US President Donald Trump issued a statement congratulating incumbent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his successful re-election campaign late Wednesday, saying “The fact that Bibi won, I think we’ll see some pretty good action in terms of peace.” US National Security Adviser John Bolton added in a separate statement that the US administration will unveil its peace plan, dubbed the “deal of the century” in the “very near future.”

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a fiery statement on Wednesday denouncing the recent US designation of the Islamist Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist organization. The clerical regime issued a separate statement declaring that it has designated the the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) as a terrorist organization and the US government as a sponsor of terror.

The effort to Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BDS) Israel suffered more defeats this week when Nico Delvaux, president and CEO of the Swedish Assa Abloy conglomerate, arrived in the country to inspect some of the many investments his company has here, including the Mul-T-Lock plant in Yavne and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, which is secured by Assa Abloy security equipment. The visit is meant to explore opportunities for expansion, promising more jobs in both Israel and Sweden in the near future.

Researchers at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University recently announced that a study they participated in with other international medical researchers has found that a treatment long administered to patients suffering from AIDS is also helpful in treating various forms of dementia. The research will soon enter the clinical trials stage. Also this week, it was announced that Israel-based ELTA Systems, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), has been awarded contracts to construct and upgrade surveillance systems for dozens of off-shore oil platforms in Mexico and the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago.

Israelis were looking forward to a historic evening Thursday as the Beresheet (Hebrew for Genesis) spacecraft is scheduled to land on the Moon, making Israel the fourth country to accomplish a lunar landing after the US, the former Soviet Union and China. SpaceIL, the private company behind the project, has set up a livestream website for those wishing to view it. The website can be accessed by clicking HERE.

The final absentee ballots have not yet been counted in Israel’s election, but the results so far indicate that Benjamin Netanyahu is well on his way toward cobbling together the 61-seat majority needed to form a new governing coalition. This would give Netanyahu an unprecedented fifth term as Israel’s prime minister. Netanyahu’s apparent victory means that the White House rollout of the plan could be imminent. That would be a disaster.

The U.S. decision to designate the IRGC as a terror organization, if ultimately adopted, will bring the United States and Iran closer to confrontation. Regime opponents – within and outside Iran who see the IRGC as the root of the regime’s evil – can take encouragement from the Trump administration’s resolve to continue the fight against the regime.

Since the foundation of the ICEJ, we have targeted some 20% of our aid funds to assist the needs of the Arab, Druze and Bedouin minorities who make up a corresponding proportion of Israel’s population. Please support our efforts to help bridge the social gaps within Israeli society by assisting these precious communities.