Barbara Opall-Rome

Opall-Rome is Israel bureau chief for Defense News. She has been covering U.S.-Israel strategic cooperation, Mideast security and missile defense since May 1988. She lives north of Tel Aviv. Visit her website at www.opall-rome.com.


  • Congress, Israel React to Iran Deal
    Congress, Israel React to Iran Deal

    As news of a potentially historic deal with Iran broke, members of Congress and foreign governments alike rushed to react to the news.

  • Netanyahu Calls on US Congress To Squash Iran Deal
    Netanyahu Calls on US Congress To Squash Iran Deal

    After months of increasingly strident warnings against nuclear negotiating concessions to Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is calling on “all for whom the security of Israel is dear” to deny those seeking to sign “a bad deal at any price.”

  • Israel To Stand Up Commando Brigade
    Israel To Stand Up Commando Brigade

    Israel’s High Command announced Monday the establishment of a new commando brigade to fall under the command of the 98th Paratrooper’s Division.

  • Israel Navy To Upgrade Combat Surface Fleet
    Israel Navy To Upgrade Combat Surface Fleet

    The Israel Navy is upgrading its entire combat surface fleet with new German-built, Israeli-equipped Sa’ar-6 corvettes and the integration of new radars and electronic warfare (EW) systems in existing Sa’ar-5 and Sa’ar 4.5 ships.

  • Israel Confirms It Was Cyber Attack Target
    Israel Confirms It Was Cyber Attack Target

    Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon confirmed Wednesday that Israel was the target of cyber attacks by Iran during last summer’s Gaza war and by Hezbollah, which reportedly ran an operation going back three years.

  • Wargame Shows Cyber Threat to Iran Deal
    Wargame Shows Cyber Threat to Iran Deal

    An international war game played out here on Monday showed how a single cyber attack aimed at discrediting Iran could ultimately derail an impending nuclear deal between the world powers and Tehran.

  • UN Gaza War Report Skewers Israel on Targeting
    UN Gaza War Report Skewers Israel on Targeting

    TEL AVIV — Findings released Monday from a UN Commission of Inquiry into the 2014 Gaza conflict blamed Israel for the bulk of what it condemned as indiscriminate and potentially illegal acts committed by both sides in last summer’s 51-day war.

  • Israel To Consolidate Cyber Spending, Ops
    Israel To Consolidate Cyber Spending, Ops

    TEL AVIV — The Israeli military aims to consolidate cyber-related investment, training and planning for defensive and offensive operations under a unified Cyber Command to be stood up within two years.

  • Israel Goes on Offensive Against Boycotts
    Israel Goes on Offensive Against Boycotts

    Israeli defense companies led by Elbit Systems are girding for global protests of their products, trade partners and subsidiaries as their government wages a high-profile pushback against the anti-occupation movement and its threat of economic sanctions.

  • Israel Mulls Revamp of Special Ops Forces
    Israel Mulls Revamp of Special Ops Forces

    TEL AVIV — Israel’s high command aims to sharpen the point of its spear with a potentially sweeping conceptual and operational revamp of its special forces for pre-emptive as well as rapid response operations near and far beyond its borders.

  • Congress, Israel React to Iran Deal
    Congress, Israel React to Iran Deal

    As news of a potentially historic deal with Iran broke, members of Congress and foreign governments alike rushed to react to the news.

  • Netanyahu Calls on US Congress To Squash Iran Deal
    Netanyahu Calls on US Congress To Squash Iran Deal

    After months of increasingly strident warnings against nuclear negotiating concessions to Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is calling on “all for whom the security of Israel is dear” to deny those seeking to sign “a bad deal at any price.”

  • Israel To Stand Up Commando Brigade
    Israel To Stand Up Commando Brigade

    Israel’s High Command announced Monday the establishment of a new commando brigade to fall under the command of the 98th Paratrooper’s Division.

  • Israel Navy To Upgrade Combat Surface Fleet
    Israel Navy To Upgrade Combat Surface Fleet

    The Israel Navy is upgrading its entire combat surface fleet with new German-built, Israeli-equipped Sa’ar-6 corvettes and the integration of new radars and electronic warfare (EW) systems in existing Sa’ar-5 and Sa’ar 4.5 ships.

  • Israel Confirms It Was Cyber Attack Target
    Israel Confirms It Was Cyber Attack Target

    Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon confirmed Wednesday that Israel was the target of cyber attacks by Iran during last summer’s Gaza war and by Hezbollah, which reportedly ran an operation going back three years.

