4/14/21

 * Independence Day: The technologies making Israel proud in 2021 A new Israeli COVID test developed at Sheba Medical Center can detect coronavirus in a fluid sample in just 20 seconds artificial corneas, animated ancestors, drones, desalination and more.

* Israel prepares for construction boom in Judea and Samaria Left-wing activists complain that over 12,000 housing plans were approved in 2020, but overall building fell during the Trump years while the PA conducted many land grabs.

* IDF Chief on Memorial Day: We Are The Generation That Was Prophesied By Jeremiah As the nation of Israel commemorates its fallen soldiers on Memorial Day on Wednesday, the IDF’s chief of staff, General Aviv Kokhavi, delivered a speech to the people of Israel at a ceremony at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

* Palestinian Authority regularly indoctrinates its people to equate Israelis with Nazis Palestinian media also equates Netanyahu with Hitler. The Palestinian propaganda campaign is intended to taunt the Israelis, given the Holocaust, but let’s look at the atrocious reality: worried about its image, Hamas put an end to the use of swastikas by Palestinian nationalists.

* Next stop, the apocalypse? The bumbling Biden administration’s claim to fame may be jumpstarting World War III Since Biden’s inauspicious rise to power, the world has become littered with hotspots from Ukraine to China where a major conflict could erupt at any time.

* The Changing Middle Eastern Tide Dominating the international news these days is the renewed suspected covert operations and overt tension between Israel and Iran due to the Biden administration's efforts to reenter some version of the Iran nuclear deal.

* Russia to consider Biden plan for Putin summit Hours after US President Joe Biden proposed a summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin has said it will study the idea.

* Nuclear chutzpah in the Middle East Israel’s temerity, Iran’s bellicosity and America’s ambiguity could plunge the region in turmoil.

* European powers warn Iran over fate of talks after 60% enrichment move The European powers party to the Iran nuclear deal told Tehran on Wednesday that its decision to enrich uranium at 60% purity and install a further 1,000 centrifuges at its Natanz site were contrary to efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.

* Trump-era spike of Israel settlement growth has only begun New data and satellite photos obtained by The Associated Press show that Israel built more than 9,000 settlement homes in the occupied West Bank and approved the construction of thousands more during the Trump era.

4/13/21

 * The Cold War is re-emerging in the Middle East The Russians, as well as their Chinese “frenemies,” see America’s retreat from the region as an opportunity to swoop in, fill the void and flex their muscles. Op-ed.

* Iran’s Zarif: Israel made ‘a very bad gamble’ with blast at nuclear plant Iranian FM says Tehran can now legitimately use any capacity it has at Natanz after ‘terrorist stupidity’; Russia’s Lavrov says Moscow expects nuke deal to be saved.

* Iran’s “Look To the East” Precludes Any Deal with the West The Islamist regime in Tehran has delivered Iran to China in exchange for security guarantees against the West.

* Iran and Russia discuss ties, the Middle East, and nuclear deal FM Lavrov says Russia shares Iran’s stance on reviving the nuclear deal and believes any potential additional agreements dealing with the region need to be reached separately.

* Remembrance Day: Israel bows its head to honor 23,928 of its fallen Forty-three fallen soldiers and civilians lost their lives in the past year.

* Why the Middle East Doesn’t Want to Test Israel’s Missiles Israel’s missile capabilities are perhaps among the most advanced in the Middle East.

* China is Boldly Supporting Iran's Nuclear Ambitions On Sunday, Iranian officials confirmed an "incident" - a blackout - at their Natanz underground facility, where the Islamic Republic enriches uranium.

* Warmongering US will have to accept a new world order with China, Russia and the EU alongside American allies’ eagerness for economic cooperation with China shows the US would be foolish to assume their blind obedience in the case of conflict.

* Is Russia going to war with Ukraine and other questions Sabre-rattling or preparations for war? Since mid-March, there have been many warnings from Ukraine and Western governments that Russia is massing troops in Russian-annexed Crimea and around the eastern Ukraine conflict zone.

* The U.S.-Israel Alliance Is in Good Shape Questions have been raised over the recent attack on Iran, but it looks like Jerusalem and Washington are set to continue their usually tight-knit defense cooperation.

4/12/21

 * Netanyahu to visiting US defense secretary: We won’t let Iran obtain nukes Following attack on Iran’s Natanz facility, which has been blamed on Israel, PM says US-Israeli cooperation is ‘crucial’ to combat threats facing both countries.

* In Natanz Hit, Iran Doesn’t Dare Reveal Extent of Damage Natanz is the site of Iran’s most important nuclear facility. It is where Iran’s advanced centrifuges are assembled and where they are used to enrich uranium.

* Israel keeps on stalling Iran’s drive for a nuke – but that drive is still going strong Iran’s Atomic Energy chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, called the power blackout at its underground enrichment center in Natanz on Sunday morning.

* PM, Bennett green light negotiations between Likud and Yamina After meeting, Netanyahu and Bennett agree to have negotiating teams begin coalition talks.

* Jewish population at lowest percentage since founding of Israel Close to the establishment of the state, the Jewish percentage of the population stood at 82.1%, while today it stands at only 73.9%.

* The leaders of Ukraine, Turkey stress territorial integrity The presidents of Ukraine and Turkey are stressing the importance of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the de-escalation of tensions in eastern Ukraine and security in the Black Sea.

* Palestinian Elections: What the Biden Administration Does Not Want to Know Hamas and the PFLP have rejected all the agreements signed between Israel and the PLO, including the Oslo Accords. Yet, these terrorist groups have no problem running in an election held under the umbrella of the Oslo Accords.

* Libya's new PM to visit Turkey, hold talks with Erdogan on Monday Libyan Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibeh and a delegation of ministers will make their first visit to Turkey on Monday since taking office last month, the Turkish presidency said on Sunday.

* France says Turkey snubbed EU Commission chief 'deliberately' France's Europe Minister Clement Beaune said Sunday that Turkey had set a "trap" for European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen by forcing her to sit off to the side on a visit to Ankara, in a photo-op faux pas quickly dubbed 'sofagate'.

