Category: News Letter

Lay of the Land Weekly Newsletter – 01 November 2026

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What’s happening in Israel today? See from every Monday – Thursday LOTL’s The Israel Brief broadcasts and on our Facebook page and YouTube by seasoned TV & radio broadcaster, Rolene Marks familiar to Chai FM listeners in South Africa and millions of American listeners to the News/Talk/Sports radio station WINA, broadcasting out of Virginia, USA.

THE ISRAEL BRIEF – 26-29 October 2026
(Click on the blue title)



Lay of the Land’s ‘Photo Pick’ of the Week

THE RISE OF THE ARAB ISRAELI – NO MORE SITTING ON THE SIDELINES!

More than Netanyahu or his rivals being unable to form a government which was predictable, less predictable was the historic surge in Arab voter turnout, propelling Arab-led parties to a record-breaking 19 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. While Netanyahu was quick to ashamedly accuse Arab parties of “stealing the vote”, these parties for far too long relegated to the margins of Israeli political life have now shifted the Israeli political landscape!

“What has made me happy is instead of just despair, the Arab citizens exercised their civil rights and we deserve those rights,” Raam party leader, Mansour Abbas told i24NEWS, who is seen here with his family voting on Tuesday in Maghar. (Photo: Mahmoud Illean / AP)




ARTICLES

Please note there is a facility to comment beneath each article should you wish to express an opinion on the subject addressed.

(1)

UNDER PRESSURE –  A PUNCTURE TO POLITICS

A flat tire in Israel’s Arab and Druze north introduced rural revelations on election day.
By Jonathan Feldstein

Turning into Tu’ran. This writer would never have turned off the highway to visit on election day this northern Arab village of Tu’ran but for a flat tire. He is glad he did so discovering unexpected insights on a day that may change Israel’s political landscape.

UNDER PRESSURE –  A PUNCTURE TO POLITICS
(Click on the blue title)



(2)

REST IN PEACE, NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

With the UN and the Norwegian Nobel Committee handing jurist Navi Pillay a megaphone on a platter, little wonder Hamas has welcomed her as its poster girl.
By Marika Sboros

Parroting Pillay. John Spooner’s cartoon in an Australian newspaper captures Judge Pillay’s persistent bias against the Jewish state much appreciated by Hamas. What does it say about the “Prize” that rewards the supporters of killers?

REST IN PEACE, NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
(Click on the blue title)



(3)

THE PARTNERSHIP

How two officials defied systemic indifference to help save Jews in Nazi Europe.
By Michel Levine

Reluctant Rooseveldt. In the driver’s seat, President Rooseveldt was delaying action in saving European Jews relegating the unfolding Holocaust to a secondary priority. Two senior administration officials worked to change direction. This is their story.

THE PARTNERSHIP
(Click on the blue title)



LOTL Cofounders David E. Kaplan (Editor), Rolene Marks and Yair Chelouche

To unsubscribe, please reply to layotland@gmail.com






While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves.  LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).

Lay of the Land Weekly Newsletter – 25 October 2026

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Also available on YouTube @The Israel Brief  – Simply click on the red subscribe button to receive alerts when a new report is posted.



What’s happening in Israel today? See from every Monday – Thursday LOTL’s The Israel Brief broadcasts and on our Facebook page and YouTube by seasoned TV & radio broadcaster, Rolene Marks familiar to Chai FM listeners in South Africa and millions of American listeners to the News/Talk/Sports radio station WINA, broadcasting out of Virginia, USA.

THE ISRAEL BRIEF – 19-22 October 2026
(Click on the blue title)



Lay of the Land’s ‘Photo Pick’ of the Week

MESSAGE FROM ISRAEL’S MASSES

Israel switched to winter time on Sunday, October 25, 2026, at 2:00 a.m.
Hours earlier, at Tel Aviv’s iconic Hostages Square, the message from the people (below)  was
‘More important to change the government than the time!’

