Israel received reassurances on Monday from US and Russian officials that its strategic interests regarding Iranian activity in Syria and Lebanon are being kept in mind as the powers move forward with plans for the region following the fight against the Islamic State terror militia and the general winding down of hostilities in Syria. However, several Israeli officials made statements on Monday to the effect that Israel cannot take these “considerations” of its interests at face value.

Throngs of Moslem visitors to the Old City of Jerusalem on Tuesday continued protesting against metal detectors and other enhanced security measures set up by Israeli security forces outside the entrances to the Temple Mount. The new measures, put in place following a shooting attack on the Mount last Friday which killed two Israeli police officers, have been denounced by various Moslem institutions and Arab governments as an intolerable insult to the dignity of Moslem worshippers who wish to enter the Mount to pray at the Al-Aksa Mosque.

There was another development Monday in the ongoing saga of the “egalitarian” prayer space at the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City, with the government informing the Supreme Court that it intends to expand the section previously designated as a space for such prayers at the southern section near Robinson’s Arch. Groups who have been demanding a re-ordering of arrangements at the Wall to give equal space and prestige to non-Orthodox streams of Judaism said they rejected the government’s apparent offer to appease them.

The 20th Macabbiah Games, sometimes called the “Jewish Olympics” came to an end with a massive fireworks display and spirit of celebration Monday night at the closing ceremonies at Latrun, site of a critical road junction in the Biblically significant Aijalon Valley. “The Maccabiah is reaching higher and higher,” said President Reuven Rivlin in a video statement, expressing a sentiment echoed by several other speakers and much appreciated by the thousands of athletes and other participants who appeared ready to start work Tuesday morning on the next rendition of the Games in 2021.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Budapest Hungary on Tuesday as a guest of President Viktor Orban. During the visit, Netanyahu also has meetings planned for the leaders of Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia, on the sidelines of a regional summit taking place in the city this week. The meetings are expected to focus on economic cooperation, despite actions taken by Orban in recent months which have caused disharmony with Hungary’s Jewish population.

Both Israel and Jordan want to prevent Iran from establishing a foothold on the Jordan-Syria border, amid concerns that Iran-backed militias may ignore the U.S.-Russia-Jordan ceasefire agreement announced on July 7 for southwest Syria. On several occasions in 2017, Iran-backed Shia militias have violated ceasefire agreements arranged by their Russian allies.

Rev. David Pileggi expounds on the subject of The Parables, which are illustrations of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Hebrew language is key to the stories known as parables. These usually have one point and are universal, coming from everyday life.