Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered preparations be made to implement martial law Wednesday evening as massive crowds continued to pour into the streets of Iranian cities to protest against his regime’s economic policies. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, meanwhile, tweeted that “#Iran’s corrupt regime is wasting the country’s resources on Assad, Hizbollah, Hamas & Houthis, while Iranians struggle. It should surprise no one #IranProtests continue. People are tired of the corruption, injustice & incompetence of their leaders. The world hears their voice.”

Britain’s Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, wrapped up his successful trip to Israel on Thursday with a morning visit to several sites in Jerusalem’s Old City, including the Church of St. Mary Magdalene and the tomb of his great-grandmother Princess Alice of Battenberg, the Western Wall, the Temple Mount and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The mornings events followed Wednesday afternoon’s visit to Ramallah to meet Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

The US Army selected Israel’ Trophy active defense system (APS) to install in its main battle tanks this week in an initial contract worth $193 million. Tel Aviv based Rafael Advanced Defense Systems said in its announcement of the contract that it was finalized “in support of immediate operational requirements,” and US officials said it is possible that more such contracts are in the pipeline. Meanwhile, Israel and Indonesia agreed to rescind travel bans on each other this week, paving the way for increased bi-lateral tourism.

Diplomatic tension between Israel and Poland over a law in the latter country making it a crime to use the phrase “Polish concentration camps” or otherwise assign blame for the Holocaust to Polish citizens receded this week after the law was amended by an overwhelming parliamentary vote. Israeli leaders applauded the move and expressed hopes that the two countries would move past bad feelings produced by the original law.

Following the withdrawal of the US from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva earlier this month, Israel also quietly began boycotting the sessions of the agency. One diplomatic official characterized the move as a strategic decision by Israel “to lower its profile” at the UNHRC, while still keeping channels of communication open. In related news, the Israeli Non-Profit “Save a Child’s Heart” which facilitates medical care for children in Israeli hospitals, regardless of where they’re from, recently won a UN Population Award for service to humanity.

The secularization of European and American societies has coincided with a marked rise in anti-Jewish sentiment in the Western world. University campuses in urban centers are at the heart of this hostility. This is not a coincidence given that these spaces are the least Bible-literate in America and Europe.

Right now, a perfect storm does not appear to be on the horizon. But as the sanctions increase and go into effect and the economic crisis worsens, circumstances may be created that could undermine the current stability of the regime.

Coming to Israel with a tour group? Consider visiting the ICEJ offices as part of your touring schedule while in Jerusalem. The ICEJ welcomes groups and individuals to visit our offices and to see first hand what God is doing through our work in Israel.