INTERCEPTED: Terrorists recently fired another barrage of rockets from Gaza toward the Israeli city of Ashkelon. We intercepted the rockets with the Iron Dome Aerial Defense System, and are now striking Hamas terror targets. In response to the continuous rocket fire from the Gaza into Israel, we have now struck numerous Hamas terror targets in Gaza, including: 2 rocket launchers 2 military posts 8 Hamas terror operatives Terror targets civilians. We target terror. After terrorists in Gaza fired a barrage of rockets at central and southern Israel over the past few hours, we just struck 3 Hamas terrorists in Gaza. We hold the Palestinian terror group Hamas in Gaza accountable for this serious aggression against us.

Attached photo credit: Amos Ben-Gershom (GPO) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently holding a security consultation, at the Kirya in Tel Aviv, with the Defense Minister, the IDF Chief-of-Staff, the head of the Israeli Security Agency, the head of the National Security Council and other senior officials.

President Rivlin on the clashes in Jerusalem: “I support and thank the men and women of the Israel Police and Border Guard for their efforts to keep the peace and ensure security on the streets of Jerusalem. Today, even more so.” “The State of Israel respects freedom of worship and will continue to do so, but will not stand by in the face of public order disturbances, acts of sabotage and support for terrorism. This is the time to ensure that the sanctity of Jerusalem is respected by all those who love the city. The State of Israel will continue to protect and cherish Jerusalem by through respecting the various beliefs.” Attached photo credit: Haim Zach (GPO) President Rivlin: “I would like to recall the commitment of the State of Israel to the return of Avera Mengistu, together with the others who are missing and being held captive. Avera has been held hostage by Hamas for nearly seven years, and his fate is unknown. Our hearts are with him and his family.” President of Israel Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin today, Monday 10 May / 28 Iyyar, delivered remarks at the official memorial ceremony for the Ethiopian Jews who lost their lives on their way to Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Immigrant Absorption Pnina Tamano-Shata, also spoke at the ceremony, held at Har Herzl. At the beginning of his remarks, the president spoke about the heavy clashes happening on the Temple Mount now, saying, “I support and thank the men and women of the Israel Police and Border Guard for their efforts to keep the peace and ensure security on the streets of Jerusalem. Today, even more so. The State of Israel respects freedom of worship and will continue to do so, but will not stand by in the face of public order disturbances, acts of sabotage and support for terrorism. Jerusalem is dear to us all, it is a city of holiness, a city of peace, a city whose name is peace. This is the time to ensure that the sanctity of Jerusalem is respected by all those who love the city. As a city of belief, a city of prayer. The State of Israel will continue to protect and cherish Jerusalem by through respecting the various beliefs, ‘for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all people.’(Isaiah 56:7)” Today, we remember the men and women, Ethiopian Jews who dreamed of Jerusalem, who wondered at her, who took the dangerous path, long and hard, for her, but like Moses were not to see her. We pay our respects to all those men and women, boys and girls, dreamers, who wished to build their home and shape their future in this house, in this city, together with all parts of this people. Israeli society is in an ongoing process of building and shaping, for more than 70 years. That process involves knowing and mixing together the diversity of communities and tribes, a complex process that is not easy, sometimes demanding special solutions in order to deal with complicated issues. But it seems to me that, in the long term, our ability to continue developing and establishing our model Israeli society, while preserving the integrity of our shared home, is stagnating. The president noted that, “there is no doubt that each tribe, each community and each group has different needs and wants. At times, we do not agree with each other. Sometimes, we do not see reality in the same way. But we all have the understanding that we are brothers and sisters, and that we can overcome our differences and unite in times of trouble. That is why it is at times like this, when we are called upon to deal with ourselves, with the threat from home, that we must carry the testament of those who lost their lives in our hearts, and our commitment to them here in Jerusalem, in Israel. Establishing and building Israeli society is a long and ongoing task, but we have earned it. That is what allowed us to establish homes and families, to make the desert flourish, to dream dreams and to turn Israel into the leading country that it is today.” “I would like to recall the commitment of the State of Israel to the return of Avera Mengistu, together with the others who are missing and being held captive,” said the president at the end of his remarks. “Avera has been held hostage by Hamas for nearly seven years, and his fate is unknown. Our hearts are with him and his family. May he return soon, so we can say the words of the prophet Isaiah about Jerusalem: ‘Lift up your eyes and look around; all your children gather and come to you.‘ (Isaiah 49:18)”

