Decisions by the government over the weekend to freeze plans for creating an area at the Western Wall for non-Orthodox (and co-ed) prayer as well as handing full control over conversions to the Chief Rabbinate were met with a strong and widespread backlash from Jewish communities around the world, especially in the US. Leaders of Israel’s Ultra-Orthodox (haredi) political factions pushed back against this backlash on Monday, flatly telling Diaspora communities that these decisions are an internal Israeli matter that they should not feel at liberty to interfere with.

A statement was issued by the White House Monday evening that intelligence agencies are warning the Assad regime in Syria is preparing to launch another attack on its enemies using chemical weapons and that the regime “will pay a heavy price” if they proceed with these plans. The statement came shortly after a phone call between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in which Lavrov demanded that the US “take measures to prevent provocations” against the Assad regime, in an apparent reference to Israel’s retaliatory strikes against regime forces over the weekend.

A rocket attack into Israel from the Gaza Strip on Monday evening prompted retaliatory air strikes by the Israeli Air Force against positions held by the Islamist terror militia Hamas, despite a claim of responsibility for the rocket attack by the Islamic State (IS) terror militia. The IDF issued a statement re-iterating that it holds Hamas, which is the governing authority in the Strip, responsible for all hostile action directed against Israel from the territory.

Trump Administration Homeland Security adviser Tom Bossert announced on Monday that Washington is deepening its partnership with Israel in the field of cybersecurity. He made the announcement during his address to Israel’s Cyber Week conference in Tel Aviv, shortly before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s own address which included the revelation that Israel’s government and infrastructure is under constant attack in cyberspace.

American celebrity Mariah Carey was in Israel this week to promote her new line of “Premier” Dead Sea mineral products, telling reporters at the Royal Beach Hotel in Tel Aviv that “We can call [my relationship with Israel] a love affair. I’m just so happy to be back in the Holy Land. It’s beautiful here.”

A close look at the situation in eastern Jerusalem reveals contradictory movements: radical Islamicization vs. closer integration with Jewish Jerusalem. Both trends are on the rise simultaneously. Despite the complicated circumstances, united Jerusalem under exclusive Israeli sovereignty is the key, not an obstacle, to peace and security in the city.

In this short video Dr. Michael Brown discusses the Biblical texts relevant to the question of “Do Jews Have a Divine Right to the Promised Land?”