A team of archeologists from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, announced this week that they have uncovered ancient relics supporting the Biblical account of the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem in 587/586 BC. “The team believes that the newly-found deposit can be dated to the specific event of the conquest because of the unique mix of artifacts and materials found — pottery and lamps, side-by-side with evidence of the Babylonian siege represented by burnt wood and ashes, and a number of Scythian-type bronze and iron arrowheads which are typical of that period,” the UNC archaeological team wrote in a statement.

United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination held a session in Geneva on Tuesday which included a statement calling the Palestinian Authority to task. “Several NGO reports pointed out antisemitic and anti-Israel prejudice and incitement to hatred, especially in the [Palestinian] media and speeches of state officials. Can the state party [the PA] provide any explanation in this regard?” asked committee member Chinsung Chung of South Korea, who serves as the special rapporteur for the PA review by the committee.

A demonstration against Israel’s policy regarding the Hamas terror militia which rules the Gaza Strip took place outside the main public entrance to the Knesset on Wednesday, highlighted by a 10-meter tall inflated chicken with the words “putting an end to fear, demanding an Israeli victory” emblazoned on its chest. The balloon was placed at the protest by an NGO called the Israel Victory Project (IVP) and follows threats by Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who told a crowd in the Gazan city of Khan Younis on Tuesday evening that Hamas would “shower” Israeli cities with missiles in any future confrontation.

Palestinian public opinion clearly distinguishes between perceived rights and realities. Results from a new poll conducted June 27-July 15 show very mixed views on long-term peace issues among Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. The “two-state solution” has lost majority support. Yet if that option were available, most Palestinians in those territories would be willing to compromise on the core refugee issue. And only a very small minority want to live in Israel, support a “one-state solution” with equal rights for all, or expect Israel would ever agree to that idea.