"We are in a fight on several fronts: Jerusalem, Gaza and elsewhere in the country. This evening, on Jerusalem Day, the terrorist organizations in Gaza have crossed a red line and attacked us with missiles in the outskirts of Jerusalem. "We are currently witnessing violent disturbances in Jerusalem under the influence of agitators. Following is an excerpt from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks, today (Monday, 10 May 2021), at the main Jerusalem Day ceremony at Ammunition Hill: Israel will respond with great force. We will not tolerate attacks on our territory, on our capital, on our citizens and on our soldiers. Whoever attacks us will pay a heavy price. I say to you, citizens of Israel, the current conflict could continue for some time. We do not seek escalation but whoever chooses to escalate will feel the weight of our arm. I cannot tell you about the assessments that I am holding with the security elements or about the actions that we are carrying out. This is an uncompromising fight that stems from a view of the overall picture. We are waging it with determination, responsibility and understanding. We will not fall into the traps of our enemies and we are not beholden to the keyboards of Twitter users. The test of leadership requires that the right decisions be made even when they are not understood at any given moment and their justification becomes clear later on. Whoever is incapable of leading and withstanding the pressure of criticism is unfit for leadership. We will carefully choose the timing of our response and the force of the confrontation with our enemies. This is not new."

2020.10.24 The President of the United States announced just announced on Twitter a huge victory for America and world peace today. Sudan has agreed to a peace and normalization agreement with Israel! In the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, three Arab countries will in just three weeks. More will follow! The high level of the U.S. government to promote Israel to engage Israel, these three Arab countries in just three weeks to establish diplomatic relations with Israel, proves that Israel's persistence is right, they have always treated Arab countries with friendship, now more Arab countries see Israel's sincerity, certainly enough for the President in which some too much effort, God bless the grandchildren of Abraham, bless Israel!

