Sorrow and Hope

Dispatch from Jerusalem

No Other Choice

A number of common threads run through the chronicles of the wars Israel fought in her infancy years. The first three decades of the newly reborn state’s existence alone saw her forced into three major wars—each fought from a desperate, back-against-the-wall, outmanned and outgunned, slim-chance-of-victory position. All three brought a ganged up, multiple-army enemy boasting

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The Ghost Army

From 1939 to 1945, over 30 nations of the world contributed their best and brightest to the over 100 million military personnel who would engage in the deadliest conflict in human history. World War ll would claim the lives of over 60 million people, 40 million of them civilians. The Holocaust, Hitler’s genocidal attempt to

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Hanukkah Latkes

The majority of holidays in Israel are synonymous with feasting on specific festive foods and traditional dishes. Hanukkah is no different. During the eight-day Festival of Light (celebrated this year from November 28 to December 6), Israel indulges in deep-fried delicacies. This is to commemorate the one portion of consecrated oil lasting eight days during

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An Ancient Hatred in Modern Times

Humanity should have learned its lesson—after the Crusades, the pogroms and most definitely after the Holocaust. Yet here we are: a so-called progressive society crediting itself with tolerance and respect for human rights, still battling the most ancient of hatreds—anti-Semitism—in modern times. Sadly, the hallmarks of 2021 include a shocking surge in anti-Semitism sweeping the

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Israeli-developed Robotaxis to Debut in Munich Next Year

Driverless robotaxis are set to hit the streets of Munich next year, courtesy of Israeli autonomous-driving technology giant Mobileye and partners. Plans for the robotaxi service were recently unveiled at the IAA Mobility Conference in Munich. Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger and Sixt SE Co-CEO Alexander Sixt announced the collaboration, which will see riders being able

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Temple Mount: The Status Quo

The Temple Mount—where Solomon first built a “house” for worshiping the God of the Bible, where Jesus (Yeshua) walked, where the biblical book of Isaiah says there will be a house of prayer for all nations—is the holiest site in all of Judaism. Yet access to the Temple Mount today is restricted for Jews, and

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Har Herzl: Mount of Remembrance

Situated next to the Jerusalem Forest on the western side of the city stands a hill—Har (Mount) Herzl, the site of Israel’s national cemetery, where the bodies of fallen soldiers and prime ministers are buried. It is a peaceful oasis within a vibrant and bustling city; a place where one can come and reflect on

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Evangelicals and Israel: A Friendship Made to Last?

Some might think that evangelical Christians and Israeli Jews make strange bedfellows. After all, Christian support for Israel seems to fly in the face of centuries of Christian belief that God has defaulted on His covenant promise to return the Jewish people to their ancient homeland and has instead replaced them with Christianity as the

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A Year after the Accords: The Blossoming Fruits of Peace

The historic signing of the Abraham Accords between Israel, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain on the White House lawn on September 15, 2020, ushered in a new era of peace between Israel and her Arab neighbors that in the year since has continued to grow and flourish. In the precarious neighborhood of the

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Meet the President

On July 7, 2021, Israel bid farewell to the tenth president of Israel, Reuven Rivlin, affectionately known as “Ruvi.” As the bronze likeness of the former president was officially unveiled at Beit HaNasi, the presidential residence in Jerusalem, across town at the Knesset (Parliament), preparations were already underway to usher in the eleventh president of

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