Israel News

Jordan is hoping that King Abdullah’s meeting with US President Joe Biden will pave the way for the kingdom to return to center stage in regional developments, particularly the Israeli-Arab conflict.

Israel put pressure on U.S. lawmakers to reject initiatives to restore the Iran nuclear deal during a recent bipartisan congressional trip taken to the Middle East.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett asserted on Sunday that both Jews and Muslims have “freedom of worship” on the Temple Mount, potentially hinting at a change in policy at the most contentious site in Israel.

The Islamist Ra’am party condemned the ascent of hundreds of what it called Jewish “settlers” to the Temple Mount on Sunday morning, during the observance of the Tisha B’Av fast.

Permission for Individual tourists to enter Israel has been delayed yet again with no new date set and, now, even Israelis may be barred from flying out of their own country as the government weighs limiting all non-essential travel in order to keep out the much-vaunted Delta variant of the coronavirus.

On Tuesday, Member of Knesset Itamar Ben Gvir, head of the Religious Zionist Party, held a session in the Knesset concerning the dire condition of the Mughrabi Bridge used by Jews to ascend to the Temple Mount. The meeting went on to discuss how Jewish visitation to the site could be encouraged. The meeting came one week before Tisha B’Av (the ninth day of the month of Av), the day commemorating the destruction of the Jewish Temples.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is reported to have requested major budget increases to the tune of billions to make ready for a potential strike on Iran’s nuclear program.

On Thursday, the Cabinet approved a new vaccine passport – the “happy pass” – which will be put into effect at events such as weddings and bar mitzvahs with 100 people or more required proof of vaccination or recovery from COVID or a negative test.

In a future war with Hezbollah, more rockets and missiles would be fired at Israel from Lebanon in the span of less than two days than were fired during the entire 11-day battle between Israel and Palestinian terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip in May, according to fresh Israeli military assessments.

The United Arab Emirates on Wednesday formally inaugurated its embassy in Israel, capping a process that began with an agreement to normalize diplomatic relations nearly a year ago.

Israeli archaeologists in the Binyamin region of the West Bank recently found two 2,000-year-old coins which are inscribed with references to the freedom of Jerusalem and Zion, the Times of Israel reports. The coins date back to the times of the Jewish wars against the Romans.

The Church of England has confirmed it will officially apologize for the church’s involvement in the expulsion of Jews from medieval England, the Telegraph reports. Jewish groups have welcomed the move.

Archaeologists in Israel have unearthed a jug that dates back 3,100 years to the Biblical time of Judges, and which may have belonged to the Israelite judge Gideon, All Israel News reports. Discovered in southern Israel near Kiryat Gat, the jug has an inscription that reads “Jerubbaal,” a name found only in the Bible and by which Gideon is referred.

While Lebanon suffers from the worst economic crisis in its history, the Iranian terror proxy Hezbollah, which has such a heavy influence in the country, is doing everything it can to safeguard its interests during the turmoil. Still, it is in no position right now to provoke conflict with Israel, according to Israeli experts.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett mocked opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu as a ham-fisted showman, and the two traded barbs over their respective governments’ handling of Iranian tensions in dueling speeches to the Knesset plenum on Monday.

The Israeli Air Force launched a first-of-its-kind international drone exercise on Monday, hosting pilots from five other countries, the military said.

Israel became the first country in the world to begin giving third vaccinations to at-risk individuals on Monday.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid addressed his 26 European counterparts during a speech to the EU Foreign Affairs Council, a first for a member of the Israeli government since Tzipi Livni in 2008.

Israel’s Supreme Court on Sunday ruled that current legal restrictions barring same-sex couples from becoming parents through surrogacy were unlawful and must be lifted within six months.

Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz has already recommended that people with a compromised immune system get a third COVID shot. His decision comes ahead of approval for Pfizer’s request from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency authorization as a booster for protection against the delta variant.