* AS TENSIONS RISE: The US and Russia Deploy Battleships to the Black Sea Washington will deploy two battleships to the Black Sea next week Turkey said on Friday as reported by the AP.

4/10/21

 * Sirens blare as Israel comes to a standstill in remembrance of Holocaust victims Public life stops during 2 minutes of silence dedicated to memory of 6 million Jews killed, as daytime ceremonies honoring those persecuted by the Nazi regime get underway.

* Holocaust Remembrance Day: Remember, appreciate Israel - editorial It is difficult to appreciate the wonder and miracle of the Jewish state unless you step back and remember what things looked like without it.

* Israel responds to ICC: You have no jurisdiction over us Jerusalem has pointed to its own independent judiciary capable of trying soldiers who commit war crimes.

* The ICC Attempts to Place Israel on a Par with Terror Armies The ICC Prosecutor’s investigation of Israel will get underway in the next few months.

* Iran nuclear talks: How do goals of Rouhani, Biden and Netanyahu compare? Rouhani and Biden will move toward a deal: Rouhani to save his legacy and Biden to clear off his table to deal with other issues.

* Russia Masses Troops Armor on Ukraine's Borders; Fears Mount of Wider War Russia has deployed troops and armor near Ukraine’s eastern border and in Crimea, sparking fears of a wider war after years of stalemated trench combat in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region.

* Israeli data shows world's Jewish population now as high as in 1925 Central Bureau of Statistics says as of December 2019, there were 14.8 million Jews alive in the world, of whom 83% are in Israel or U.S.; some 180,000 recognized Holocaust survivors currently live in Jewish state.

* Iran and Israel’s strategic paradox The past year was very good for Israel, security-wise. The number of attacks was relatively low, and the intensive focus on the pandemic (and elections) pushed aside issues that in normal times would have made headlines.

* Were reports of a Jordanian coup a wake-up call for Israel? According to analysts, former diplomats and security personnel, Jordan’s stability should always be an Israeli concern.

* Would Israel Dare Attack Iran's Nuclear Facilities? There has been frequent speculation over the last two decades that Israel could launch such an attack on Iran, but while Israel is believing to undergone various efforts to sabotage Iran’s nuclear capability, they have not launched a full-on strike.

* Witnesses: China Imprisoning Christians in Underground ‘Brainwashing’ Torture Centers Eyewitnesses told Radio Free Asia (RFA) in a report published Thursday that Chinese Communist Party officials imprisoned them in mobile “brainwashing” centers designed to make them renounce Christianity, where they faced routine beatings, indoctrination, and solitary confinement designed to induce self-harm.

4/9/21

 * Iran is testing nuclear-capable missiles, Israeli ambassador reveals Iran has been testing nuclear ballistic missiles for months, violating UN Resolution 2231, Israeli ambassador Gilad Erdan reveals.

* Netanyahu: Israel Won’t Be Bound by Nuke Deal that Gives Iran the Bomb Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Israel would not be bound by a renegotiated nuclear deal with Iran that would see the Islamic Republic obtaining a bomb in a few years, and reiterated the Jewish State would do whatever it took to protect itself from regimes seeking its destruction.

* Brotation speculation: What the press says about the bizarre coalition bazaar The number of ideas for various parties to find a way to build a coalition are more numerous than stars in the sky, but few think any of them are truly realistic.

* Biden Administration to Support Palestinian Dictatorship Sadly, while the Biden administration is talking about the "need to protect [Palestinian] civil society through the reduction of arrests of bloggers and dissidents," the Palestinian leadership is evidently moving in precisely the opposite direction.

* Al-Aqsa preacher: Muslims who sell property to Jews are denied burial The apartments were reportedly purchased by Ateret Cohanim, an organization that has long been working to expand Jewish presence in east Jerusalem.

* Will This be the Last Anti-Israel Generation? For the past several decades discussion of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been driven by full time anti-Israel researchers and writers.

* Biden Builds Back Obama’s Middle East That didn't take long. One week after piously and erroneously repudiating the Commission on Unalienable Rights established by his predecessor Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed the hollow selectivity of this administration's commitment to human rights and democratic reform.

* Iran nuclear deal talks: the key issues on the Vienna negotiating table As talks resume, Iran and the signatories to the 2015 agreement face a web of sanctions to untangle.

* Backward Masking Biden On the “Big Guy’s” watch, China’s influence will "grow and expand."

* Iraq: Pro-Iran Shia militias say dialogue with US pointless, jihad attacks on US forces will continue The Middle East has never been more unstable, especially now that the Biden administration has taken the reins.

4/8/21

 * Holocaust Remembrance Day: Remember, appreciate Israel - editorial It is difficult to appreciate the wonder and miracle of the Jewish state unless you step back and remember what things looked like without it.

* Sirens blare as Israel comes to a standstill in remembrance of Holocaust victims Public life stops during 2 minutes of silence dedicated to memory of 6 million Jews killed, as daytime ceremonies honoring those persecuted by the Nazi regime get underway.

* Israel responds to ICC: You have no jurisdiction over us Jerusalem has pointed to its own independent judiciary capable of trying soldiers who commit war crimes.

* The ICC Attempts to Place Israel on a Par with Terror Armies The ICC Prosecutor’s investigation of Israel will get underway in the next few months. The Court’s decision to grant itself jurisdiction in Gaza and the West Bank raises the disturbing prospect of future indictments—and arrest warrants—being issued against senior Israeli military personnel and officials.

* Israel Bracing For Iran to Possibly Strike From Their Own Territory In response to their recent exchange of naval attacks, which reached its height on Tuesday with a strike on an Iranian spy ship in the Red Sea, Israel is readying for a potential assault on its own assets inside Israel from Iran’s territory reports Israel Hayom.

* Iran nuclear talks: How do goals of Rouhani, Biden and Netanyahu compare? Rouhani and Biden will move toward a deal: Rouhani to save his legacy and Biden to clear off his table to deal with other issues. Netanyahu will do all he can to undermine such a deal.

