Live updates on Israel, regional security, U.S.–Israel relations, and developments affecting the Body of Christ in the Middle East.
‘Burning Man’ Festival Comes to Israel
Posted on Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Some 3,000 people gathered in the Negev Desert for "Midburn" as Israelis attempted to recreate the 'Burning Man' festival held annually in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada.
Pope Originally Wanted Jerusalem for Prayer Summit
Posted on Tuesday, June 10, 2014
The unprecedented summit at the Vatican on Sunday, joining Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in prayers for peace, was initially supposed to take place in Jerusalem during Pope Francis’ May visit to the…
Israel to Fund Shemittah Observance with 100NIS Million ($28.89 M)
Posted on Monday, June 9, 2014
The Israeli government will allocate NIS 100 million ($28.89 Million Dollars) in extra funding for the Religious Affairs Ministry in order to assist in preparation for the upcoming shemittah year, the sabbatical year in which Jewish farmers are…
Netanyahu lays into Lapid for remarks on Palestinian state
Posted on Monday, June 9, 2014
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu struck back at Finance Minister Yair Lapid on Monday for calling on the government to put forth its own vision for the contours of a future Palestinian state. Lapid, Israel, the prime minister warned,…
Hamas to Boost West Bank Support and Terror through Charity Groups
Posted on Monday, June 9, 2014
Gaza-based terror group Hamas is planning to encourage attacks against Israel as well as sap support in the West Bank from the Palestinian Authority (PA) by exploiting the Islamist "Dawa" social and cultural movement, a security source told…
Israel Looks to Enshrine Country as a “Jewish State”
Posted on Monday, June 9, 2014
Israel has no constitution. The reason according to local lore is that the secular majority and the ultra-Orthodox minority could not agree on how to refer to God so they never wrote an actual constitution. Instead there are…
Netanyahu: Hamas is Taking Control of Judea and Samaria
Posted on Sunday, June 8, 2014
International hopes that a Palestinian unity government would strengthen the position of the Palestinian Authority in the Gaza Strip; however Hamas is taking control of Judea and Samaria, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet on Sunday.
Tensions Grow Between Washington and Jerusalem
Posted on Saturday, June 7, 2014
The ministerial team tasked by the government with devising countermoves to the newly formed Hamas-Fatah unity government is scheduled to hold its first meeting Sunday, as Israel's relations with the United States have become strained once more over…
Australia: East Jerusalem is not ‘occupied’
Posted on Saturday, June 7, 2014
The Australian government has stopped using the term "occupied" when referring to east Jerusalem, Australian media outlets reported on Thursday.
Is Israel planning a unilateral withdrawal in the West Bank?
Posted on Saturday, June 7, 2014
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu left Knesset members in shock this past Monday by suggesting that Israel would have to "separate" from the Palestinians, according to a report which appears in Friday editions of the nationalist-religious newspaper Makor Rishon.
Temple Mount Archaeological Project Yields Unearthed Treasures
Posted on Saturday, June 7, 2014
For three of the world's faiths, the Temple Mount bears special sanctity and significance. For archaeologists, the 3,000-year-old holy site is both an El Dorado and a Holy Grail, for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict precludes a scientist's pick and…
Israeli Defense Minister: Abbas Must Disarm Hamas
Posted on Friday, June 6, 2014
Israeli Minister of Defense Moshe Ya’alon called on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to disarm Hamas and take control of the Gaza Strip after creating a unity government with Hamas.
EU ‘deeply disappointed’ by settlement announcement
Posted on Friday, June 6, 2014
The European Union said Thursday it was "deeply disappointed" over the Israeli announcement to commence construction of thousands of new homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and called on the government to "reverse this decision."
U.S. and Israeli Diplomatic Relationship Hits New Low
Posted on Thursday, June 5, 2014
Washington's support for a new Palestinian government which includes Hamas, a terrorist organization, has left Israel feeling betrayed, triggering a new diplomatic crisis with its closest ally.
Obama Administration Condemns New Settlement Building Plans
Posted on Thursday, June 5, 2014
The US ambassador to Israel condemned Thursday a plan to build 1,500 housing units in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, announced as a retaliatory measure to the formation of a Palestinian unity government earlier this week.