Government moves time back; people demand country moves forward. Addressing rally organized by families and friends of victims and survivors of the Hamas massacre, Mally Zander, whose daughter Noa was murdered at the Nova Festival, said: “A country cannot move forward without soul-searching, leaders cannot ask citizens for trust without taking responsibility. I stand here three days before the most fateful elections in all our years living here, and I am not asking you to choose this candidate or another. I am asking you first of all to go out and vote, to do what our children cannot do for themselves and to vote for them as well, to choose responsibility.” (Photo: Amir Goldstein)

FINAL COUNTDOWN

Lay of the Land together with TbT (Truth be Told) hosted a packed pre-election panel debate at Beth Protea in Herzliya.

A packed Beth Protea of the English-speaking community in the Sharon area, were treated to a riveting election debate on a wide range of issues confronting an embattled Israel as it navigates an uncertain future. Seen here are panelists representing various parties and moderator, Lay of the Land editor, David Kaplan (R).



ARTICLES

Please note there is a facility to comment beneath each article should you wish to express an opinion on the subject addressed.

(1)

THE CHILDREN HAD NAMES

Israel’s failure in the information war
By Andrew Fox

“No one will dare to tear down a poster of a dog, but of Jews? No problem”. Holding posters of the ginger-haired Bibas kids, street artists Dede and Nitzan (above), who started the viral hostage poster campaign, express shock at videos of people tearing down the posters, labeling it “antisemitism”.

THE CHILDREN HAD NAMES
(Click on the blue title)



(2)

NAVI PILLAY AND THE HEDGEHOG TRAP

Why the Nobel Peace Prize sacrificed genuine peacebuilding for ideological reductionism and anti-Israel bias.
By Yoram Blumstein

Hands-on Huntress. By rewarding an anti-Israel activist-jurist and chief peddler of baseless “genocide” claims with the prestigious 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, the Oslo Committee did not recognise peace – but weaponized lawfare and institutional bias against the world’s only Jewish state.

NAVI PILLAY AND THE HEDGEHOG TRAP
(Click on the blue title)



(3)

ON THE WAY TO GAZA

Repeated visits reveal fresh insights, revelations and questions.
By Jonathan Feldstein

“The Day the Music Died”. Despite the repeated visits, each time the writer tries to process the mindset of those from Gaza who preyed upon Israeli party-goers with glee unleashing murder and mayhem.

ON THE WAY TO GAZA
(Click on the blue title)



LOTL Cofounders David E. Kaplan (Editor), Rolene Marks and Yair Chelouche

To unsubscribe, please reply to layotland@gmail.com






While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves.  LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).

Lay of the Land Weekly Newsletter – 18 October 2026

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X (Twitter): Lay Of The Land – @layoftheland5

Also available on YouTube @The Israel Brief  – Simply click on the red subscribe button to receive alerts when a new report is posted.



What’s happening in Israel today? See from every Monday – Thursday LOTL’s The Israel Brief broadcasts and on our Facebook page and YouTube by seasoned TV & radio broadcaster, Rolene Marks familiar to Chai FM listeners in South Africa and millions of American listeners to the News/Talk/Sports radio station WINA, broadcasting out of Virginia, USA.

THE ISRAEL BRIEF – 12-15 October 2026
(Click on the blue title)



Lay of the Land’s ‘Photo Pick’ of the Week

ISRAEL’S ELECTION FEVER

Captured on a local TV news network poster, the look on all three faces captures concern, whether for themselves or the country

As Israel prepares to head to the polls on October 27, 2026, for the first election since the October 7, 2023 attacks, the nation is experiencing a high-stakes campaign that functions as a literal referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. With a nation still in trauma and deeply divided, is it to be – a political stalemate or a time for change?



ARTICLES

Please note there is a facility to comment beneath each article should you wish to express an opinion on the subject addressed.

(1)

REMEMBERING RAB

Jewish survivors of the Rab concentration camp form battalion to fight the Nazi German forces occupying Yugoslavia.
By Michel Levine

Rab Revival.  Not to forget the heroic past, French historian recalls the formation of the ‘Jewish Rab Battalion’ (above) on the Adriatic island of Rab following their liberation from the Italians in September 1943 and then went on to fight the Nazis, where a 100 fell in combat.

REMEMBERING RAB
(Click on the blue title)



(2)

A HOUSE DIVIDED CANNOT STAND

America needs to confront its unsustainable debt problem that is threatening to collapse the economy of the world.
By  Neville Berman

Debt Clock Ticking. A bus shelter on Independence Avenue, Washington DC where an electronic billboard on August 30, 2026 displays the current U.S. National debt at 40 trillion dollars. How long before it plunges not only the US but the world into a depression?

