Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a 40 minute oration to open the Knesset’s winter session Monday morning, covering a variety of topics including relations with the US and Russia, the confrontation with Iran, relations with the Palestinians and domestic issues such as the economy, environment and relations between the Jewish majority and minority groups. His speech was often interrupted by heckling from opposition MKs, several of whom were removed from the chamber due to the disruption they were causing.

Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman was in southern Israel Tuesday morning meeting with senior IDF officers and telling reporters, among other things, that “Now is the time for decisions. My position is very clear: We must deal a heavy blow against Hamas. This is the only way to return the situation to its previous state and to reduce the level of violence to nearly zero.” The statement came amidst efforts by Egypt to persuade the Islamist terror militia Hamas to discontinue its hostile actions towards Israel in order to avoid a larger conflict.

The Quneitra border crossing in the Golan Heights was re-activated on Monday for use by UN personnel, four years after a force of UN military observers fled fighting on the Syrian side which forced the closure of the crossing. “In recent months Israel and the IDF have worked in cooperation with the United Nations and the United States to reopen the crossing out of a commitment to the mission of the UN Disengagement Observer Force,” the IDF said.

Two babies, one from Syria and another from the Palestinian Authority-administered West Bank city of Ramallah, are in Israel this week to receive life-saving surgeries. The child from Syria had previously been given special permission, along with her father, to come to Israel from a refugee center in Cyprus where they were staying after fleeing the civil war in their homeland, but had to return this week for additional treatment. The Palestinian child received a heart transplant donated by the family of a Jewish baby who died recently of a chronic illness.

Among other events at the Knesset on Monday was a recognition of Yom Ha’aliyah, which honors immigration to Israel and the historic role it has played in the State. Created to coincide with the reading of the Torah portion entitled “Lech Lecha” from Genesis 12:1 – 17:27, in synagogues, the day has special meaning for a country whose population can trace its roots to nearly every country in the world. “Israel would not exist without immigrants,” said Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein.

Anti-Semitism is growing increasingly normalized in American society, particularly in progressive circles. Today’s progressive Left, led by Bernie Sanders and others like him, is even further removed from the facts than the Democratic Party was under Clinton. One of the most pernicious effects of this normalization relates to the discourse on Israel.

The Herzliyah Conference is one of the World’s premier events discussing the strategic situation in the Middle East and the role Israel plays in it. The scholars, journalists, diplomats and officials who participated in the 2018 Conference share their thoughts on Israel’s efforts to thwart Iran in Syria, relations with the Palestinians, Israel’s home front and preparations for future conflicts, relations with the US, Russia, Europe and other Great Powers, as well as the Jewish State’s domestic political, social and economic scene. (PDF)

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’.