* After restoring aid to Palestinians, Biden endorses two-state solution Reversing Trump policies, US president tells Jordanian king that ‘United States supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict’.

* 15 Jewish families returning to eastern Jerusalem neighborhood The Ateret Cohanim org recently purchased 4 housing blocs in Kfar Shiloah - once home to dozens of Yemenite families kicked out by Arabs.

* Merkel demanded Putin reduce Russian troops around Ukraine: German statement German Chancellor Angela Merkel demanded in a phone call with President Vladimir Putin that Russia unwind its recent military build-up in the area around eastern Ukraine, the German government said in a statement on Thursday.

* Would Israel Dare Attack Iran's Nuclear Facilities? There has been frequent speculation over the last two decades that Israel could launch such an attack on Iran, but while Israel is believing to undergone various efforts to sabotage Iran’s nuclear capability, they have not launched a full-on strike.

4/7/21

 * Israel shifts focus to Tehran’s sea bridge, strikes Guards ship in the Red Sea A US official told The New York Times that Israel had informed Washington of an attack by its forces on the IRGC-flagged Saviz in the Red Sea on Tuesday, April 6, in reprisal for Iranian strikes against its merchant vessels.

* Iran talks, mines in the Red Sea, and a message from Jerusalem -analysis Israel’s biggest problem with the JCPOA is that it does not actually stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons.

* Joe Biden is not planning to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict Instead, the new administration intends to build on some of Donald Trump's Middle East policies.

* Putin poised to set out vision for future in dramatic speech, in what allies say will be ‘world’s most important political event’ Russian President Vladimir Putin is reportedly preparing to give a major address in which he will fire the starting pistol on a “new era” and set out a different vision for the future of his country as the Covid-19 pandemic wanes.

* Russia Masses Troops, Armor on Ukraine's Borders; Fears Mount of Wider War Russia has deployed troops and armor near Ukraine’s eastern border and in Crimea, sparking fears of a wider war after years of stalemated trench combat in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region.

* Hijacking Holocaust terminology to perpetuate falsities and demonize Israel An integral part of the Palestinian Authority messaging is to adopt terminology associated with the actions of the Nazis towards the Jews of Europe during the Holocaust, and to claim that Israel is conducting the same actions against the Palestinians.

* European Union welcome in new Russian-backed ‘Great Eurasian Partnership’, Moscow says… if Brussels sees value in turning to East A new coalition of nations promoted by Russian President Vladimir Putin could run from Europe’s Atlantic coast to the Sea of Japan, after Moscow declared it would be open for any country across Eurasia that wants to participate.

* Iran has produced 55 kg of 20% enriched uranium since January: official Iran has made 55 kg of uranium enriched to up to 20% - the point at which it is highly enriched - indicating quicker production than the 10 kg a month rate required by an Iranian law that created the process in January, Iranian authorities said on Wednesday.

* The Europeanized USA America is undergoing a rapid transformation founded in a moral panic over race that masks the exercise of class-based power in which technology companies and left-wing politics have united to wield unprecedented control.

* Israeli data shows world's Jewish population now as high as in 1925 Central Bureau of Statistics says as of December 2019, there were 14.8 million Jews alive in the world, of whom 83% are in Israel or U.S.; some 180,000 recognized Holocaust survivors currently live in Jewish state.

4/6/21

 * On eve of Iran talks, Netanyahu warns Tehran against harming Israel During his speech in Jaffa, Netanyahu spoke of the difficulty of relying on allies and friends, and the importance of self-defense.

* Iran and Israel’s strategic paradox The past year was very good for Israel, security-wise. The number of attacks was relatively low, and the intensive focus on the pandemic (and elections) pushed aside issues that in normal times would have made headlines.

* Rivlin hands Netanyahu mandate to form coalition despite low chance of success Netanyahu received the majority of endorsements to form the next government, beating out Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid.

* Palestinians: US Taxpayer Money Going to Terrorists The memo, however, does not specifically say that the renewed US funding would be conditioned on ending the Palestinians' "pay-to-slay" program.

* US ducks question on whether east Jerusalem is Palestinian capital "There has been no change on our position in Jerusalem – and, of course, Jerusalem is a final status issue that is to be negotiated by the two parties."

* The Biden Effect: China to deploy 5,000 troops in Iran, build military base there This will prop up the mullahs, who are so unpopular among the Iranian people that the Islamic regime might otherwise have fallen.

* Indoctrinated in Hate: 'This Is the Start of the New Caliphate' Hate-filled indoctrination and training in violence is not limited to the "schools" of ISIS or Boko Haram.

* How Jordan's royal drama could threaten Middle East stability, as U.S. offers support Accusations of a plot against the monarchy could have implications for allies like the U.S. that consider Jordan a reliable partner in the region.

* EU-Turkey: What's on the agenda as EU chiefs visit Ankara today? It has now been 22 years since Turkey became a candidate nation for membership of the European Union.

* Moscow pledges retaliation to US & UK plans for rocket deployment in range of Russia’s borders, sparking new missile crisis fears Russia would be forced to defend itself if Western nations go through with plans to station short- and long-range missiles in Europe, a Moscow diplomat has warned, insisting they could be used to target the country’s air defenses.

4/5/21

 * EU pledges backing to Ukraine after Russian military buildup European envoy says Kiev has its ‘unwavering support’ while Moscow denies threatening behaviour.

* Jordan's Prince Hamzah vows to defy 'house arrest' orders The former crown prince of Jordan has said he will defy government orders to stop communicating with the outside world and remain indoors.

* Were reports of a Jordanian coup a wake-up call for Israel? According to analysts, former diplomats and security personnel, Jordan’s stability should always be an Israeli concern.

* The Jewish Arab State How did it come about that an Arab party that aligns itself with Israel's enemies is suggested as a member of Israel's government? Op-ed.

