”

— Times of Israel official statement

The implication for readers is that they must actively distinguish between staff-produced and community-contributed content to properly calibrate their trust in the outlet’s reporting.

Is The Times of Israel biased?

This is where things get complicated. The Times of Israel’s bias depends entirely on who’s doing the measuring — and what they’re measuring for.

Bias perceptions

Media Bias Fact Check rates The Times of Israel as Left-Center biased with a score of -2.5, and rates its factual reporting as Mostly Factual (1.8) (Media Bias Fact Check independent bias evaluator). MBFC’s latest assessment was updated on December 13, 2024 (Media Bias Fact Check independent bias evaluator). The outlet has no record of failed fact checks, according to MBFC (Media Bias Fact Check independent bias evaluator).

AllSides, a US-based media literacy organization, rates The Times of Israel as Center — a notably different assessment than MBFC’s Left-Center designation (AllSides media literacy organization). The discrepancy reflects different methodologies and national contexts: what counts as center-left in Israel may differ from center-left in the United States.

Coverage style

MBFC notes that blog posts on The Times of Israel tend to use emotional wording and show left-leaning bias, while staff reporting maintains more neutral tones (Media Bias Fact Check independent bias evaluator). During the 2023-2024 Israel-Gaza conflict, MBFC assessed that The Times of Israel became “less objective, focusing on Israeli military objectives” (Media Bias Fact Check independent bias evaluator).

Research from academic sources analyzing Israel-Gaza coverage has examined how different outlets frame the conflict, though specific studies on The Times of Israel alone remain limited (arXiv academic preprint archive).

What this means is that readers should cross-reference ToI’s reporting with multiple sources to form a balanced perspective on any given topic.

What platforms does The Times of Israel offer?

The Times of Israel maintains a presence across multiple platforms, making it accessible to readers who prefer websites, mobile apps, or social media.

Website

The primary platform is timesofisrael.com, which hosts the main news operation alongside the blogging platform. The site offers live blogging for breaking stories and maintains a comprehensive archive (Times of Israel official publication).

App

A dedicated iOS app is available from the App Store, allowing readers to access content on mobile devices with push notifications for breaking news (Media Bias Fact Check independent bias evaluator).

Social media

The Times of Israel maintains active presences on YouTube and Facebook, where it shares video coverage and article links. The YouTube channel includes interviews and news summaries, while the Facebook page drives additional traffic to the main site (Media Bias Fact Check independent bias evaluator).

The Times of Israel has high traffic and popularity according to MBFC, though specific audience metrics aren’t publicly disclosed (Media Bias Fact Check independent bias evaluator).

The pattern: multi-platform reach amplifies audience engagement but fragments how readers encounter and process the news.

How does The Times of Israel compare to other outlets?

The Times of Israel doesn’t operate in a vacuum. Understanding its positioning requires comparing it against other Israeli and Jewish media outlets that readers might encounter.

Jerusalem Post

The Jerusalem Post is ToI’s closest analog — another English-language Israeli newspaper with a global reach. The Post has a longer history and print edition, while ToI has leaned into its digital-first, multi-language approach. Both cover similar beats, though their editorial traditions differ.

Ynetnews

Ynet is the English-language arm of Yedioth Ahronoth, one of Israel’s largest Hebrew-language newspapers. Like The Times of Israel, it provides English-language Israeli news for international audiences. Ynet tends toward a centrist position but has been notably critical of former Prime Minister Netanyahu (Dickinson College academic blog).

Israel Hayom

Israel Hayom is Israel’s largest circulation newspaper and operates as a free daily. It has been described as right-leaning, with coverage seen as pro-Netanyahu — earning it the nickname “Bibitun” (a portmanteau of “Bibi,” Netanyahu’s nickname, and “yedei atun,” meaning “in good hands”) (Dickinson College academic blog). Against this backdrop, The Times of Israel occupies a more centrist position.

Academic analysis of Israeli media landscapes notes that Maariv shifted right after ownership changes in 2012 and 2014, while Haaretz maintains a firmly left position critical of Israeli settlement policy and supportive of minority rights (Dickinson College academic blog).

Related reading: Newspaper – History, Types, Formats and Evolution

The Times of Israel delivers in-depth coverage accessible via Swedish live updates, offering daily analyses and expert commentary on regional developments.

Frequently asked questions

Related reading

• Times of Israel About Page — Official self-description and editorial policies
• Media Bias Fact Check — Independent bias and factual reporting ratings
• AllSides — Contrasting Center bias rating

For readers evaluating Israeli media, The Times of Israel offers a specific proposition: English-language coverage with explicit pro-Jewish-world framing, centered in Jerusalem, and publicly committed to political independence. Whether it delivers on that commitment depends partly on what you’re comparing it against and what you’re looking for. As a starting point for Israeli affairs in English, it remains one of the most comprehensive options available — provided readers stay attentive to the distinction between staff reporting and community blogging.