A tense calm greeted Gaza border residents Wednesday morning following a cease-fire agreement the previous evening following 48 hours in which over 460 rockets and mortars were fired into Israel from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip and the IDF hit approximately 160 terror targets in the Strip. Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman objected to accepting a cease-fire, prompting him to resign his position and setting in motion a series of political maneuvers fueling speculation about the possibility of early elections.

Jerusalemites awoke Wednesday morning to the news that city councilman Moshe Lion had achieved a victory in the previous day’s run-off election against councilman Ofer Berkovitch, garnering a mere 6,500 more votes in a race which saw historically low turnout. “I will be mayor of all, even those who have not chosen me,” Lion said following the announcement of the results, in an apparent effort to push back against accusations by his predecessor, outgoing mayor Nir Barkat, that he is a “puppet” of the ultra-orthodox political factions which backed him in the race.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) issued a report on Tuesday projecting that the inflation rate in Iran will increase by 40% by the end of 2018, fueling the massive economic recession which the Islamic Republic is already suffering from. “This largely reflects the expected impact of the reimposition of U.S. sanctions on Iran, which is likely to reduce Iranian oil production and exports significantly over the next two years at least,” the IMF said.

The movement to Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BDS) Israel suffered another defeat this week when Franklin Templeton Investments, one of the world’s largest investment management companies, opened an office in the Jewish State. “Franklin Templeton views Israel as a unique and important growth market,” said Jenny Johnson, president and COO of Franklin Templeton Investments.

Israel marked World Diabetes Day on Wednesday by taking note of the many medical breakthroughs make the disease more manageable for the estimated 425 million adults around the world who have been diagnosed with it. The developments include an “insulin pill” which allows people to avoid painful and expensive injections, developed by Israeli researchers at company called Oramed. Another company, Caesarea-based DarioHealth Corp., developed new software which helps people dealing with diabetes to personalize their treatments.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should not be allowed to become Israel’s defense minister. There have to be limits to what the prime minister is able to do. He currently serves as the prime minister, the foreign minister and the health minister. Taking upon himself the defense portfolio – as some sources in the Likud Party suggested Wednesday – would be irresponsible especially when considering that there are other members of the coalition qualified to take up the role in place of outgoing defense minister Avigdor Liberman.

Last week, authorities in Denmark arrested an individual suspected of planning an assassination there on behalf of the Iranian regime, one of several similar plots uncovered in other parts of Europe in recent years. What implications do such threats have for U.S. and international efforts to counter Tehran’s sponsorship of terrorist activities around the world?

The Aliyah numbers have increased rapidly over the past few years due to wars and anti-Semitic aggression around the world. The ICEJ is leading the way in helping many more Jews come home to the land of their fathers. Please join the ICEJ in responding to this urgent need!

In yestarday’s news bulliten we reported that an Israeli citizen had been killed by rocket attacks from the Hamas ruled Gaza Strip, but this was incorrect. The individual killed when a rocket hit a building in Ashkelon Monday evening was a 48-year-old Palestinian man from Hebron named Mahmoud Abu Asba, who was working in Israel but was not a citizen. The ICEJ requests that our supporters pray for the wife and six children this man left behind.