The Spokesman’s Office for the Jerusalem District Court announced Tuesday afternoon that incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trial on charges of fraud, bribery and breach of trust will commence on 17 March, just two weeks after the Knesset elections. The trial will be held before a panel of three judges Blue and White leader Benny Gantz reacted to the news by saying it was a sad day for the country, but added that it was necessary for Netanyahu to accept his inevitable removal from power because being on trial meant that he would not have time to run the country.

As unofficial polls and near-daily street demonstrations continue to show tremendous popular discontent with the clerical regime which rules Iran, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made a televised speech on Tuesday in which he declared that “Participating in elections and voting… is a religious duty, not just a national or revolutionary duty. Elections nullify many of the vicious plots the Americans have in their minds and Zionists have in their hearts against the country. Watch how the people favour the election despite the enemies’ insistence on distancing the people from the system.” Elections are scheduled to take place in Iran on Friday.

Israeli defense companies are increasing their sales and cooperative activities with the Indian military and its domestic defense industry, with several large contracts being signed in recent months. The cooperation is seen as an important strategic asset for the Jewish State as its neighbors are making similar moves with traditional great powers in Europe and Asia.

The Housing Ministry filed a request recently for the construction of 9,000 Israeli homes in the Atarot area of eastern Jerusalem, according to a press statement by activist groups opposed to settlements. The proposal must be approved, in a process which can take several years, before construction can even begin.

Near-daily downpours of rain in central Israel have had the effect, among other things, of filling up ritual baths used by Jewish pilgrims visiting Jerusalem during the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry. The pools “date back to the early Roman period, or late Second Temple period, but were used later as well,” Dr. Yonatan Adler, a visiting associate professor at Yale University and an expert in ancient ritual baths, told the Jerusalem Post. “Mikvehs were not necessarily connected to Jerusalem, people immersed themselves for ritual purity all over. We have uncovered around 1,000 ritual baths around the country. However, most of them were built in villages or next to other facilities such as vineyards. These two pools are in the middle of nowhere except for the main road to the city.”

Iran sees itself as involved in a total war with the U.S., a fact made clear by the constant statements from the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, calling the U.S. “satanic” and “evil.” For Tehran’s leaders, this is a religious–ideological struggle to the death. To win it, the U.S. will have to fight it on those terms, which starts with refusing to unilaterally abandon all the non-diplomatic options it has at its disposal.

Two weeks before Israelis are going to the polls for the third time in a year, Attila Somfalvi, a visiting fellow at INSS, spoke to Yehuda Ben Meir, a senior research fellow and the former Israeli foreign minister deputy. Will the severe crisis in the political system come to an end? Does the “Deal of the Century” influence the voters and can Benjamin Netanyahu still present himself as “Mr. Security?”

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