`Who was the “Glorious Martyr”? A magnificent 1500-year-old church, decorated with spectacular mosaic floors and Greek inscriptions, was discovered in Ramat Beit Shemesh VIDEO *A mosaic inscription was found dedicating the site to an unnamed “glorious martyr” * An additional inscription was found mentioning a donation received from Emperor Tiberius II * A unique cross-shaped baptismal font was also revealed * The archaeological excavation of the Israel Antiquities Authority was financed by the Israel Ministry of Construction and Housing, in preparation for the expansion of the city of Beit Shemesh, in the new neighborhood "Neve Shamir 2"* The excavation was completed primarily through the hard work of thousands of youths from around the country *A new exhibition opening tonight (Wednesday) at the Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem (BLMJ) will present selected finds from the excavation to the public *The exhibition will be unveiled during the opening ceremony of the 13th annual “New Studies in the Archaeology of Jerusalem and its Region” conference, with lectures about the excavation. *Who was the “Glorious Martyr” immortalized by the Greek inscription, i whose memory this magnificent church was built and later enlarged under the patronage of the Byzantine Emperor Tiberius II himself? This mystery has fixated archaeologists of the Israel Antiquities Authority for the past three years during excavations conducted in Ramat Beit Shemesh, financed by Jerusalem district in The Israel Ministry of Construction and Housing and the CPM Corporation.
The Ministry of Construction and Housing has invested approximately 70 million NIS in the excavations, conservation and development of archaeological parks as part of the construction of the new neighborhood, of which approximately 7 million NIS were allocated for this excavation. Today (Wednesday), the IAA unveils the finds to the public in a new exhibition - “The Glorious Martyr,” in collaboration with the Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem (BLMJ). Archaeological excavations revealed remains of an impressive Byzantine church founded some 1,500 years ago. The church was adorned with spectacular mosaics intricately designed with leaves, fruit, birds, and geometrical elements. The walls of the church were decorated with colorful frescoes and lofty pillars crowned with impressive capitals, some of which may have been imported. The excavations exposed an architectural complex spread over 1.5 dunams. Excavations in the center of the site revealed a church built according to a basilica plan – an elongated structure lined with two rows of columns that divided the internal space into three sections – a central nave flanked by two halls. A spacious courtyard (atrium) was found just outside the church’s entrance. The primary stage of the church’s construction occurred during the reign of Emperor Justinian in the 6th century CE (527-565). Later, during the reign of Emperor Tiberius II Constantine, an exquisite side chapel was added. A fascinating inscription found intact in the courtyard dedicated the church to a “glorious martyr.” According to Benjamin Storchan, director of excavation on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, "the martyr’s identity is not known, but the exceptional opulence of the structure and its inscriptions indicate that this person was an important figure. Storchan adds, “Only a few churches in Israel have been discovered with fully intact crypts. The crypt served as an underground burial chamber that apparently housed the remains (relics) of the martyr. The crypt was accessed via parallel staircases – one leading down into the chamber, the other leading back up into the prayer hall. This enabled large groups of Christian pilgrims to visit the place.” The crypt itself was once lined with marble slabs, giving it an impressive appearance. According to Storchan, the site’s importance is affirmed by the expansion carried out under the patronage of Emperor Tiberius II Constantine (574-582 CE). A Greek inscription discovered at the site states that the expansion of the church was completed with his financial support. “Numerous written sources attest to imperial funding for churches in Israel, however, little is known from archaeological evidence such as dedicatory inscriptions like the one found in Beit Shemesh,” says Storchan. “Imperial involvement in the building’s expansion is also evoked by the image of a large eagle with outspread wings – the symbol of the Byzantine Empire – which appears in one of the mosaics.”

The Archaeological excavation of the site was mostly performed by thousands of teenagers, who came to dig as part of the IAA's educational vision- aiming to connect Israeli youth to their haritage. The teens came to dig as part of their national service and IDF preparation programs, or through their high schools- as part of Israeli studies Large groups of Mashatsim - Young Shelach Leaders, also participated

Attached photo credit: Koby Gideon (GPO) Israel President Reuven (Ruvu) Rivlin , Sunday, Sunday 6 October / 7 Tishrei, the 27th Bible Study Group of the 929 project, which offers ongoing reading of the Bible from the perspective of Israeli society. The subject off this evening’s meeting was ‘Renew Our Days as of Old – Belief in Personal and National Renewal’. Rabbi Benny Lau of 929, authors Eli Amir and Emunah Elon and representatives of the Ohr Lamishpachot organization will also participate in the event. In his remarks, the president spoke about the passage ‘Turn us back to You, O Lord, and we will be restored; Renew our days as of old’ (Eicha/Lamentations 5:21), saying, “This is a verse full of hope an belief in our ability to repent and to renew, both as individuals and as a people. But only on the face of it. The beauty of the verse is really in its movement back and forth." He continued, "What does it mean to renew our days as of old? How can you be so renewed when you go backwards? The answer, in my opinion, is it is only in this way that we can be renewed. Only by deepening our roots in the Earth, only with a steadfast grip can you build new buildings. Without the ‘of old’ we cannot renew, and this is true both as individuals and as a nation. Just as renewal is ‘as of old’ the secret of our repentance is in our ability to go back. To return. To be in touch with the fundamentals. To believe that innocence is possible.” At the end of his remarks, the president said: "As we face this new year, the winds of change are blowing over us all. After two tough, difficult elections, it seems that new days are ahead, and even we do not yet know what they bring, we can already see and guess the change and the movement. What was, is probably not what is going to be. It is true that not everything is perfect and there a number of distortions and difficulties that require attention. But in moments of crisis and movement, we must remember that the foundations exist, that they are strong, and that on them alone we will rebuild. Shana Tova (Happy New Year) and Gmar Chatima Tova (A Good and Final Inscription in the Book of Life) to you all."