Image: Left: US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., meets with reporters to discuss President Joe Biden's domestic agenda at the Capitol in Washington, Sept. 8, 2021 (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite); Right: An Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept a rocket from Gaza Strip in the costal city of Ashkelon, Israel, July 5, 2014(AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

Dems nix $1 billion for Iron Dome from budget bill after progressive pressure

Times of Israel

“Progressive Democrats on Tuesday (September 21) successfully pressured the party to remove $1 billion for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system from a bill to keep the United States government funded. The funds are widely expected to be approved, but at a later date. A Congressional aide, speaking to The Times of Israel on condition of anonymity, insisted that the Iron Dome funding would eventually be approved, but instead would be attached to the 2022 Defense Appropriations Bill. The clause approving the $1 billion to restock Israel’s Iron Dome interceptors — crucial to protecting Israeli towns from rocket attacks and which became somewhat depleted during May’s Gaza war — had caused a hangup in the House of Representatives, as party leaders sought to push forward a bill to raise the debt ceiling.”

Image: This picture shows the Mughrabi ramp, leading from the Western Wall (Wailing Wall) to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound that includes the Dome of the Rock Mosque (background) in Jerusalem's Old City, on Sept. 10, 2021. (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP via Getty Images)

Jewish Israelis flock to Temple Mount in greater numbers
Al-Monitor

“Hundreds of Israeli Jews are expected to ascend the Temple Mount compound today and throughout the week until Sept. 27, celebrating the Sukkot holiday. Security is being beefed up for the week across Israel and especially around the Temple Mount compound, but the site will remain open with the usual visiting hours for Jews. The Temple Mount is the holiest site in Jewish tradition. It is also one of the holiest sites for Muslims, housing Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, Haram al-Sharif. It is the most sensitive and volatile point in Israel and the site of many conflicts over its history.”

Sheikh Jarrah Virtual Tour: Join CMEP and MEJDI Tours on September 29th at 11 am Eastern for a virtual tour. We'll travel via Zoom through the City of David, Silwan, and Sheikh Jarrah, starting with the relevant background and sharing the local narratives. This is an in-depth opportunity to view, learn, and discuss with your live guide. CMEP staff will be present to talk about current events and advocacy opportunities related to the Holy Land.

Webinar: an introduction to the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict of 2020 - Armenia and Azerbaijan at War: Join Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) on September 28th at 10 am EST for a webinar that will provide a historical introduction to Armenia and Azerbaijan at War - specifically an introduction to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict of 2020. We'll be joined by Olesya Vartanyan from The Crisis Group.

Image: Palestinian refugees during Israel's War of Independence. (David Eldan / GPO)

Israeli school system takes small but significant step in discussing the Nakba
Haaretz

“A question on the history matriculation exams this summer surprised people familiar with the battle of narratives that plagues the subject. For the first time in this exam that accompanies high school graduation, students were asked to analyze a historical source on the Palestinian Nakba – when more than 700,000 Arabs fled or were expelled from their homes during the 1947-49 war – and the Israeli responsibility for it, even it is partial.”