Major Jewish organizations are expressing support for the idea of reducing USA aid to the Palestinians after President Trump mentioned the possibility last week. Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, said the Palestinian Authority "has proven tone deaf to every previous USA warning about its actions, so perhaps some reduction in aid would finally get its attention." He said the administration "has a right to standards for aid that it provides, and where countries violate those standards, or trample human rights, then the USA absolutely has a right to withhold aid - especially when all the USA is asking the PA to do is to negotiate. AIPAC spokesman Marshall Wittmann said, "We have supported and continue to support reductions in assistance to the Palestinian Authority based on actions such as payments to families of terrorists and violation of its peace process commitment to direct talks with Israel, instead seeking to have the international community endorse Palestinian objectives."

B'nai B'rith International said, "It is reasonable for the USA to use foreign aid as one of several mechanisms for responding to instances where its own interests, or the interests of its allies, are threatened. The Palestinians have refused to negotiate directly with Israel, have failed to comply with their obligations under previous agreements, and have chosen instead to pursue an anti-Israel, anti-USA agenda at the United Nations." David Harris, CEO of the American Jewish Committee, said, "If the Palestinian Authority balks at advancing the peace process, or if it engages in anti-American rhetoric or behavior, then, of course, it's appropriate to send a strong message of disapproval, including a cut in support." (JNS)

The PA pays an estimated NIS 1.2 billion annually to terrorists in Israeli prisons or to the families of those killed by Israel. The government will submit legislation to deduct an equivalent amount the Palestinian Authority pays terrorists and their families, from tax and tariffs Israel collects for the PA, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said this week. "I think the PA encourages and incentivizes terrorism,” said Liberman. The PA pays an estimated NIS 1.2 billion annually to terrorists in Israeli prisons or to the families of those killed by Israel. The terrorists’ salaries are anchored in PA law, and the amount increases with every Israeli they kill. The amount of the payments that the PA gives is in accordance with the severity of the crime, meaning whoever murdered gets much more money than those who just threw Molotov cocktails or rocks or only injured someone, that is direct encouragement of terror,” Liberman added. In addition, Liberman said that the longer the prison sentence the more money someone gets, such that someone who gets a life sentence for murder, gets more money. "We must put a stop to it,” he stated. (J.Post) Pray that as the Palestinian Authority gets what is deserves in terms of large financial cut for its support of terrorism - that it will topple the pride and stubbornness constantly exhibited by this group that operates a mere cut above the worst of terrorist entities. [Comment]

USA VP Mike Pence will travel to the Middle East Jan. 19-23, with other stops in Egypt and Jordan to meet with their leaders. In Israel on the last two days of the trip, the vice president is scheduled to meet jointly with PM Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin, and to address the Knesset. He also is scheduled to visit the Western Wall and Yad Vashem. Palestinian leaders refuse to meet with Pence in the wake of President Donald Trump’s recognition last month of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Pence postponed a planned mid-December visit to Israel so he could preside over the vote on a tax overhaul favored by Trump. The original trip had included meetings in Bethlehem with Palestinian Authority officials. On the newly scheduled trip, prior to visiting Israel, Pence will meet in Egypt on 20 Jan. 2018with President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi and in Jordan on 21Jan. 2018 with King Abdullah II. At President Trump’s direction, the Vice President is traveling to the Middle East to reaffirm the commitment to work with the USA’s allies in the region to defeat radicalism that threatens future generations. The Vice President is looking forward to meeting with the leaders of Egypt, Jordan, and Israel to discuss ways to work together to fight terrorism and improve our national security.” (JTA) Once again, please pray for visiting VP Mike Pence. May his words be God-given and anointed with wisdom. Intercede for traveling mercies, divine protection and a sense of welcome in his travels. [Comment]

Tourism Minister Yariv Levin said Sunday, 7 Jan. 2018 at the opening of the cabinet meeting that 2017 was a "historic turning point" for incoming tourism, with more than 3.6 million tourists arriving in Israel, an increase of 700,000 over the past year. Levin said the revolution in tourism was attained by new methods of marketing as well as encouraging airlines to open routes and collaborating with large travel agencies worldwide. He added that income from tourism passed 20 billion shekels and created 25,000 new jobs. (INN) [Comment]

Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been arrested by Iranian authorities, the Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper reported 6 Jan. 2018. Ahmadinejad is accused of inciting anti-government protests. He had reportedly attended a rally in which he publicly criticized the government. "Some of the current officials live away from the problems of the people and concerns, and do not know anything about the reality of society," the former Iranian president reportedly said at an anti-government rally. "What Iran suffers from today is mismanagement and not lack of economic resources," he charged. "The government of President Hassan Rouhani believes that they own the land and that the people are an ignorant society that does not know," Ahmadinejad said. "The people are angry at this government because of its monopoly on public wealth." Anti-government protests have been going on in Iran since late Dec. 2017. A total of 21 people have died and hundreds have been arrested since they started on 28 Dec. 2018. (INN) "God will bring into judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time to judge every deed." Eccl.3:17 [Comment]

