October 29, 2021 — The new travel guidelines will certainly bring economic help to Israel as well. Tourism serves as a major part of the nation’s economy, and was an area most at risk since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. For now, tourism will unlikely bounce back to full capacity overnight. However, the numbers are expected to soon rebound as more Americans are vaccinated and travel becomes more normal with added flights to the country.

October 28, 2021 — The wars of the twenty-first century are often the wars of ideas and information. This includes cyberwarfare, an area of concern that continues to proliferate in Israel. While those behind the attacks are often unknown, at least some groups were recognized by Microsoft in September as being Iranian hackers targeting American and Israeli defense companies.

October 27, 2021 — Whether additional nations will continue to join Egypt, Jordan, and the nations in the Abraham Accords remains to be seen. The agreement conducted under former US president Trump and former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and coordinated by Jared Kushner, has become a basis for expanding peace throughout the Middle East.

October 26, 2021 — The consulate, closed when the US Embassy was opened in Jerusalem under then-president Donald Trump, had long served as an American effort to assist Palestinians from eastern Jerusalem, just as the American Consulate in the western part of the then-unacknowledged capital served that end of town.

October 25, 2021 — The two leaders also discussed efforts to keep Iran from moving forward with the development of a nuclear weapon. Russia has supported reinstating the 2015 nuclear deal, which has so far not limited uranium development, and lifting sanctions. Iran has been stalling on rejoining as it continues to process uranium, while Israel opposes renewing the deal it has opposed since its inception.

October 22, 2021 — The current political environment has changed greatly since 2019. Instead, leaders in Israel and the US continue to walk much more cautiously in their efforts to maintain strong relations while serving the diverse peoples under their leadership.

October 20, 2021 — The “alternative reality” of imagined victories influencing Iran’s leaders and proxies continues, despite calls to negotiate a new nuclear deal. Israel’s potential reality of making a preemptive strike to thwart Iran’s goals of its destruction and achieving regional dominance through nuclear blackmail is a last resort, although signs point that it may become necessary, as Iran’s leaders refuse to consider peaceful options.

October 19, 2021 — The gathering offers a look at what a future Middle East, with closer coordination among its neighbors, could resemble. However, lingering problems, such as the rejection of normalization with Israel by the Palestinian Authority, remain to pose challenges as the new coalition seeks to pursue progress in the midst of many political agendas.

October 18, 2021 — The Jerusalem Prayer Team has been deeply involved in the battle of online antisemitism. In May, Facebook shut down the Prayer Team’s page after it was flooded by myriad antisemitic comments for three consecutive days during the 11-day Gaza War. The ultimately failed shutdown was triggered by a concerted campaign that aimed at overwhelming Facebook’s control logarithms.

October 15, 2021 — The combination of Iran’s complaints against Israel and America’s increasing compliance with UN policies doesn’t help the already tense situation over Iran’s ongoing nuclear development. Opposing the proliferation of nuclear weapons is one thing the nations agree on, as diplomatic efforts continue and “all options” remain on the table.

October 14, 2021 — Both US President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Bennett agreed during their initial meeting that Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon. As Blinken and other leaders throughout the region concluded, it is becoming clear that other options may need to be considered.

October 13, 2021 — “The road to peace goes through Jerusalem," David Friedman said. “The key to the Abraham Accords was the trust between a small group of people. The Friedman Center is committed to expanding that trust beyond a small group of people."