A HOUSE DIVIDED CANNOT STAND
(Click on the blue title)



(3)

THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE OFFENSIVE

Hardly in pursuance of “peace” when an Islamist death cult applauds the announcement of the 2026 South African winner.
By Craig Snoyman

Humanitarian or Political? Awarding the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize to former U.N. human rights chief Navi Pillay following her longstanding anti-Israel bias and defending antisemitic rhetoric, does raise serious ethical and legal questions.

THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE OFFENSIVE
(Click on the blue title)



LOTL Cofounders David E. Kaplan (Editor), Rolene Marks and Yair Chelouche

To unsubscribe, please reply to layotland@gmail.com






While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves.  LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).

Lay of the Land Weekly Newsletter – 11 October 2026

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X (Twitter): Lay Of The Land – @layoftheland5

Also available on YouTube @The Israel Brief  – Simply click on the red subscribe button to receive alerts when a new report is posted.



What’s happening in Israel today? See from every Monday – Thursday LOTL’s The Israel Brief broadcasts and on our Facebook page and YouTube by seasoned TV & radio broadcaster, Rolene Marks familiar to Chai FM listeners in South Africa and millions of American listeners to the News/Talk/Sports radio station WINA, broadcasting out of Virginia, USA.

THE ISRAEL BRIEF – 05-07 October 2026
(Click on the blue title)



Lay of the Land’s ‘Photo Pick’ of the Week

ISRAEL MARKS 3 YEARS SINCE OCTOBER 7 ATTACKS

Across the land, Israelis gathered on Wednesday to mourn victims of the deadliest attacks on Jews since the Holocaust

Message in the Sand. A drone view shows an installation depicting bodies, on the third anniversary of the deadly October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack from Gaza, at a beach in Tel Aviv, Israel, October 7, 2026. The text reads:
“The price of failure. 1163 murdered. 251 hostages”. (Photo: Aviv Atlas/via Reuters)



ARTICLES

Please note there is a facility to comment beneath each article should you wish to express an opinion on the subject addressed.

(1)

WORD HAS IT

Orwell at the UN General Assembly (UNGA 81) – Decoding the anti-Israel Diplomatic Bias.
By Yoram Blumstein

Rousing Rhetoric. Orwell recognized how public perception could be manipulated through the deliberate corruption of words, a stratagem perfected by Israel’s enemies. A dissection of the verbal abuse against the Jewish state at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, September, 2026.

WORD HAS IT
(Click on the blue title)



(2)

THE ISRAELI POLITICAL STALEMATE

Two alternatives to forming an Israeli government
By Neville Berman

Bowing Out. Come the elections on the 27 October, all the polls indicate that neither of the two leading parties will be able to form a unifying centrist governing coalition, resulting in another predictable stalemate. “For the good of the country,” the divisive needs to depart – Bibi, resign now!

THE ISRAELI POLITICAL STALEMATE
(Click on the blue title)



(3)

SAUDI ARABIA’S SECRET JEWISH MISTRESS

The secret tryst that no one wants to admit is happening.
By Jonathan Feldstein

Twisted Tryst. Unsatiated with its four wives – Pakistan, Türkiye, Egypt and the US – the Saudis run to one
they will not introduce at family gatherings or even publicly acknowledge. Let’s call it what it is –
Saudi Arabia is treating Israel as “a secret mistress.”

SAUDI ARABIA’S SECRET JEWISH MISTRESS
(Click on the blue title)




LOTL Cofounders David E. Kaplan (Editor), Rolene Marks and Yair Chelouche

To unsubscribe, please reply to layotland@gmail.com







While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves.  LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).

Lay of the Land Weekly Newsletter – 04 October 2026

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X (Twitter): Lay Of The Land – @layoftheland5

Also available on YouTube @The Israel Brief  – Simply click on the red subscribe button to receive alerts when a new report is posted.



What’s happening in Israel today? See from every Monday – Thursday LOTL’s The Israel Brief broadcasts and on our Facebook page and YouTube by seasoned TV & radio broadcaster, Rolene Marks familiar to Chai FM listeners in South Africa and millions of American listeners to the News/Talk/Sports radio station WINA, broadcasting out of Virginia, USA.