  • Wargame Shows Cyber Threat to Iran Deal
    Wargame Shows Cyber Threat to Iran Deal

    An international war game played out here on Monday showed how a single cyber attack aimed at discrediting Iran could ultimately derail an impending nuclear deal between the world powers and Tehran.

  • UN Gaza War Report Skewers Israel on Targeting
    UN Gaza War Report Skewers Israel on Targeting

    TEL AVIV — Findings released Monday from a UN Commission of Inquiry into the 2014 Gaza conflict blamed Israel for the bulk of what it condemned as indiscriminate and potentially illegal acts committed by both sides in last summer’s 51-day war.

  • Israel To Consolidate Cyber Spending, Ops
    Israel To Consolidate Cyber Spending, Ops

    TEL AVIV — The Israeli military aims to consolidate cyber-related investment, training and planning for defensive and offensive operations under a unified Cyber Command to be stood up within two years.

  • Israel Goes on Offensive Against Boycotts
    Israel Goes on Offensive Against Boycotts

    Israeli defense companies led by Elbit Systems are girding for global protests of their products, trade partners and subsidiaries as their government wages a high-profile pushback against the anti-occupation movement and its threat of economic sanctions.

  • Israel Mulls Revamp of Special Ops Forces
    Israel Mulls Revamp of Special Ops Forces

    TEL AVIV — Israel’s high command aims to sharpen the point of its spear with a potentially sweeping conceptual and operational revamp of its special forces for pre-emptive as well as rapid response operations near and far beyond its borders.

  • Congress, Israel React to Iran Deal
    Congress, Israel React to Iran Deal

    As news of a potentially historic deal with Iran broke, members of Congress and foreign governments alike rushed to react to the news.

  • Netanyahu Calls on US Congress To Squash Iran Deal
    Netanyahu Calls on US Congress To Squash Iran Deal

    After months of increasingly strident warnings against nuclear negotiating concessions to Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is calling on “all for whom the security of Israel is dear” to deny those seeking to sign “a bad deal at any price.”

  • Israel To Stand Up Commando Brigade
    Israel To Stand Up Commando Brigade

    Israel’s High Command announced Monday the establishment of a new commando brigade to fall under the command of the 98th Paratrooper’s Division.

  • Israel Navy To Upgrade Combat Surface Fleet
    Israel Navy To Upgrade Combat Surface Fleet

    The Israel Navy is upgrading its entire combat surface fleet with new German-built, Israeli-equipped Sa’ar-6 corvettes and the integration of new radars and electronic warfare (EW) systems in existing Sa’ar-5 and Sa’ar 4.5 ships.

  • Israel Confirms It Was Cyber Attack Target
    Israel Confirms It Was Cyber Attack Target

    Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon confirmed Wednesday that Israel was the target of cyber attacks by Iran during last summer’s Gaza war and by Hezbollah, which reportedly ran an operation going back three years.

  • Wargame Shows Cyber Threat to Iran Deal
    Wargame Shows Cyber Threat to Iran Deal

    An international war game played out here on Monday showed how a single cyber attack aimed at discrediting Iran could ultimately derail an impending nuclear deal between the world powers and Tehran.

  • UN Gaza War Report Skewers Israel on Targeting
    UN Gaza War Report Skewers Israel on Targeting

    TEL AVIV — Findings released Monday from a UN Commission of Inquiry into the 2014 Gaza conflict blamed Israel for the bulk of what it condemned as indiscriminate and potentially illegal acts committed by both sides in last summer’s 51-day war.

  • Israel To Consolidate Cyber Spending, Ops
    Israel To Consolidate Cyber Spending, Ops

    TEL AVIV — The Israeli military aims to consolidate cyber-related investment, training and planning for defensive and offensive operations under a unified Cyber Command to be stood up within two years.

  • Israel Goes on Offensive Against Boycotts
    Israel Goes on Offensive Against Boycotts

    Israeli defense companies led by Elbit Systems are girding for global protests of their products, trade partners and subsidiaries as their government wages a high-profile pushback against the anti-occupation movement and its threat of economic sanctions.

  • Israel Mulls Revamp of Special Ops Forces
    Israel Mulls Revamp of Special Ops Forces

    TEL AVIV — Israel’s high command aims to sharpen the point of its spear with a potentially sweeping conceptual and operational revamp of its special forces for pre-emptive as well as rapid response operations near and far beyond its borders.