The NGO “Our Soldier’s Speak” hosted a delegation of military officers  this week from the US Army’s Special Operations Command, military intelligence and Coast Guard as well as Congressional staffers, officers from the Swiss military and UN legal experts. The s will visit the Knesset, Supreme Court and various other important sites, while receiving briefings on Israel’s security situation, diplomatic and legal efforts as well as the history and culture of the country.

In another defeat for the effort to Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BDS) Israel, the prestigious Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) announced Tuesday that it is launching a center of excellence, it’s first outside mainland China, at Israel’s bar-Ilan University. “This significant collaboration, amounting to several million yuan, ultimately aims to create opportunities for new jobs,” said Bar-Ilan’s Prof. Dror Fixler. “This is an initiative that will lead to the economic growth of both China and Israel.”

Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement on Wednesday regarding a delegation it sent to the African country of Chad earlier this month. The statement gave details of meetings the Israeli delegation had with their Chadian counterparts designed to facilitate the transfer of Israeli-developed technology and techniques in fields such as agriculture, water management and education. Advisory meetings were also held with officials from the ministries of Economy, Finance, Energy and Mines, as well as local business leaders, with participation by representatives from the World Bank and the US Embassy in Chad.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo addressed the UN Security Council session on Middle East peace and security challenges Tuesday, calling out the Iranian regime and its proxies around the region for  fomenting “terror and unrest” in conflicts in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen “with devastating humanitarian consequences.” Iran’s UN Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi said during his own remarks to the Security Council to accuse the US of destabilizing the Middle East by deploying forces there and sending an “unbridled flow of American weaponry” to Iran’s regional enemies.

A report was published Wednesday in the London-based Asharq al-Awsatnewspaper saying that Israel has struck Iranian-backed militias and military bases in Iraq three times in recent weeks with the knowledge and approval of both the US and Russia. The report follows several statements by Israeli officials broadly hinting that the Jewish State is ready to expand its campaign against Iran to other theaters following hundreds of such strikes against Iranian targets in Syria over recent years.

Ask someone at random what Israel should do to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the answer you’re most likely to get is “end the occupation.” For most Westerners, this means the West Bank (acquired by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War). However, for most Palestinians the occupation is not limited to the West Bank, but consists of “historic Palestine,” which includes the whole of Israel. For most Palestinians, the occupation began in 1948 when Israel was born, and they won’t be satisfied by anything less than the elimination of the State of Israel.

The Jerusalem Marathon is a great time to be in the Israeli capital, with runners from all over the world. The marathon is scheduled for Friday, 20 March 2020. Run For Zion is an initiative to increase Christian participation in this annual run through the streets of Jerusalem.

Dr. Jacques P. Gauthier is a Canadian lawyer whose life’s work has been devoted to a thesis proving the legitimacy of the Jewish claim to Jerusalem under international law. In his first ever presentation to a Christian audience, this thorough analysis of the Jewish people’s legal claim to their capital was given at the ICEJ’s Feast of Tabernacles celebration of 2010.