THE ISRAEL BRIEF – 28 September – 01 October 2026
(Click on the blue title)



Lay of the Land’s ‘Photo Pick’ of the Week

ISRAELIS – ‘BLOODY’ INCREDIBLE

Israelis come off a flight covered in blood and smiling

The story of heroic survival that quickly unfolds, reveals this country’s unique national character of how ordinary citizens can suddenly behave quite extraordinary.

Plumber on Plummeting Plane. One of the heroes on Flydubai 1073 , Yaniv Hayoun, was wearing a blood-stained shirt when he disembarked at Ben Gurion Airport having stormed into the cockpit, subdued the Jihadi terrorist co-pilot and pinned him to the ground while other passengers used headphone cords to tie him up!




ARTICLES

Please note there is a facility to comment beneath each article should you wish to express an opinion on the subject addressed.

(1)

A FAILURE OF A FILM

The truth is collateral damage in NAZA
By Rolene Marks

Rebutting NAZA. Freed hostage Omer Shem Tov (right) pushed back against the directors (left) of the controversial documentary “NAZA” in a Wall Street Journal op-ed explaining that Hamas – not the Israeli military – used captives as “collateral damage.” 

A FAILURE OF A FILM a
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(2)

THESSALONIKI: WALKING THROUGH THE LOST ‘JERUSALEM OF THE BALKANS’

Once an epicenter of Jewish culture and one of the only cities in Europe where Jews were the majority, reveals illuminating fragments of that tragically lost world.
By Motti Verses

Tragic Thessaloniki. To understand the tragedy that befell this city’s Jewish community in the Holocaust, you first have to understand what existed before it. Jewish life in Thessaloniki stretches back more than two millennia. Follow the writer as he takes us on a tour.

THESSALONIKI: WALKING THROUGH THE LOST ‘JERUSALEM OF THE BALKANS’
(Click on the blue title)



(3)

PRETORIA’S HOUSE OF CARDS AT THE HAGUE

While creating a fine photo-op, 21 national  flags do not a verdict make.
By Shaun Schutte

Off the Record. South Africa’s ANC government has blurred the impression that every country joining in the proceedings it initiated, supports its accusation that Israel committed genocide. That is not what the court record shows.

PRETORIA’S HOUSE OF CARDS AT THE HAGUE
(Click on the blue title)



LOTL Cofounders David E. Kaplan (Editor), Rolene Marks and Yair Chelouche

To unsubscribe, please reply to layotland@gmail.com






While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves.  LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).

Lay of the Land Weekly Newsletter – 27 September 2026

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Also available on YouTube @The Israel Brief  – Simply click on the red subscribe button to receive alerts when a new report is posted.



Israel’s upcoming election might be its most pivotal in its history

PRE-ISRAELI ELECTION DEBATE IN ENGLISH

Come hear speakers from Yashar (led by Gadi Eisenkot), B’Yahad (Alliance of former PM Naftali Bennet
and Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid), the Democrats (led by Yair Golan) and Likud (to be confirmed).
Organized by Lay of the land and TbT (Truth be Told) :
Date: 28th September, 2026 at 7.00pm (19:00)
Venue: Beth Protea, 5 Asher Barash street, Herzliya.
nominal entrance fee (NIS 20) for non-Beth Protea residents.
For more information:
David Kaplan: 050-7432361 organizer and debate moderator ; Peter Bailey (TbT): 054-2663051 peteyb4@gmail.com



What’s happening in Israel today? See from every Monday – Thursday LOTL’s The Israel Brief broadcasts and on our Facebook page and YouTube by seasoned TV & radio broadcaster, Rolene Marks familiar to Chai FM listeners in South Africa and millions of American listeners to the News/Talk/Sports radio station WINA, broadcasting out of Virginia, USA.

THE ISRAEL BRIEF – 22-24 September 2026
(Click on the blue title)



Lay of the Land’s ‘Photo Pick’ of the Week

THE ANNUAL UN WALKOUT

Images circulating is less of Israel’s prime minister addressing the UNGA and more of the traditional staged walkout – a metaphor of Israel’s diplomatic isolation and global hypocrisy!

