Increased Christian persecution in Ethiopia

While Christians in Ethiopia were already subject to persecution, they have seen intensified attacks against them amid the extreme violence of the current conflict between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), International Christian Concern reports.

Iranian hacker group targeted Israel and US in 2020

A new report shows that an Iranian hacker group known as TA453, or “Phosphorus,” conducted cyber attacks on 25 senior Israeli and American medical researchers in genetics, neurology, and oncology in 2020, Jerusalem Online reported Thursday. In its report, cybersecurity firm Proofpoint cited outside sources in connecting “Phosphorus” to the Iranian regime and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Ancient Temple-tax coin found in Jerusalem

Israeli archaeologists in Jerusalem have unearthed a rare Tyre shekel coin that is believed to have been used by Jewish pilgrims to pay the Passover Temple tax during the Second Temple era, All Israel News reports. The discovery was made in the course of extensive conservation work on an ancient citadel known as the Tower of David in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Israel conducts successful trials on upgraded Iron Dome

In what has been described as the latest step in the Middle East arms race, Israel’s Defense Ministry announced last month that it has conducted a series of successful trials on an upgraded version of the Iron Dome air defense system, the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) reports.

Bennet to meet with Netanyahu and Lapid

Chairman of right-wing Yamina party Naftali Bennett will have meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and with Opposition Leader Yair Lapid this weekend, Ynet News reports. The scheduled meetings follow a week in which Bennet declined to indicate who he would recommend to President Reuven Rivlin to form Israel’s next government.

Likud MKs turn on Rivlin, claim he’s abusing his powers in bid to oust Netanyahu

Likud lawmakers lashed out at President Reuven Rivlin Wednesday, accusing him of being in cahoots with the prime minister’s rivals, after the president urged the various party leaders to engage in “out-of-the-ordinary coalitions, collaborations that cross sectors,” in order to break the extended political deadlock, and lamented the Netanyahu-led government’s failure to pass a budget.

‘Come back home,’ Netanyahu tells right-wing leaders

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appealed on Wednesday to two right-wing rivals to “come back home” and align themselves with him again to break a deadlock following Israel’s inconclusive election last week.

Israel approves Bahrain’s first ambassador to Israel

Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi approved Bahrain’s very first ambassador to Israel on Tuesday, the Jerusalem Post reports. Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani had appointed Khaled Yousif al-Jalahama, the Director of Operations at Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry, to the position of Ambassador to Israel on Sunday.

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