* Israel: Ultra-Orthodox appear divided on joining gov't with Islamist Ra'am party support Officials in the ultra-Orthodox Unified Torah Judaism party are reportedly divided over a potential coalition based on the support from the Islamist Ra'am party despite the arrangement receiving the blessing of the community's most influential figure last week.

* Why Does Iran Want So Many Ballistic Missiles? Developing indigenous missile and anti-missile systems is a key component of Iran's deterrence strategy.

* Canadian Police Try to Shut Down Church on Easter For Covid Violations, Pastor Boots Them Out Covid restrictions in Canada are being enforced with an iron fist and there’s no sanctuary to escape from them, apparently not even churches.

* Witnesses: China Imprisoning Christians in Underground ‘Brainwashing’ Torture Centers Eyewitnesses told Radio Free Asia (RFA) in a report published Thursday that Chinese Communist Party officials imprisoned them in mobile “brainwashing” centers designed to make them renounce Christianity, where they faced routine beatings, indoctrination, and solitary confinement designed to induce self-harm.

* NYT Blames Evangelicals For Potentially Extending Covid 'Pandemic' In a recent article in the New York Times, faith and religion reporters Elizabeth Dias and Ruth Graham published a piece entitled: ‘How White Evangelicals’ Vaccine Refusal Could Prolong the Pandemic’.

* NASA to launch spaceship to 'punch' asteroid, stop future impacts The DART Mission spacecraft's launch window is set for July 2021; it is set to arrive at the asteroid in September 2022.

4/3/21

 * US report reaffirms Jerusalem as Israel's capital, speaks of occupation The reports also affirm Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which the US recognized in 2019.

* US State Department human-rights report returns to using ‘occupied’ territories The language, however, “is not meant to convey a position on any final-status issues to be negotiated between the parties to the conflict.”

* Blinken: "Two-state solution is the best way to ensure Israel's future." Mr. Blinken, only when history precedes politics, can any progress follow - and your words contravene history. Op-ed.

* Kingmakers Bennett, Abbas leave both sides in the dark Yamina leader to hold fateful meetings with Netanyahu, Lapid.

* PA calls Jews visiting Temple Mount a 'provocation' Official PA news agency condemns visit of Jews to Judaism's holiest site over Passover holiday.

* Biden administration quietly ramping up aid to Palestinians The Biden administration is quietly ramping up assistance to the Palestinians after former President Donald Trump cut off nearly all such aid.

* What is Iran saying about their agreement with China? - analysis “This agreement is somewhat ambiguous, and on the other hand, in some cases, Iran has had bitter experiences in dealing with other countries. It has pros and cons.”

* Iran General Salami Claims Invincibility: ‘Enemies Cannot even Dream of Victory’ Iran has such military strength and experience in dynamic modern warfare no enemy can even dream of beating it, Major General Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, declared Tuesday.

* Are the warming ties between Turkey, Egypt a sign of shifting geopolitics? A possible deterioration in its relationship with Washington is driving a rapprochement between Ankara and some Arab capitals.

* They're Coming for Oral Roberts University, and that Means They Are Coming for You, Too Will Christian colleges survive? Will colleges and universities that hold to historical biblical definitions of gender and sexuality and marriage be forced into the academic wilderness? What about American collegiate sports? Will conservative Christian schools be ruled out of bounds?

4/2/21

 * Netanyahu, Bennett discuss building coalition together Smotrich rules out a coalition with Ra'am that his party's MK-elect says would "castrate the Israeli ethos."

* Arab Islamist shows clout with prime-time speech in Israel The leader of an Arab Islamist party in Israel delivered a prime-time address in Hebrew that was carried live by major TV networks.

* Top ultra-Orthodox rabbi says Arabs will be better coalition partners than Israeli left A senior Haredi rabbi has reportedly given his backing to a potential Israeli government alliance with the United Arab List party, which has now become a potential kingmaker after Israel's inconclusive election this March.

* Biden Administration Reverses Trump Stance, Says West Bank is ‘Occupied’ by Israel In a reversal of the Trump administration’s stance on the matter, President Joe Biden’s administration on Wednesday said that Israel does indeed “occupy” the West Bank.

* Jordan warns Israel it's violating Temple Mount status quo The status quo only allows for Muslim worshipers to pray at the site, which is the third holiest site in Islam and Judaism's most holy sites.

* World Council of Churches' Ongoing Agenda of Anti-Israel Disinformation, Slams Christian Zionism As "Heresy" Last week, the World Council of Churches published an article claiming that Israel is evicting a clan of Bedouins from their land.

* The European Union: From a Single Market to a Tragic Farce Five hundred years from now, when historians look back on the COVID era, they will say that America's "Operation Warp Speed," under President Donald J. Trump, was a triumph of science and logistics.

* What does the UAE have to gain from India-Pakistan peace? UAE’s role in brokering peace talks between India and Pakistan reflects three major foreign policy concerns, reports Akshita Jain.

* Muslims from Syria and Iraq crossing into U.S. from Mexico, enter country unvetted What could possibly go wrong? You wouldn’t be so “racist” and “Islamophobic” as to object, would you?

* They're Coming for Oral Roberts University, and that Means They Are Coming for You, Too Will Christian colleges survive? Will colleges and universities that hold to historical biblical definitions of gender and sexuality and marriage be forced into the academic wilderness?

4/1/21

 * Breaking week-long silence, Netanyahu calls on right-wing rivals to form next government Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on his right-wing political rivals on Wednesday evening to put aside their past conflicts and form a new government following the March 23 election.

* Hectic scramble for presidential mandate to form next government President Reuven Rivlin must next Wednesday, April 7, break Israel’s election deadlock and choose the party leader best able to form a new government after two days of consultations.

* Israel Elections: Bennett to hold fateful meetings with Netanyahu, Lapid Lapid is said to be willing to offer Bennett to go first in a rotation in the Prime Minister's Office.

* Biden administration quietly ramping up aid to Palestinians The Biden administration is quietly ramping up assistance to the Palestinians after former President Donald Trump cut off nearly all such aid.