Delegates walk out as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the 81st UNGA in New York City on September 24, 2026. (Photo: Jeenah Moon/Reuters)



ARTICLES

Please note there is a facility to comment beneath each article should you wish to express an opinion on the subject addressed.

(1)

THE FORGOTTEN CHILDREN

In a world of celebrities clamouring for fauxmanitarian shots for social media to shore up credentials, who speaks for Israeli children?
By Rolene Marks

Countless Kids. The writer reflects on the murdered Israeli children on October 7, the countless children traumatized by family loss, missiles, sirens and forced to flee their homes in the north and south and questions why to most the world – they don’t ‘count’.

THE FORGOTTEN CHILDREN
(Click on the blue title)



(2)

HOW DO WE COMPARE?

Comparing Jewish Engagement across the Anglo Diaspora
By Reviva Hasson

Riveting Report. The Jewish Community Survey of South Africa by UCT’s Kaplan Centre for Jewish Studies shows a shrinking yet dynamic population of 52,000 Jews. How do their lifestyles as Jews and their connection to Israel compare with Jews elsewhere in the Anglo diaspora?

HOW DO WE COMPARE?
(Click on the blue title)



(3)

THE FORGOTTEN PEOPLE OF THE WORLD

The time has come to re-evaluate why more aid is given to some refugees than others in need.
By Neville Berman

Slaughter in Sudan. If it is not about the plight of Palestinians and blaming the Jews, who cares as reflected in this photo taken during a rally against genocide in the Sudan outside the embassy of Sudan in Washington, DC, that captures the boredom and disinterest of much of the world.

THE FORGOTTEN PEOPLE OF THE WORLD
(Click on the blue title)



LOTL Cofounders David E. Kaplan (Editor), Rolene Marks and Yair Chelouche

To unsubscribe, please reply to layotland@gmail.com






While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves.  LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).

Lay of the Land Weekly Newsletter – 22 September 2026

Like this content? Please share and tweet it to your friends and followers.

To subscribe via email please send a mail noting your request to: layotland@gmail.com 
Please visit/ join/follow our social media platforms:

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X (Twitter): Lay Of The Land – @layoftheland5

Also available on YouTube @The Israel Brief  – Simply click on the red subscribe button to receive alerts when a new report is posted.



PRE-ISRAELI ELECTION DEBATE IN ENGLISH

Lay of the land and TbT (Truth be Told) have invited speakers from the major political parties to participate in a panel debate to be held on Monday the 28th September, 2026 at 7.00pm at Beth Protea, 5 Asher Barash street, Herzliya. There will be a nominal entrance fee (NIS 20) for non-Beth Protea residents. To register or for more information contact:
David Kaplan: 050-7432361 or hildav@netvision.net.il , organizer and debate moderator.
Peter Bailey (TbT) : 054-2663051 peteyb4@gmail.com



What’s happening in Israel today? See from every Monday – Thursday LOTL’s The Israel Brief broadcasts and on our Facebook page and YouTube by seasoned TV & radio broadcaster, Rolene Marks familiar to Chai FM listeners in South Africa and millions of American listeners to the News/Talk/Sports radio station WINA, broadcasting out of Virginia, USA.

THE ISRAEL BRIEF – 14-17 September 2026
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Lay of the Land’s ‘Photo Pick’ of the Week

UNTOLD STORY

This is how Israel’s story is NOT told… and stopped from being told!

Contrived Coverage. He made TIME 100 list for his coverage in Gaza but when Israeli hostages were beaten in front of a camera on October 7, 2023, Gazan photojournalist Motaz Azaiza (above) withheld publication of the footage. Admitting in a podcast interview, he ignored Israeli victims to protect Gazan killers.




ARTICLES

Please note there is a facility to comment beneath each article should you wish to express an opinion on the subject addressed.

(1)

“ONLY DULL PEOPLE ARE BRILLIANT AT BREAKFAST”

Deconstructing Pretoria’s Latest International Court of Justice (ICJ) Submission.
By  Yoram Blumstein

Whatever the ‘Case’. Who takes a case (or manufactures one) and against whom to court without credible evidence? Answer: South Africa’s ANC government and against the Jewish state. Siting insights from Oscar Wilde, the writer lays out the whys and hows.

