* Israeli Experts Warn: America Leaving Middle East Could Pave Path for China Takeover Although Israel and Europe are coming out of the COVID-19 crisis (at least for now), the US is still deeply submerged in it, with 1.52 million confirmed cases, tens of thousands of new cases per day, 90,000 deaths and economic chaos.
* Defense Min. Gantz pledges to 'seek peace,' advance Trump's Mideast initiative Outgoing minister Bennett urges next government to 'finish job' in Syria.
* Israel: The Settlements Are Not Illegal Indigenous peoples have the right to the lands, territories and resources which they have traditionally owned, occupied or otherwise used or acquired (Art. 26.1) and that the exercise of these rights shall be free from discrimination of any kind (Art. 2). — UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), adopted by the UN General Assembly on September 13, 2007.
* 'Regrettable that EU ignored the threats Israel faces' 'Regrettable that EU ignored threats Israel faces,' says Israeli Foreign Ministry, after EU 'strongly urges' Israel not to apply sovereignty.
* Has Russia grown tired of Syria's Bashar al-Assad? In April, a series of articles were published by a Russian media outlet criticising Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the corruption of his regime.
* Iran's Khamenei: 'West Bank must be armed, just as Gaza' Supreme leader fumes against Trump's Middle East peace plan amid uptick in West Bank violence.
* Germany Takes Back its Sovereignty from the European Union The seemingly obscure ruling... has called into question the legitimacy of the EU's supranational legal and political order.... The German court's ruling marks a new phase in the debate over the balance between national and supranational sovereignty.
* Iran’s DM Warns of Crushing Response to Aggressors Iranian Defence Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami has warned the enemies that any threat to the Islamic Republic’s national interests and security will draw a rapid and crushing response, making a reference to the January missile attack on the US airbase of Ain al-Assad in Iraq.
* US asking Israel to eliminate China ties in sensitive areas Israel’s ‘polite deflection won’t cut it anymore’ on China ties, US official says; academic tech research among areas in which US seeking to have Israel cut cooperation.
* Jerusalem's population rises, more Arabs and ultra-Orthodox join workforce Israel's capital is also its largest city, in which its population and industry continued to grow in 2019.