* A Daring Mission to Reclaim This Biblical 'City of Priests' For Passover Kohanic Blessing Just Happened On the holiday of Passover, the blessing of the priests (Kohanim) took place Wednesday morning in the ancient city of the priests – Eshtemoa reports Channel 20.

* Report: Iran-Backed Houthi Rebels Exile the Last Three Jewish Families in Yemen Asharq al-Awsat, a Saudi newspaper based in London, reported Sunday that Houthi terrorists had “deported” the last three Jewish families living in Yemen.

* Iraqi PM seeks to boost ties on his first visit to Saudi Arabia Mustafa al-Kadhimi meets top Saudi leadership as he aims to forge a closer economic and security ties with the kingdom.

* China Challenges the US on Iran According to a leaked draft of the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement, circulated last year, Iran will receive $400 billion dollars in Chinese investments over the next 25 years in key Iranian economic sectors, including energy, telecommunications, defense, infrastructure, banking, petrochemicals, railways and ports.

* CNN News Writer Denies the Biological Reality of Sex at Birth On the menu today: A CNN news writer asserts that we can’t know a child’s “gender identity” at birth, San Diego teachers will instruct migrant children in person while kids in local school districts remain at home, and some good news in a new trial of Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine.

* Opinion: Support for Israel is still strong, even as Democrats defect Sympathy for Israel has averaged 62 percent in the last decade compared to 19 percent for the Palestinians.

3/31/21

 * PA calls Jews visiting Temple Mount a 'provocation' Official PA news agency condemns visit of Jews to Judaism's holiest site over Passover holiday.

* Israel: Rivlin receives official election results, hopes for 'out-of-ordinary coalition' Likud ministers slam Israeli president for his remarks, say he 'must not become a political actor'.

* US report reaffirms Jerusalem as Israel's capital, speaks of occupation The reports also affirm Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which the US recognized in 2019.

* A growing challenge for Iraq: Iran-aligned Shiite militias Iran-aligned Shiite militias are posing an increasing challenge for Iraq ahead of key talks with Washington that are meant to shape the future of the U.S.-Iraq relationship.

* Are the warming ties between Turkey, Egypt a sign of shifting geopolitics? A possible deterioration in its relationship with Washington is driving a rapprochement between Ankara and some Arab capitals.

* China warned 25-year deal with Iran is ‘hugely risky’ despite hope it will boost influence in Middle East Beijing is hoping to boost its influence in the region, but the agreement may cause concern in other countries – especially those hostile to Tehran.

* China's Threat to Free Speech in Europe The current standoff is, in essence, about the future of free speech in Europe. If notoriously feckless European officials fail to stand firm in the face of mounting Chinese pressure, Europeans who dare publicly to criticize the CCP in the future can expect to pay an increasingly high personal cost for doing so.

* Jihadis Are Becoming Turkey’s Permanent Proxy Force Turkey, a member of NATO, now effectively has a jihadi proxy force that it has deployed in its Syrian homeland as well as in faraway war theaters like Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh.

* US State Department human-rights report returns to using ‘occupied’ territories The language, however, “is not meant to convey a position on any final-status issues to be negotiated between the parties to the conflict.”

* EU Invests Over $13M Into Illegal Muslim Land Grabs in Israel And the Philistines stopped up all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of his father Avraham, filling them with earth. Genesis 26:15.

* US church membership plummets to all-time low, Gallup poll finds “The decline in church membership is primarily a function of the increasing number of Americans who express no religious preference,” reported Gallup.

3/30/21

 * Israel 'worried' about Iran-China deal, former intel chief says 'On the one hand, China opposes Iran having a nuclear bomb, but on the other, it's not helping to stop it'.

* Iran General Salami Claims Invincibility: ‘Enemies Cannot even Dream of Victory’ Iran has such military strength and experience in dynamic modern warfare no enemy can even dream of beating it, Major General Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, declared Tuesday.

* Putin won’t allow US to lecture Russia from ‘a position of power,’ Kremlin insists after weeks of diplomatic spats with Biden If American diplomats want constructive talks with Russia, they will have to be prepared to treat their counterparts in Moscow as equals, the Kremlin has warned amid a series of increasingly combative exchanges with Washington.

* Houthis expel nearly all remaining Yemenite Jews, only four seniors remain Iran-backed Houthi rebel group in Yemen has expelled most of the last remaining Yemenite Jews from Sanaa, the country’s largest city.

* Insane: Syria Is Threatening to Undermine Israel with Tunnels A Syrian general claims that the Syrian Civil War has turned Syrian soldiers into “experts” at digging holes in the ground.

* Combatting Antisemitism Benefits the Arab World Deep-rooted and persistent antisemitism is one of the central reasons for the Arab world’s lack of innovation and development relative to Israel and the Western world.

* EU presidents to go to Turkey next week, spokesman says The presidents of the European Council and the European Commission will meet Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey on April 6, an EU spokesman said on Monday, in the latest sign of improving ties.

* Bahrain appoints first-ever ambassador to Israel A Bahraini team is expected to arrive in Israel in the coming weeks to set up an embassy in the Tel Aviv area.

* What China's Communist Party Wants: Its New Five-Year Plan The Chinese Communist Party's overarching strategy for the next five to fifteen years, apparently, is to accelerate China's rise by becoming an innovation superpower, technologically independent of the West and dominating global tech.

* Biden's Passover Message: No Mention Of God, Erases Jerusalem, Recommends Desecrating the Holiday In their holiday greetings, President Joe Biden and the First Lady praised the Passover holiday as a time to reflect on the adversity of the COVID pandemic and overcoming racism and prejudice.

3/29/21

 * What is Iran saying about their agreement with China? - analysis “This agreement is somewhat ambiguous, and on the other hand, in some cases, Iran has had bitter experiences in dealing with other countries. It has pros and cons.”

* Iran: Europe’s greatest post-COVID security threat Former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo has taken a hawkish tone with EU; he now claims Biden is playing softball with Iran, writes Emir Gürbüz.