“ONLY DULL PEOPLE ARE BRILLIANT AT BREAKFAST”
(Click on the blue title)



(2)

FROM ‘BURNING BUSH’ TO BURNING QUESTIONS

How will Mount Sinai – the symbolic birthplace of the Jewish nation – being transformed into an Egyptian government megatourism project alter this sacred landscape?
By Motti Verses

Inclusion or Erasure? The writer raises the question of how a megatourism project at the place where Moses received the 10 Commandments and which serves as a cornerstone for Western civilization and global morality, might record the Jewish narrative to this sacred site.

FROM ‘BURNING BUSH’ TO BURNING QUESTIONS
(Click on the blue title)



(3)

MAHSA’S MURDER

Why Mahsa Amini’s death still matters – especially this year.
By Marziyeh Amirizadeh

Regime Change. For the writer, Mahsa’s murder is personal, triggering traumas of her own experience as a prisoner sentenced to death in Tehran’s Evin Prison. Iranians, she asserts, aren’t calling today “ …for tweaks or talks; they’re demanding the end of this evil theocracy.”

MAHSA’S MURDER
(Click on the blue title)



LOTL Cofounders David E. Kaplan (Editor), Rolene Marks and Yair Chelouche

To unsubscribe, please reply to layotland@gmail.com






While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves.  LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).

Lay of the Land Weekly Newsletter – 15 September 2026

Like this content? Please share and tweet it to your friends and followers.

To subscribe via email please send a mail noting your request to: layotland@gmail.com 
Please visit/ join/follow our social media platforms:

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/LotLSite/

X (Twitter): Lay Of The Land – @layoftheland5

Also available on YouTube @The Israel Brief  – Simply click on the red subscribe button to receive alerts when a new report is posted.



What’s happening in Israel today? See from every Monday – Thursday LOTL’s The Israel Brief broadcasts and on our Facebook page and YouTube by seasoned TV & radio broadcaster, Rolene Marks familiar to Chai FM listeners in South Africa and millions of American listeners to the News/Talk/Sports radio station WINA, broadcasting out of Virginia, USA.

THE ISRAEL BRIEF – 07- 10 September 2026
(Click on the blue title)



PRE-ISRAELI ELECTION DEBATE IN ENGLISH

Save the date

Lay of the land and TbT (Truth be Told) have invited
speakers from the major political parties to participate in a panel debate
to be held on Monday the 28th September, 2026 
at Beth Protea, 5 Asher Barash street, Herzliya.
There will be a nominal entrance fee (NIS 20) for non-Beth Protea residents.
To register or for more information, contact David Kaplan
050-7432361 or hildav@netvision.net.il , organizer and debate moderator.



Lay of the Land wishes its Jewish readers around the world
G’mar Chatimah Tovah
May your fast be easy and your new year filled with peace and renewal.




ARTICLES

Please note there is a facility to comment beneath each article should you wish to express an opinion on the subject addressed.

(1)

PRETORIA’S GENOCIDE CASE DID NOT BEGIN AT THE ICJ

In line with the company the ANC keeps, Pretoria reached its political verdict first – the legal campaign followed.

By Shaun Schutte

‘Making up’ its Mind. When SA decided to file a case of “genocide” against Israel at the ICJ in
2023 less than 3 months after the October 7 massacre, was it a ‘case’ of proceeding
in law of pursuing politics? The writer breaks it down.

PRETORIA’S GENOCIDE CASE DID NOT BEGIN AT THE ICJ
(Click on the blue title)



(2)

FAKING THE FIGURES

The first casualty in South Africa’s presented ‘casualty figures’ are the figures themselves.
By Kenneth Moeng Kgwadi

To Sum Up. Journalists, international bodies and governments rush to use casualty figures provided by Hamas without scrutiny. It is hardly surprising, asserts the writer, that the inflated numbers advance a terrorism agenda.

FAKING THE FIGURES
(Click on the blue title)



(3)

MR. PRESIDENT, YOU ASKED WHEN THE IRANIAN PEOPLE WILL RISE UP. THEY NEVER STOPPED FIGHTING

The blood of Iranians nationwide attest to endless defiance and resilience.
By Marziyeh Amirizadeh

Is our Blood invisible? If the US president can ask the question “When are the Iranian people going to rise up and fight?” the writer fires back in response, “Where is the world when we do and die?”

