Officials in Jordan were quietly alarmed Tuesday at the level of support in the country for the assassin of Nahed Hattar, a Christian activist who was gunned down Sunday on the steps of an Amman courthouse where he was to stand trial for “insulting Islam” by posting a cartoon on Facebook. The assassination and the resulting discussion in traditional and social media points to deep divides in the Kingdom and widespread sympathy for radical Islam, according to many analysts.

Israelis interested in watching the first presidential debate between Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton had to tune in at 4 AM local time, with many complaining that they’d wasted the effort after the two candidates hardly mentioned the Middle East in general or Israel in particular. However, Trump’s attack on the Obama Administration’s handling of the Iran nuclear issue and Clinton’s response garnered a fair amount of discussion on news analysis shows on Israeli TV and radio outlets.

The possibility that former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad might be making a political comeback appeared to end Monday as state media reported that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had ordered him not to run for president in upcoming elections. Khamenei was quoted as saying he believed such an outcome would polarize society in Iran and otherwise not be good for the country.

The Palestinian and Arab media outlets were ablaze with fiery rhetoric Tuesday morning following the leaking of a recorded phone conversation between a senior Egyptian intelligence official and Palestinian lawyer Muhammad Dahlan, a favorite of many Western donor countries and the fierce rival of PA President Mahmoud Abbas. In the recording, the Egyptian official denounces Abbas, leading Abbas himself and many analysts speculating that there is a move afoot among the Sunni Arab powers to force him to retire and replace him with Dahlan.

Israel’s team emerged victorious at the World Baseball Classic qualifying tournament in New York City on Sunday, defeating the UK 9-1 in a convincing finale to earn a slot in the main tournament to be held in Seoul, South Korea, in March of 2017. It will be Israel’s first appearance in that tournament.

Israel’s struggling Tourism industry received some help this month when the Mamilla hotel in Jerusalem was selected as one of the best in the world byCondé Nast Traveler, a leading industry publication. The hotel’s spa was also listed in a group of the best in the world. Days later, the financial magazineForbes listed Tel Aviv as one of the 20 most beautiful places in the world to visit.

Serious issues certainly surround the whole question of Israel and its wall, but for churches to focus on this in the Middle East at this time is myopic. Not many miles away, their fellow Christians are being persecuted, expelled and murdered by ISIS, but their cries are virtually unheard in our comfortable pews.