* The Middle East offers US, China some common ground to cooperate on anti-terrorism and security The Alaska talks highlighted tensions between Washington and Beijing, but they could collaborate on shared interests in the Middle East: anti-terrorism and security.

* What We Learned About Iran's, Syria's, and Israel's Militaries After Their Missile Exchange An exchange of missiles in 2019 revealed a lot of pertinent information about three Middle Eastern militaries.

* Thousands at Western Wall for traditional Passover priestly blessing ceremony In stark contrast to last year, when only a symbolic 10 people were permitted to participate, rolled back virus restrictions allow masses to reach Old City site.

* Omer Harvested and Full-Dress Temple Service Reenactment Carried Out [WATCH] On Sunday night, while most of Israel was cleaning up from the Passover and the Seder ritual, a few families went out to the fields to harvest the barley to be used in the Omer wave offering in precisely seven weeks.

* Blinken: "Two-state solution is the best way to ensure Israel's future." Mr. Blinken, only when history precedes politics, can any progress follow - and your words contravene history. Op-ed.

* The EU and Russia: From High Hopes to Reality EU-Russia relations are at their lowest since the end of the Cold War and show limited potential for meaningful improvement.

* Erdogan urges Kosovo to rethink opening of Jerusalem embassy Turkish President urges Kosovan Prime Minister to reconsider the country's decision to open an embassy in Jerusalem.

* ‘Very few’ Europeans believe US will intervene on their behalf in military crisis In a pan-European survey of over 15,000 citizens in ten EU Member States, just 10 percent held the view that the US was a “reliable” security partner that will always protect Europe.

3/27/21

 * Passover Sacrifice Dry-Run Takes Place Near Temple Mount: Police Warm Up to the Idea On Tuesday evening, while Israelis headed to the polls for the fourth time in two years, a reenactment of the Korban Pesach (the Passover Temple service) was held near the Shaar HaAshpot (the dung gate) near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. 

* Israeli Election Too Close to Call, Though Netanyahu Wins Plurality Israel’s fourth election in two years is too close to call, even though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party won far more votes than any of its rivals on Tuesday.

* China plans to invite Palestinians and Israelis for talks - report China has not reached out to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office or Foreign Ministry about hosting peace talks.

* Mideast quartet discusses reviving Israel, Palestinian peace talks It has said it will continue to urge other countries to normalize ties with Israel, but stressed that is not a substitute for Israeli-Palestinian peace.

* For First Time in Israel: Two Public Priestly Blessings on Passover One of the most impressive gatherings of the year is the Birkat Kohanim, the twice-annual priestly blessing held on the second intermediate days of Passover and Sukkoth when some 40,000 Jews come to the Kotel (Western Wall) in Jerusalem to be blessed by hundreds of Kohanim (the descendants of Aaron the priest).

* Expert Claims Cold War Between US, China Began Last Week and Could Go Hot at Any Moment Last Thursday, Chinese officials met with their American counterparts in Anchorage, Alaska, for two days, and, by all accounts, the meeting was not friendly.

* China Calling for Civilizational War Against America and the West There was a "strong smell of gunpowder" when American and Chinese diplomats met in Anchorage beginning March 18.

* Iran, Russia and Turkey signal growing alliance For years, Turkey would say one thing to Moscow and Tehran while telling Washington’s Iran hawks that Turkey was “against Russia and Iran.”

* China, Russia officials meet in show of unity against EU, US The foreign ministers of China and Russia have displayed unity amid criticism and new Western sanctions against them over human rights.

* Opinion: As Merkel exits the political stage, who will speak for a united Europe? German chancellor steps down in 2021 and leaves a question mark over the EU’s path.

* Wheaton College scrubs ‘savage’ from plaque honoring murdered missionaries Wheaton College will be removing and replacing a plaque honoring a group of alumni who were murdered by an indigenous tribe during a missionary trip to Ecuador.

3/26/21

 * Could Syria Trigger War Between Israel and Russia? The Kremlin has denounced Israeli strikes in Syria as “illegitimate.”

* Naftali Bennett: The Israeli nationalist politician who could determine Netanyahu's future In the aftermath of the March 23 Israeli general elections, religious nationalist politician Naftali Bennett, whose Yamina party is set to win seven parliamentary seats, could determine the political future of his former boss, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

* Avi Benlolo: Election-weary Israelis ask: Is it possible to have too much democracy? The people of Israel are strong and devoted. But a fourth election in just two years is fracturing the fabric of the nation.

* Is Islam the future of a fatiscent Russia? An official of the Russian Orthodox Church predicts there will be no more Russians in 2050. He may be right. Op-ed.

* China, Iran expected to sign 25-year accord, Iranian state media says In 2016, China, one of Iran’s largest trading partners and long-time ally, agreed to boost bilateral trade by more than 10 times to $600 billion in the next decade.

* North Korea says it fired 'tactical guided projectile' North Korea says it fired new projectile that was improved to carry a 2.5-ton warhead.

* ‘Worrying trend’: London seeks to exclude Moscow from European security system while it cozies up to America, says Russian envoy The British leadership has grown increasingly hostile towards Moscow, Russia’s ambassador to London, Andrey Kelin, has told RT.

* Analysis: Lebanon frozen by political intransigence as it hurtles towards collapse Just 18 months have passed since mass protests against Lebanon’s political class brought down one government, and nearly eight more months since a huge explosion destroyed the port of Beirut and toppled its successor.

* Analysis: As Iran toughens stance, hopes for nuclear thaw before June diminish The odds of Washington and Tehran making progress to revive the 2015 nuclear deal before Iran’s June elections have dwindled after Iran opted to take a tougher stance before returning to talks, diplomats and officials said.

* America at the End of Empire In a recent monologue on HBO’s Real Time, host Bill Maher called Americans a “silly people” for allowing themselves to be mired in culture war struggles, such as the politically correct cancelling of children’s books, while our superpower competition China is laser-focused on political, economic, and military dominance.

3/25/21

 * How can Israel form a coalition and avoid another election? Ahead of Tuesday’s election, all the party leaders, from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on down, spoke to reporters and analysts constantly, in order to try to get out the vote.

