Israel Insights

Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood offshoot in Gaza, celebrated its 25th anniversary over the weekend, and hundreds of thousands gathered in what some called the biggest rally in the history of Gaza to hear Hamas' political leader, Khaled Meshaal. He used the opportunity to pledge Israel's destruction.

Britain and France threatened to recall their ambassadors after Israel announced plans to build on land Palestinian Arabs claim as part of a future Palestinian state.

Even though Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has announced an Israel-Gaza ceasefire, it’s apparent that Gaza still holds many traps for Israel.

More than 100,000 tourists are currently in Israel and touring the country. According to Israel's Ministry of Tourism, the country has not yet found mass cancellations or departures.

Masked gunmen publicly shot dead six suspected collaborators with Israel in a large Gaza City intersection Tuesday. Hamas' military wing claimed responsibility, saying the six were killed because they gave Israel information about fighters and rocket launching sites.

A top Turkish official has claimed that Israel is committing acts of terrorism by bombing Hamas targets in Gaza. Meanwhile, a popular Egyptian Islamic cleric called on the people of Gaza to conduct suicide attacks against Israel in response to Operation Pillar of Defense.

While many Israelis are all too familiar with living with the threat of war, being in the Holy Land during a time such as this brings a heightened sense of anxiety. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would continue to speak to world leaders and emphasize "the effort Israel is making to avoid hitting civilians, and this at a time when Hamas and the [other] terrorist organizations are making every effort to hit civilian targets in Israel."

The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews has announced increased funding of emergency aid for families in southern Israel and new security projects to assist communities in the line of fire.

Two rockets are reported to have landed near Jerusalem, the first time Palestinian militants have targeted the holy city.

Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi sharpened his tone against Israel on Friday as Palestinian terrorists continued to fire rockets into southern Israel and Tel Aviv.

Calvary Baptist Church in Jerusalem, led by an Arab Israeli Christian pastor, is the latest congregation to be hit in a string of vandalism incidents to hit Christian holy sites in Israel this year.

Israel moved closer to an all-out ground war with Hamas Thursday, as Israeli planes, tanks and gunboats targeted suspected militant positions in Gaza in retaliation for Hamas rocket attacks that left at least three Israelis dead.

Ahmed Jabari, head of the military wing of Hamas, was killed Wednesday in an air strike in Gaza by the Israeli Air Force.

After a stray Syrian shell from civil strife in that country exploded on Israel's Golan Heights for the second time in recent days, the Israel Defense Forces fired a warning shot at the Syrian military on Sunday for the first time since the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

An exit poll of Americans who voted absentee in Israel finds Republican candidate Mitt Romney beating President Barack Obama by a significant margin -- 85 percent to 14 percent.

A recent study pertaining in part to the history of the olive trees situated within the Garden of Gethsemane indicates the trees can be dated to the middle of the 12th century, making them at least 900 years old.

Many Christians traveling on a Holy Land tour are so busy being shuttled on and off buses they often miss the unique experiences and special sites revered by locals and seasoned travelers alike. The area around Mt. Tabor is a perfect example.

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called once again for the end of Israel as he addressed the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday.

The open-air market in Nazareth is a fine place to discover what local fruits and vegetables are in season here in the Galilee.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appealed to American voters on Sunday, urging them to elect a president willing to draw a line on when Iran would face military attack over its nuclear weapons program.