MR. PRESIDENT, YOU ASKED WHEN THE IRANIAN PEOPLE WILL RISE UP. THEY NEVER STOPPED FIGHTING
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(4)

BEHIND BARS TO LAP OF LUXURY – EXCLUDING JERUSALEM

Buildings designed to prevent people from leaving are being transformed into places where guests pay considerable sums to get in.
By Motti Verses

Behind Bars. While once bars kept prisoners in, today bars are serving drinks to paying guests in prison-converted hotels. Will this global trend reach Jerusalem where its centrally located police HQ and detention center seems to resist the lucrative temptation?

BEHIND BARS TO LAP OF LUXURY – EXCLUDING JERUSALEM
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LOTL Cofounders David E. Kaplan (Editor), Rolene Marks and Yair Chelouche

To unsubscribe, please reply to layotland@gmail.com






While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves.  LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).

Lay of the Land Weekly Newsletter – 06 September 2026

Like this content? Please share and tweet it to your friends and followers.

To subscribe via email please send a mail noting your request to: layotland@gmail.com 
Please visit/ join/follow our social media platforms:

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/LotLSite/

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Also available on YouTube @The Israel Brief  – Simply click on the red subscribe button to receive alerts when a new report is posted.



What’s happening in Israel today? See from every Monday – Thursday LOTL’s The Israel Brief broadcasts and on our Facebook page and YouTube by seasoned TV & radio broadcaster, Rolene Marks familiar to Chai FM listeners in South Africa and millions of American listeners to the News/Talk/Sports radio station WINA, broadcasting out of Virginia, USA.

THE ISRAEL BRIEF – 31 August – 03 September 2026
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HAPPY NEW YEAR

In these challenging times for Jews both in Israel and throughout the Diaspora, Lay of the Land wishes all for the coming year a safe and peaceful year free of hate and harm.




Lay of the Land’s Image ‘Photo/Image Pick of the Week‘

THE UN – “UNimaginable”!

In a rare display of sentiment towards Israel, visiting UN ambassadors from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific to Israel were moved to tears at Nova site with Gambia’s envoy expressing that the visit helped him understand Oct. 7, while Fiji’s ambassador offered engineers to help rebuild Gaza border communities.

U.N. ambassadors embrace Sarah, a survivor of the Oct. 7 massacre, during a visit to the Nova memorial site. (Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)




ARTICLES

Please note there is a facility to comment beneath each article should you wish to express an opinion on the subject addressed.

(1)

HAMAS’S WAR ON GAZA’S CHILDREN

Gazans describe the machinery of indoctrination and coercion and why it will endure while Hamas remains armed.
By Andrew Fox

Today’s Kids, Tomorrow’s Killers. What hope of a future peace with a Hamas leadership that trains today’s kids to be tomorrow’s killers! Seen here is a typical Hamas summer camp for ‘boys’ in the Gaza Strip.

HAMAS’S WAR ON GAZA’S CHILDREN
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(2)

THEY CAME, THEY BUILT, THEY LEFT – JEWS AND ZIMBABWE

ASK WHAT IS HAPPENING TO YOUR COUNTRY
Statement by Mqondisi Moyo

Short Saga. Why did the Jews leave Zimbabwe, and will they ever return? The answers that plague the country are addressed in a statement by the President of the Mthwakazi Republic Party, Mqondisi Moyo. 

THEY CAME, THEY BUILT, THEY LEFT – JEWS AND ZIMBABWE
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(3)

TYRE OVER TIME

Lebanon’s UNIFIL Resort Town on the Brink
By Motti Verses

Hot Spot. Sustaining this Lebanese coastal resort’s economy are not tourists but soldiers serving in UNIFIL. While the beach beckons, it’s not sea shells but military shells that tragically characterizes this ancient city – a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

TYRE OVER TIME
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(4)

DECODING ISRAEL’S POLITICAL LANDSCAPE

Why the forthcoming election on October 27 must bring a change of leadership to Israel.
By Neville Berman

Stop the Rot. How do we end up with “unqualified party hacks as cabinet ministers,” and a “government of mediocracy” asks the writer, revealing how the “system that produces an Israeli coalition government is totally rotten.”