* Gulf officials warn Israel against forming gov't with far-right candidates: report 'Expressions against Muslims and Arabs will harm the normalization deals,' officials tell Jerusalem.

* EU supports Israel on Golan at UNHRC as Agenda Item 7 opposition grows German envoy Michael Frelherr von Ungern-Sternberg said that "while hundreds of thousand of Syrians suffer at the hands of the regime, this text focuses only on Israel."

* China’s foreign minister starts Middle East tour with Iran deal, alliances high on agenda Wang Yi began his trip in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday and he will visit five other nations over the next week.

* Expert Claims Cold War Between US, China Began Last Week... And Could Go Hot At Any Moment Last Thursday, Chinese officials met with their American counterparts in Anchorage, Alaska, for two days, and, by all accounts, the meeting was not friendly.

* As China faces sanctions from the West, it looks to the Middle East for alliance and influence Foreign Minister Wang Yi thanks Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for Saudi support on Xinjiang and Hong Kong.

* EU leaders to discuss relations with Turkey during video summit European Union leaders will on Thursday consider diplomatic and economic incentives to encourage strategic southeastern neighbour Turkey to continue improving often fraught ties with the EU and promote stability.

* Philippines’ Duterte Threatens to Force Churches to Close if They Hold Mass on Easter The government of the Philippines will forcibly close Catholic churches in Manila if priests hold Easter masses next week in violation of a federal mandate banning religious gatherings in the city to curb the spread of coronavirus, a government spokesman announced on Tuesday.

* Holy Bible blasted as ‘bigoted document’: Equality Act ‘explicitly targets’ Scripture WND: The Democrats’ Equality Act “explicitly targets” the Bible with provisions that erase any allowance for differences between men and women, warns Yaakov Menken, the managing director of the Coalition for Jewish Values.

* Over 30 million people 'one step away from starvation', UN warns Acute hunger is likely to soar in more than 20 countries in the next few months, the UN has warned.

3/24/21

 * Deeply Polarized Israel Fails to Anoint a Leader Once Again No clear winner emerged from Israel’s fourth election in two years, leaving legally embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu scrambling to woo political rivals as he struggles to cling to power.

* Israeli Election Too Close to Call, Though Netanyahu Wins Plurality Israel’s fourth election in two years is too close to call, even though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party won far more votes than any of its rivals on Tuesday.

* An overwhelmingly right-wing Knesset any way you slice it Channel 12 News predicts that 76 of the Knesset’s 120 members will come from right-wing parties.

* Israel Elections: What does Religious Zionist win mean for progressives? The list's policies and statements on a number of issues could impact a variety of sectors in Israel, including women, Arab-Israelis, LGBTQ+ people and secular Israelis at large.

* Passover Sacrifice Dry-Run Takes Place Near Temple Mount: Police Warm Up to The Idea [WATCH] On Tuesday evening, while Israelis headed to the polls for the fourth time in two years, a reenactment of the Korban Pesach (the Passover Temple service) was held near the Shaar HaAshpot (the dung gate) near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

* China plans to invite Palestinians and Israelis for talks - report China has not reached out to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office or Foreign Ministry about hosting peace talks.

* Mideast quartet discusses reviving Israel, Palestinian peace talks It has said it will continue to urge other countries to normalize ties with Israel, but stressed that is not a substitute for Israeli-Palestinian peace.

* Macron warns against Turkish 'interference' in French presidential election French President Emmanuel Macron warned that Turkey would try to interfere in France's 2022 presidential election in a TV interview that aired on Tuesday.

* Israel Tells Nasrallah ‘We Know Everything About You When a report appeared in the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot on March 12, reporting on the claim of Israeli officers to “know everything” about Hassan Nasrallah, this enraged the Hezbollah leader and his loyalists.

* Biden’s “Nine-Miles-Wide Plan” What should American Jews do? Turn to all our tried-and-true methods of lobbying and protest. And do it now-while there is still time. Op-ed.

3/23/21

 * Biden Torpedoes Abraham Accords Summit Media reports on March 18 revealed that the United Arab Emirates has suspended its plans for an Abraham Accords summit in Abu Dhabi with Israel, the United States, and other Arab signatories to the historic peace agreements brokered by the Donald Trump administration.

* The Biden Administration Will Push to Squeeze Israel Within 1949 Armistice Lines The Biden Administration intends to squeeze Israel back within the 1949 Armistice Lines.

* Israel Elections: How is Iran's regime responding? The overall picture of Iran’s disinterest in Israel’s elections is that Tehran has no real policy toward the Jewish state.

* What are the economic challenges facing Israel's next government? The coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on some sectors, while several underlying issues, once covered up and ignored, have risen to the forefront.

* For First Time in Israel: Two Public Priestly Blessing on Passover One of the most impressive gatherings of the year is the Birkat Kohanim, the twice-annual priestly blessing held on the second intermediate days of Passover and Sukkoth when some 40,000 Jews come to the Kotel (Western Wall) in Jerusalem to be blessed by hundreds of Kohanim (the descendants of Aaron the priest).

* China, Russia officials meet in show of unity against EU, US The foreign ministers of China and Russia have displayed unity amid criticism and new Western sanctions against them over human rights.

* Moscow now has ‘no relations’ with EU because Brussels has ‘destroyed’ once friendly ties, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov claims Months of political tension and a wave of new sanctions have severed all links between the EU and Russia, Moscow’s top diplomat has said, adding that his country is ready to resume cooperation if Brussels decides it is interested.

* Opinion: As Merkel exits the political stage, who will speak for a united Europe? This is the year that we will no longer have Angela Merkel on the world stage. Back in 2018, she announced that she would step down this fall, after serving as the chancellor of Germany for 15 years.

* EU chiefs urge Turkey's Erdogan to ease strained ties with bloc In a video call, EU leaders spoke of the importance of "de-escalation" and "confidence-building" following frosty relations with Ankara over Syrian refugees and energy exploration rights.

