An IDF artillery unit fired on a position occupied by forces loyal to Syria’s Assad regime near the security line in the northern Golan Heights Monday in response to a mortar shell which landed in Israeli territory. The incident came amidst a visit to Israel by US CENTCOM Commander General Joseph Votel and a warning from Russia that Israel risks “catastrophic consequences” if it continues attacks on the regime.

As US President Donald Trump prepares to host leaders from France and Germany this week to discuss, among other things, the JCPOA nuclear deal with Iran, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani issued a statement Tuesday that the US needs to retain the deal. “I am telling those in the White House that if they do not live up to their commitments, the Iranian government will firmly react,” Rouhani said. “If anyone betrays the deal, they should know that they would face severe consequences.”

In yet another defeat for the movement to Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BDS) Israel the Kauffman Fellows, a US-based NGO, hosted a gathering this week of around 280 venture capitalists in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to seek out opportunities to invest in the Jewish State. Meanwhile, internationally known supermodel Karlie Kloss and her boyfriend Joshua Kushner were vacationing in Jerusalem this week, posting several photos to social media and advising her followers about what a great place Israel is to visit.

The Knesset’s committee for Arab affairs, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and led by Minister for Social Equality Gila Gamliel, convened a meeting Monday and announced a NIS 20 million grant for creating opportunities for hi-tech businesses in the Arab sector.  The cabinet announcement stated, “The plan is projected to create conditions for adding thousands of new jobs in development, software, and services and will contribute to narrowing the gap between supply and demand of employment in Arab society.”

17-year-old Israeli twins Gilad and Neta Drori developed software and equipment which allows forest fires to be detected in their early stages, allowing authorities to contain them more quickly and potentially save lives and property. The system the built was unveiled at the “Young Engineer” conference at the Technion in early April. The conference was an initiative of the ORT Israel Sci-Tech Schools Network and sponsored by Lockheed Martin.

Russia and Turkey, whose elites share so many similarities in perspective and their approach to the outside world, act united in their resolution to put their bilateral relations on a firm and strategically coherent foundation. Conditions for deeper cooperation are ripe as never before.

Youssef Haddad, now 32, a Christian Arab from Nazareth, joined the IDF at the age of 18 and served in the Golani Brigade. He was wounded in the 2nd Lebanon War and upon his discharge found another way to serve his country: combating the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign and improving ties between Israeli Arabs and the state.

Since the early 1980s, the ICEJ has helped more than 117,000  Jews immigrate (make “Aliyah”) to Israel. From launching protests outside Soviet embassies worldwide to sponsoring charter flights, the ICEJ continues to play a key role in the Jewish people’s return ‘home’.