As demonstrations continued on the streets of Teheran and other Iranian cities Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a video in which he encouraged Iran’s population to be strong and of good courage. He also addressed the foreign adventures the clerical regime in Teheran have engaged in, spending money and resources abroad while the economic situation at home has deteriorated, a point many protesters seem to be keenly aware of.

Britain’s Prince William concluded his first full day in Israel with a rousing speech Tuesday evening at the British ambassador’s residence in Ramat Gan, telling the assembled Israeli officials, diplomats and journalists that Israel had a “remarkable story” but that it can look forward to “a much more hopeful future” adding that “the ties between the United Kingdom and Israel have never been stronger.”

The chief of Jerusalem’s Magistrate Court announced on Tuesday that the trial of Sara Netanyahu on charges of fraud and breach of public trust will commence on 19 July, far sooner than had been expected. Her lawyer, Yossi Cohen, derided the charges against his client as being “ridiculous and bizarre” when the indictment was announced and analysts opinions on the political ramifications for her husband, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, vary widely.

In the latest defeat for the movement to Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BDS) Israel, US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry and Israeli Minister of Energy Yuval Steinitz officially launched the US-Israel Center of Excellence in Energy, Engineering and Water Technology center on Monday. “The partnership between our two countries has long advanced the cause of freedom, dignity, and peace and, as we are highlighting today, the joint quest for science and innovation,” said Perry.

The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit announced Tuesday evening that 13 rockets had been fired into Israel from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. The announcement added that the rockets, three of which were shot down by the Iron Dome system, were probably in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike on the vehicle of a terrorist believed to be the leader of a team which has sent dozens of incendiary devices into Israel via kites and balloons over recent weeks. Hamas issued its own statement blaming Israel for the situation.

Since 1997, Iran’s Islamic regime has used “social engineering” to persuade people to take part in elections and vote for reformists against conservatives, reformists they believe will improve both political and economic conditions in Iran. By using this tactic, the regime can show the world that there is democracy in Iran, but in fact the structure of Iran’s theocratic political system is too rigid to allow real democratic change. Only one person, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the IRGC have the power to decide domestic and international policies.

Decades of poor resource management, lax enforcement of pollution regulations, under investment in recycling and other eco-friendly technology coupled with a multi-year drought have left Iran’s physical environment in a state of severe crisis. A booming population is making ever increasing demands for physical resources including water and arable land, putting additional stress on the system. A panel of experts discusses the ramifications for Iran’s ruling regime and its regional neighbors.

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