A hi-level team of diplomats dispatched to the Middle East by US President Donald Trump and led by his son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner was in Jerusalem and Ramallah on Thursday for talks with senior Israeli and Palestinian Authority officials. The term “Two-State solution” was notably absent from public statements by the US team, leading to speculation that the Trump Administration’s approach to the issue would be radically different than the long-held US positions.

Amid dramatic events this week along Israel’s northern border, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman declared during a speech to industry leaders that “Iran, through the Revolutionary Guards, is trying to create a new reality around us with Iranian air and naval bases in Syria, with Shi’ite militias with thousands of mercenaries and precision weapons being produced in Lebanon. The State of Israel does not intend to remain a bystander and accept these attempts.”

The self-described “human rights group” Amnesty International published a statement Wednesday criticizing the Palestinian Authority and the Islamist terror militia Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, for their brutal crackdowns on Palestinian journalists. “The last few months have seen a sharp escalation in attacks by the Palestinian authorities in the West Bank and Hamas in Gaza, on journalists and the media in a bid to silence dissent,” said Magdalena Mughrabi, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Amnesty International. “This is a chilling setback for freedom of expression in Palestine.”

Amanda Hanna, who just last week won the title of Miss Lebanon, had her title taken away from her by pageant officials after it became known that she visited Israel with her Swedish passport last year. In addition to the visit, which is a violation of Lebanese civil law due to the ongoing official state of war between Lebanon and Israel dating back to 1948, Hanna was sharply criticized by Lebanese media outlets for posting positive comments about the Jewish State on her Facebook profile.

Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel’s main travel outlet to the world, was named by Travel and Leisure magazine this week as one of the top ten best airports in the world for the services it provides. Several Israeli hotels and tourism centers also earned high praise from the prestigious magazine.

The attitude toward Iran’s behavior must be changed: missile tests, increased presence in Syria, the transfer of weapons to Hezbollah, and the establishment of missile manufacturing plants in Lebanon and Syria. All these things must be answered with determination.

Watch videos showing how the men and women of the Israel Defense Forces train and prepare to defend the Jewish State against enemies far and near.