Following a tense morning, which saw thousands of Moslem residents gathering outside the entrances to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City but refusing to enter through the metal detectors placed there following last Friday’s shooting attack hat killed two Israel police officers, Moslem prayers were held in the streets and open spaces near the Mount. Shortly after they ended, violent riots erupted near Lions Gate and some neighborhoods of eastern Jerusalem, as some Islamic leaders urged their followers to revolt while others counseled patience.

A controversy over the purchase of three submarines, which has come up from the depths of Israel’s military procurement infrastructure, will not result in the contract being cancelled, according to a statement this week by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. However, the Memorandum of Understanding between the IDF Navy and the German defense giant ThyssenKrupp was delayed this week as the German government continues its investigation of corruption allegations surrounding the deal.

In the latest defeat for efforts to Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BDS) Israel, the British Council and British Embassy in Tel Aviv held an event on Wednesday to celebrate the Britain Israel Research Academic Exchange (BIRAX) program, which has already resulted in increased bi-lateral trade and academic exchanges, while the medical research conducted under the auspices of the project has benefitted millions of people worldwide. “Both countries are science superpowers, but we can achieve more by working together,” said British Ambassador to Israel David Quarrey.

Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat hosted the president of the International Children’s Games, an annual tournament similar to the Olympics, in Jerusalem this week to formally accept the invitation to host the 2018 rendition of the Games. Children ages 12-15 from around the world will compete in dozens of sports and cultural events as part of the Games, which Barkat declared would be “a great opportunity to present Jerusalem and Israel in a positive context through sports.”

Archeologists digging in the central Israeli city of Rosh Ha’ayin discovered a 2,700-year-old reservoir from the Assyrian period this week. “In antiquity, rainwater collection and storage was a fundamental necessity,” explained Gilad Itach, Director of Excavations at the Antiquities Authority.  He added that the structure was consistent with other ancient infrastructure sites discovered in the area that “were probably erected after the destruction of the Kingdom of Israel in 720 BC, when the Assyrian empire dominated the region.”

While the Temple Mount is the holiest site for Jews and one of the holiest sites for Muslims, it is also the scene of one of the greatest charades of the last 50 years. Israel might officially rule the territory that encompasses the Temple Mount, but it does not have it in its hands – that only Jewish and foreign visitors were required until this week to go through metal detectors while Muslim visitors did not, is just one example.

Watch videos giving details of Israel’s archeological treasures, from Biblical times to the formation of the modern State of Israel in the 20th Century.