Israel

September 21, 2018

A small Bedouin settlement sprung up recently in the West Bank area of Israel. There were no permissions or permits obtained, and the structures were illegal. As prescribed by law, Israeli officials made plans to dismantle it. But then last week, the Palestinian Authority (PA) filed a claim with the International Criminal Court in The Hague regarding “Israel’s plans to raze a West Bank Bedouin village,” The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported. Once again, Israel was cast in a misleading light ...

September 17, 2018

The Trump administration has again ratcheted up pressure on the Palestinian Authority (PA) to consider its peace plan. In the latest action, National Security Advisor John Bolton announced Monday that the U.S. will close the Palestine Liberation Office (PLO) in Washington, D.C., citing the PA’s refusal to negotiate. U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said, during a press conference at the United Nations last week, that peace is possible only if Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will “com...

September 07, 2018

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week praised the Trump Administration’s decision to stop funding the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). This is a body created to aid Palestinians who left their homes after Israel became a nation in 1948. Until Friday, 30 percent – $300 million – of the agency’s funding came directly from U.S. coffers. That high price tag is, in part, because these “refugees” fall under a very liberal definition. UNRWA treats the descendants of ...

August 31, 2018

The Jerusalem Post in mid-August reported that the Islamic State (ISIS), “Is much larger than previously thought and still poses a significant threat.” The U.S. Defense Department, U.S. Congress and the United Nations estimate there are up to 30,000 ISIS fighters in Iraq and Syria, and the jihadis now are “eyeing a new caliphate in Afghanistan.” What, if anything, does the resurgence of ISIS mean to the Jewish people? The ISIS Threat to Israel ISIS leadership hasn’t yet shown a di...

August 24, 2018

Throughout history, fancy rhetoric and voter indifference has allowed anti-Semitism to creep into the government, educational systems and news media worldwide. This election season, it is strong among an alarming number of U.S. congressional candidates, and the trend extends globally. Anti-Semitism Creeps onto the Ballot Anti-Semitism in the U.S. once was confined to the fringes of the political left and right, and both major political parties reined in these extremist views. In recent...

August 17, 2018

Hamas Bombards Israel with Rockets and Mortars After Hamas launched 150 rockets and mortar shells at Israeli communities last week, Israel actively defended its citizens by striking more than 140 Hamas military targets, including terrorist training compounds, weapons manufacturing facilities, storage warehouses and rocket launch sites. It was the largest exchange of fire since the war between Israel and Gaza in 2014. Israeli spokespersons warned that war between Israel and Gaza was clos...

August 14, 2018

I was thrilled by the spirit of celebration I found during my recent trip to Israel! Between the moving of America’s embassy to Jerusalem (marking an important recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital) and the 70th anniversary of Israel’s founding, the joy seemed apparent everywhere. For Orthodox Jews, secular Israelis and Messianic Believers in Yeshua (Jesus) – it seemed everyone was rejoicing over these historic events. But there was perhaps one exception. One group in Israel fin...

August 10, 2018

President Donald Trump frequently “goes off script,” and his impromptu remarks tend to send the media into a frenzy. Last week’s White House press conference with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte was such an occasion. When Trump was asked by a reporter if he’d be willing to talk with Iran’s leadership without preconditions, he said, “If they want to meet, we’ll meet.” The statement set off alarms worldwide. Despite Israel’s renowned intelligence skills, the international media claime...

August 03, 2018

At the peak of Israel’s tourist season, children and parents scrambled out of the Sea of Galilee last week as two ISIS rockets splashed down and exploded, creating a “blast wave” at Israel’s popular Gofra Beach. Eye Witness Accounts “There were two explosions, and we saw (many) people leave the water,” one eastern-shore resident said. “We heard a boom that caused a strong wave in the water.” A lifeguard at a nearby beach reported seeing ‘something fall’ into the water. “I ...