* Woke Church of Sweden Theologian: Christians Can View Mohammed as a Prophet Top Church of Sweden theologian Jakob Wirén has claimed that Christians could view Islam’s Mohammed as a prophet.

3/22/21

 * Explainer: Israel's election - array of contenders seek to topple Netanyahu Israel holds its fourth election in two years on Tuesday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hopes the country’s world-leading coronavirus vaccine rollout will finally push him through an era of unprecedented political paralysis and into a stable majority.

* Russian jets hit northwestern Syria near Turkish border - witnesses, Syrian rebels Russian jets conducted raids on areas close to heavily populated towns and camps in opposition-held northwestern Syria near the Turkish border, the first such strikes this year, witnesses and rebel sources said on Sunday.

* NATO's Great Fear: Russian Stealth Fighters Headed for Turkey? It was announced recently that Russia is prepared to hold negotiations with its sometimes regional partner Turkey over the sale of Su-35 and Su-57 combat aircraft should the Turkish government express interest in the Russian-built fighters.

* Iran, Russia and Turkey signal growing alliance For years, Turkey would say one thing to Moscow and Tehran while telling Washington’s Iran hawks that Turkey was “against Russia and Iran.”

* Israel’s Daily Battle to Block Iranian Aggression Iran’s hegemony scheme for the Middle East not only includes surrounding Israel with missile bases and heavily armed proxies, but also equipping territories further away, such as Iraq and Yemen, to be future bases of attack.

* Iran is increasingly obsessed with defeating Saudi forces in Yemen This isn’t the first time Yemen has been caught in a proxy war. In the 1960s it was a center of conflict for Egypt and other powers, including Saudi Arabia.

* Don't cut or condition US military aid to Israel One of us is a member of Congress from Florida who serves on the House Armed Services Committee and used to work as a national security specialist at the Department of Defense.

* China Calling for Civilizational War Against America and the West "Gunpowder" is one of those words Beijing uses when it wants others to know war is on its mind.

* How US tensions with Russia and China could impact Israel Iran and Turkey are riding this wave of global exhaustion with US hegemony. They also want to invade states in the Middle East and supplant US allies, partners and influence.

* What Are Yemen's Houthi Rebels Doing with North Korean Missiles? Weapons can often end up in different hands than those who bought them.

3/20/21

* 'Israel will be hit by 2,000 missiles a day in future war' - IDF general “They know they cannot defeat us on the battlefield so they try to move the war to a second front and that is our homes and in our cities.”

* Netanyahu: Middle East change 'brought about by rise of two powers - Iran and Israel' The dramatic changes in the security and political landscape of the Middle East were "brought about by the rise of two powers -- Iran and Israel," Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told i24NEWS on Thursday.

* Biden seeks Palestinian ‘reset,’ return to ‘1967 lines,’ says memo According to the memo, the Biden administration will seek to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace under a two-state solution framework.

* The Canceled Visit of the Jordanian Crown Prince to the Temple Mount The seemingly innocent plan to have Jordanian Crown Prince Hussein visit the Temple Mount on March 11 was not arranged by chance.

* Recent Archaeological Announcement Reveals Secrets of the Prophets For the first time in 60 years, archaeologists announced the recovery of ancient parchments adding to the Biblically significant trove of Dead Sea Scrolls.

* Joe Biden backing ‘Putin is a killer’ claim is ‘tantrum of powerlessness’ and attack on whole of Russia, country’s top MP declares Explosive comments made by US President Joe Biden, in which he suggested his Russian counterpart is “a killer,” have ignited a diplomatic row, as Moscow’s chief parliamentarian said the remarks constitute an attack on the country.

* PA presents the PLO Charter as currently calling for Israel's destruction As part of a TV series entitled “Lexicon of the Revolution” official PA TV broadcast a filler about the 1964 Charter of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

* Is Russia Trying to Play Kingmaker in Lebanon? For Moscow, Lebanon, a strategic country on the Mediterranean, is an important extension of Putin’s Syria interests.

* Terror attack warning, superpower strategies, and new frontiers: what's in Boris' plan for Britain? The PM will outline his government’s foreign policy direction for the coming years, following the UK’s exit from the European Union.

* Israel and the China Dilemma Are the opportunities greater than the risks?

3/19/21

 * Can Iran Start World War III? Doubtful. Iran does not have a capacity to inflict major damage, let alone conquer the Middle East.

* Netanyahu: Middle East change 'brought about by rise of two powers - Iran and Israel' Israel's PM talks Middle Eastern politics and Israel's plans for post-coronavirus era in i24NEWS interview.

* Jordan counts on support from Biden as it pushes back against Netanyahu In delaying permission for PM to use airspace, Hashemite kingdom starts to reassert itself after keeping a low profile during Trump administration.

* Hamas chief re-elected, has repeatedly boasted of that Israel will be destroyed and declared loyalty to Iran The desire to destroy Israel has also been reiterated by the Palestinian Authority, which presents the PLO Charter as currently calling for Israel’s destruction.

* Russia’s Thermobaric Launchers Can Rain Hellfire at 10,000 Meters And it could be headed to the Middle East.

* ICC gives Israel month to seek deferral of war crimes probe The International Criminal Court has sent formal notices to Israel and the Palestinian Authority about its impending investigation into possible war crimes.

* France's Macron admonishes Iran amid slow progress on nuclear talks French President Emmanuel Macron accused Iran on Thursday of continuing to violate a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, and said Tehran should act responsibly.

* US and China clash amid blunt exchanges in first face-to-face meeting under President Biden The meetings in Alaska are a new test in increasingly troubled relations between the two countries.

* Turkey's Erdogan says Biden comments on Putin 'unacceptable' Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Joe Biden’s comments about Russia’s Vladimir Putin, in which he said he thought he was a killer, were “unacceptable” and unfitting of a U.S. president.

* Recent Archaeological Announcement Reveals Secrets of the Prophets For the first time in 60 years, archaeologists announced the recovery of ancient parchments adding to the Biblically significant trove of Dead Sea Scrolls.