DECODING ISRAEL’S POLITICAL LANDSCAPE
(Click on the blue title)



LOTL Cofounders David E. Kaplan (Editor), Rolene Marks and Yair Chelouche

To unsubscribe, please reply to layotland@gmail.com






While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves.  LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).

Lay of the Land Weekly Newsletter – 30 August 2026

Like this content? Please share and tweet it to your friends and followers.

To subscribe via email please send a mail noting your request to: layotland@gmail.com 
Please visit/ join/follow our social media platforms:

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/LotLSite/

X (Twitter): Lay Of The Land – @layoftheland5

Also available on YouTube @The Israel Brief  – Simply click on the red subscribe button to receive alerts when a new report is posted.



What’s happening in Israel today? See from every Monday – Thursday LOTL’s The Israel Brief broadcasts and on our Facebook page and YouTube by seasoned TV & radio broadcaster, Rolene Marks familiar to Chai FM listeners in South Africa and millions of American listeners to the News/Talk/Sports radio station WINA, broadcasting out of Virginia, USA.

THE ISRAEL BRIEF – 24–27 August 2026
(Click on the blue title)




Lay of the Land’s Image ‘Photo/Image Pick of the Week‘

OLD PILLAR, NEW DESIGN

While Israel’s kibbutzim and moshavim have shed many of its iconic founding structures, October 7reveals that the core fundamentals of ‘social bonds’ and ‘community identity’ remain deeply resilient.

Circulating this week on Jerusalem Post online,  this image of members of all ages taking part in festive celebrations earlier this year at Kibbutz Hukok in the Lower Galilee, captures that enduring spirit and preservation of values. (Photo: MICHAEL GILADI/FLASH90)




ARTICLES

Please note there is a facility to comment beneath each article should you wish to express an opinion on the subject addressed.

(1)

THE GHOULS FEEDING ON HIND RAJAB’S DEATH

An IDF investigation has produced no verdict and no new evidence of guilt. The online mob is exploiting the tragedy for clicks anyway.
By Andrew Fox

Carrion Call. Literally feeding off the dead, the moment the criminal investigation was announced, a
a malicious media called it as an admission of guilt designed – asserts the writer – “to trick”
news consumers into confusing “suspicion with conviction.”

THE GHOULS FEEDING ON HIND RAJAB’S DEATH
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(2)

THE RAMAPHOSA / PEREZ MEETING–PATHOS OR POLITICAL OPPORTUNISM?

What truly lies behind the much-publicized meeting between South Africa’s President and the Rabbi parent of a SA-born Israeli soldier killed in the war in Gaza?
By Peter Bailey

Mixed Messaging. Endangering Jews globally by maligning the Jewish state with dangerously false accusations of genocide, SA president, Cyril Ramaphosa meets with Rabbi Doron and Shelly Perez, parents of slain son, Daniel, killed in action on the 7 October, 2023.

THE RAMAPHOSA / PEREZ MEETING–PATHOS OR POLITICAL OPPORTUNISM?
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(3)

WORDS AND DEEDS MATTER: THE ALARMING RISE IN STOCHASTIC ANTISEMITISM IN SOUTH AFRICA

Is a Jewish presence in South Africa inextricably tied to the Israel-Palestine conflict, which has led to localized harassment?
By Yoram Blumstein

Disturbing Question. In the face of rising anti-Israel sentiment in South Africa, is it still safe for Jews
in South Africa – outside the protective safe zones – to visually identify themselves in public?

WORDS AND DEEDS MATTER: THE ALARMING RISE IN STOCHASTIC ANTISEMITISM IN SOUTH AFRICA
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(4)

ELUL, REPENTANCE AND FORGIVENESS

Elul reminds us that repentance is not only about regret for past shortcomings but choosing a better direction for the future.
By Jonathan Feldstein

Taking Stock of one’s Self. Currently in the Biblical month of Elul, we examine where we have been, where we are going, and how our actions align with our values with each morning the Shofar blowing to awaken the conscience as we prepare for judgement.

ELUL, REPENTANCE AND FORGIVENESS
(Click on the blue title)




LOTL Cofounders David E. Kaplan (Editor), Rolene Marks and Yair Chelouche

To unsubscribe, please reply to layotland@gmail.com






While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves.  LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO)..