The Strategic Affairs Ministry under Gilad Erdan has compiled a list of organizations it says promote the boycott of Israel, and will cooperate with the Interior Ministry to block members of those groups from entering the country, media sources reported 6 Jan 2017. The blacklist currently covers around 20 groups the ministry says are part of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement (BDS) and which it says consistently and openly work to delegitmize Israel. These include BDS groups from Italy, France, South Africa, Scandinavia, and the Jewish American group Jewish Voice for Peace. The ministry plans to begin enforcing the blacklist in March 2018. Last week the government approved a plan setting aside $75 million to fight BDS. The plan, which would entail the largest monetary investment yet by Israel specifically toward combating the boycott campaign, calls for setting up a not-for-profit organization whose board will be made up of government officials and donors from abroad. The new organization’s avenues for action would include public campaigns, lobbying, arranging for solidarity visits to Israel by opinion shapers, establishing new and social media presence, and interacting with pro-Israel organizations worldwide for coordinated action with a focus on Europe. (Times of Israel) [Comment]

 PM Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday 7 Jan. 2018 opened the weekly cabinet meeting on the issue of stopping USA support for UNRWA. "I completely agree with Trump's sharp criticism of UNRWA. This is an organization that perpetuates the Palestinian refugee problem and also perpetuates the narrative of the so-called right of return in order to destroy the State of Israel. UNRWA needs to pass from the world," Netanyahu said. There is a UN commission for the treatment of the other refugees in the world. This absurdity must be stopped." Netanyahu said he also told the Americans that he believed UNRWA funds should be transferred gradually to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, which deals with refugees worldwide. (Arutz-7) As an Israeli Member of Knesset, Einat Wilf, put it: "No other refugees in the world are afforded refugee status for generations. Even the charter by which UNRWA was created maintains that it was supposed to be only a temporary institution.” A report from the Global Research in International Affairs said UNRWA actually helps promotes terrorism and holds Palestinians back from rebuilding their lives. It charged UNRWA schools with becoming hotbeds of anti-Western, anti-American, and anti-Semitic indoctrination and recruiting offices for terrorist groups. It said also UNWRA facilities are used to store and transport weapons, actually serving as terrorist military bases. Indeed, during Israel’s 2014 Operation Protective Edge, on several occasions Hamas rocket stockpiles were found stored in UN schools in the Gaza Strip.

A video of 17-year-old Ahed Tamimi and two other women harassing troops in the Judea & Samaria village of Nabi Saleh went viral last week, leading to her arrest. The army also confirmed the teenager took part in violent riots in the Ramallah area, during which her cousin reportedly was injured. In the video, Tamimi is seen yelling, hitting and slapping the faces of the soldiers, who refrained from retaliating. Tamimi’s mother was also detained on suspicion of assault and incitement and likewise was held until 21 Dec 2017. Nabi Saleh has been a frequent staging ground for provoked clashes between Palestinians and Israelis, with members of the Tamimi family in particular known for their involvement in highly-publicized altercations with the IDF. In 2012, 13-year-old Ahed - who some refer to as "Shirley Temper” - gained notoriety when a video of her leading a group of children in a verbal confrontation with Israeli soldiers became an Internet sensation. Two years ago, she again made headlines for biting the hand of an Israeli soldier holding down a Palestinian boy who had been throwing stones. Palestinian activists have praised Ahed’s actions, while many in Israel accuse the Tamimi family of using her as a propaganda tool. (Medialine) This is a mere glimpse of the bad fruit that comes of a society that teaches its children - from babyhood on - that hatred and violence, especially against Israeli Jews is the way to become a hero. [Comment]

 USA President Donald Trump is poised to outline a new national security strategy that envisions nations in a perpetual state of competition and downplays the Israeli-Palestinian conflict’s impact on the broader world order. The plan, according to senior administration officials who offered a preview is to focus on four main themes: protecting the homeland and way of life; promoting American prosperity; demonstrating peace through strength; and advancing American influence in an ever-competitive world. While the administration often says that "America First” does not mean "America Alone,” the national security strategy to be presented by Trump will make clear that the United States will stand up for itself even if that means acting unilaterally or alienating others on issues like trade, climate change and immigration, according to people familiar with the strategy.

Despite international challenges, the document cites emerging opportunities to advance American interests in the Middle East. "Some of our partners are working together to reject radical ideologies and key leaders are calling for a rejection of Islamist extremism and violence,” it says. "Encouraging political stability and sustainable prosperity would contribute to dampening the conditions that fuel sectarian grievances.” The strategy document asserts that "for generations the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians has been understood as the prime irritant preventing peace and prosperity in the region. Today, the threats from radical jihadist terrorist organizations and the threat from Iran are creating the realization that Israel is not the cause of the region’s problems. States have increasingly found common interests with Israel in confronting common threats.” (Times of Israel) [Comment]

Tens of thousands of Christian pilgrims are expected to arrive in the country over the Christmas holiday, capping a record-breaking year that included 3.5 million tourists. Tourism Minister Yariv Levin expressed pride in the record numbers of annual visitors. "Israel invites the faithful from all religions to pray, worship and visit all the holy sites in Israel in freedom and security,” he said. "I am proud to announce that this year we have broken all previous records for incoming tourism, and are set to end 2017 with a record 3.5 million tourists – half a million more than the previous record.” According to the ministry’s statistics, more than half of the 2.9 million tourists in 2016 were Christian. The most visited sites by Christians included the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Jewish Quarter, Western Wall, Via Dolorosa, Mount of Olives, Capernaum, Church of the Annunciation and City of David. (J.Post) Pray for the joy and safety of Israel’s visitors during this very busy and blessed holiday season. [Comment]