Snow was falling on the Golan Heights Monday morning while much of the rest of the country was hit by rain, wind and freezing temperatures. School was delayed or cancelled in many communities while many private businesses and a handful of government offices also shut for the day. Children in Jerusalem eagerly asked their parents about the possibility of snow, but by early afternoon there was no sign of it and forecasters were projecting a rise in temperatures as the week continues.

Rockets were fired into Israel from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip over the weekend amidst riots and unrest in the West Bank and in neighbourhoods of eastern Jerusalem. One Palestinian rioter was shot dead by Israeli soldiers during a confrontation in the town of Qaffin near Tulkarm, north of Jerusalem. Clashes also took place in Jericho and in several smaller villages.

On Sunday, reports indicated that Iran’s latest attempt to launch a satellite into orbit around the earth was another failure. Although the rocket booster managed to reach outer space without exploding on this, Iran’s fourth attempt, the satellite did not reach sufficient speed to enter into a stable orbit. Israel and many Western governments have accused Iran of using its space program as a cover for the development of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles for the purpose of delivering nuclear warheads, a charge the clerical regime in Teheran vehemently denies.

A review of coverage of the coronavirus outbreak by some of the largest Arab-language media outlets in the Middle East shows that many of these media outlets point an accusing finger at Israel and the US for deliberately planting the virus in China as part of an asymmetric campaign of economic and psychological warfare. Some of the reports even allege that Israel and the US have long used manufactured diseases as part of an evil plot to spread fear among the world population and reap profits from selling medical equipment to desperate governments.

Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) announced recently that they have developed a new technological innovation in the field of renewable energy. The machine turns carbon-containing waste products such as banana peels and egg shells, as well as inorganic materials such as used tires and light plastics, into gases which can be used in the production of electricity. The research was funded by government agencies and private donors.

The necessity of a Jewish nation state was a foundational premise for the founding fathers of Zionism, no matter what their political persuasion. That understanding was once shared by most American Jews, particularly in the aftermath of the Holocaust. Today, however, the idea of Jewish statehood is no longer a unifying principle but a wedge issue for American Jews.

When President Donald Trump unveiled his long-awaited vision for peace between Israelis and Palestinians, last week – it drew, as expected, both praise and criticism. While Trump was given credit for trying to succeed where his predecessors failed; he was also faulted for various details of his so-called “Deal of the Century”. A panel of experts weighs in.

Israel’s modern day restoration is because of the Abrahamic Covenant. The God of the Bible keeps His promises! (Hebrews 6:13-20) This current return, however, is different in that it is in unbelief; a fact that scripture acknowledges.