Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gave another one of his trademark bizarre yet fiery speeches on Thursday, praising the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and declaring that Teheran’s support for the regime won’t waver in the face of broad international condemnation for the brutal bombardment of civilian neighbourhoods in eastern Ghouta. “Syria is on the front lines today; it is our duty to defend the Syrian resistance,” Khamenei declared.

Negotiations between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanahu and his coalition partners to forestall a crisis over the issue of draft deferments for Yeshiva students didn’t go very well, according to sources familiar with the talks. Tourism Minister Yariv Levin (Likud) told the Jerusalem Post on Thursday evening that “at the moment there is no solution.”

Even as the legal problems for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have intensified in recent days, opposition heavyweight Yair Lapid, leader of the Yesh Atid faction in the Knesset, was also reportedly under scrutiny for actions he took during his tenure as Netanyahu’s Finance Minister in the previous governing coalition. Reports in Israeli newspapers indicate that the investigation, initiated this week, revolves around some of the same issues which Netanyahu is being investigated for.

A delegation of Israeli athletes, including two seperate high school teams and their coaches, returned this week from the World Handball Championship for Schools, held in Doha Qatar. They brought with the the third place trophy and had warm praise for their Qatari hosts.

Britain’s Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and grandson of the sitting Monarch, made history Thursday by announcing plans for a state visit to Israel, the West Bank and Jordan later this summer. He will be the first member of the British Royal family to come to Israel since the founding of the modern State. The visit, said an announcement by Kensington Palace, “is at the request of Her Majesty’s Government and has been welcomed by the Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian authorities.”

ISIS may no longer control substantial territory in Syria, but the civil war is far from over. In the last month, nearly all parties to the civil war have been involved in escalatory attacks.

The Washington DC based think tank Foundation for the Defence of Democracies recently held a conference on the growing activities of Iranian-sponsored militias in Syria and Iraq. The implications for the security of Israel and the surrounding Arab countries, as well as policy options for the Western powers and the effect of actions taken by Russia and Turkey in the conflict were all discussed.

The Prophet Ezekiel Calls It an “Ancient Hatred” (Ezekiel 35:5). It is directed against the purposes of God and manifests itself in every form of violence against the Jewish people. As Israel is facing these strenuous times, it is our responsibility as Christians to care for those who have become victims of this horrendous terror.