With the world’s attention focused on Washington DC. Friday for the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States, interest peaked in Israel following an announcement by incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer that a decision on when the US Embassy will be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem will be made in the coming days. “Stay tuned,” Spicer said. “The president has made clear that Israel has not gotten the respect it deserves.”

Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power’s farewell speech on Wednesday before the Atlantic Council think tank included many noteworthy moments, including a warning that Iran is violating UN Security Council Resolutions by supplying weapons to regional terror militias, including the Lebanese Shi’ite group Hezbollah. Other UN officials have joined Power in raising concerns about Iranian activities, but China and Russia have blocked any action at the Security Council towards enforcing the relevant Resolutions.

The Bilateral Permanent Working Commission between the Holy See and the State of Israel met in Jerusalem on Wednesday, bringing together senior officials of Israel and the Roman Catholic Church for continued negotiations regarding Fundamental Agreement between the Holy See and the State of Israel of 1993 (Art. 10 paragraph 2.) Another round of negotiations is scheduled to take place in March in Vatican City.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt General Gadi Eisenkot was recovering Friday morning from a successful surgery the day before which included the removal of a localized cancer growth in his prostate. Deputy COS Major General Yair Golan is temporarily in command for the next several days while Eisenkot remains under the supervision of his medical team.

The prestigious Bloomberg Innovation Index named Israel the 10th most innovative economy in the world for 2017, moving up a notch from last year. South Korea was at the top of the index,  followed by Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, Finland, Singapore, Japan, Denmark, the US and Israel.

Many in Jerusalem see the Trump administration as an opportunity to restore the special relationship between Israel and the United States, its most important and irreplaceable ally. At the same time, many of their American coreligionists are worried about the possible negative consequences of Trump’s victory.

Making strategic choices requires distinguishing which issues are urgent and which are important. Right now, the securing of Jewish control over Jerusalem is both urgent and important. Jerusalem carries great symbolic and strategic value for Israel, and Israeli control of the city must be protected.

The Middle East is a volatile, constantly shifting region. Israel shares borders with Syria, Gaza, Judea and Samaria, Lebanon, and the Sinai; all of these operational sectors present their own challenges. This update can get you up to speed on the situations, threats, and changes on our borders.