Category: News Letter

Lay of the Land Weekly Newsletter – 11 October 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 – 05-07 October 2026
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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
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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
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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?
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(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.

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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.

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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 – 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
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(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
(Click on the blue title)



(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
(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 – 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/

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 – 31 August – 03 September 2026
(Click on the blue title)



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
(Click on the blue title)




(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
(Click on the blue title)



(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
(Click on the blue title)



(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
(Click on the blue title)




(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?
(Click on the blue title)




(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
(Click on the blue title)



(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)..

Lay of the Land Weekly Newsletter – 23 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 – 17–20 August 2026
(Click on the blue title)




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

ADOLESCENCE ALTERED

October 7 shaped their adolescence. Now they will be voting for the first time come 27 October, 2023 Over 640,000 first-time voters – shaped by pandemic, war, and social media – are poised to play a decisive role.

How will Israel’s young impact this October 27, three years after October 7, 2023?
(Credit: Masha Zur-Glozman/ Haaretz)




ARTICLES

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

(1)

MAKING PEACE TO MAKE WAR

Israelis love to fantasize about eating humus in Damascus. However, fantasies turn into fiascoes when they collide with fiendish reality.
By Jonathan Feldstein

Peace or Pause. For this writer, this week’s headlines “could have come from headlines of the year 628 with Mohammed’s “Treaty of Hudaybiyha.” How do you make peace with enemies whose aim is biblically embedded to buy time in order the attack later when stronger?

MAKING PEACE TO MAKE WAR
(Click on the blue title)



(2)

AMERICA, BEWARE OF THE ISLAMISTS IN YOUR BACKYARD

What I see is what I fear: How can American’s be so blind?
By Marziyeh Amirizadeh

Voting in Vipers. “As a grateful and proud American, I weep as I see a trend happening in the US that echoes the naïve ignorance that paved the way for the rise of the Islamists in the country of my birth,” laments this writer who immigrated to the US after being sentenced to death for the crime of conversion.

AMERICA, BEWARE OF THE ISLAMISTS IN YOUR BACKYARD
(Click on the blue title)



(3)

NEVER STOP LOOKING

The State of Israel goes to great lengths to retrieve its soldiers, whether alive or dead.
By Lennie Lurie

No Rest until Laid to Rest. The crew of INS Dakar, the Israeli submarine that was lost at sea in January, 1968, is pictured here at Portsmouth Naval Base, England, ahead of its first voyage to Israel which she would never complete.

NEVER STOP LOOKING
(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 – 16 August 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 – 10–13 August 2026
(Click on the blue title)




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

“YOUR’E IN EUROPE HERE, GO AWAY”

It says much for Europe today when Irish tourist (below) said this to a Jewish couple inside a French supermarket followed by: “You get the f** away from me before I put a f**ing bullet in your head?”

Inside a French supermarket this week an Irish tourist who initially introduced himself to an Australian Jewish couple as “Paddy from Ireland,” made hateful remarks saying he was sorry Hitler hadn’t “finished the job” after a conversation turned political. He proceeded to threaten the couple with violence when they began recording the encounter.
(see: https://x.com/AustralianJA/status/2087326866562834566/video/1)




ARTICLES

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

(1)

HANGAR OF HORROR TO GATES TO HEAVEN

I did not want to talk about it; so now I’m writing about it – my visit to Camp Shura in central Israel.
By David E. Kaplan

From Hell to Heaven. This young rabbi who had never seen a dead body before October 7 was suddenly thrust into a situation that he was totally unprepared for – the arrival of dead Jews “by the truckload.” Hearing firsthand of what played out at Shura, one can understand why 3 years later, the tears still flow from the teller and listeners alike!

HANGAR OF HORROR TO GATES TO HEAVEN



(2)

BEYOND MEMORY: PRAGUE’S LIVING JEWISH HERITAGE

Despite its complex millennium-long relationship with its Jewish community, Prague today actively preserves, honors, and celebrates its profound Jewish heritage.
By Motti Verses

Poignant Prague. The Altneuschul in Prague’s Jewish Quarter is the oldest preserved synagogue in Europe. Of all the places the writer has travelled,  “there is only one where I have truly felt that Judaism is not merely tolerated, but genuinely respected, cherished and embraced with warmth: Prague.” Discover why.

BEYOND MEMORY: PRAGUE’S LIVING JEWISH HERITAGE
(Click on the blue title)



(3

MENSCHESKEIT, MITZVOT AND THE JEWISH SOUL IN TIMES OF WAR

A sensitive reflection on Jewish ethics, Derech Eretz, preserving life, and how living by Torah values can help protect mental health even in times of conflict.
By Bev Moss-Reilly

Soul Searching. “The soul of a people is tested not only by how it suffers, but by how it behaves when it has the strength to act,” asserts the writer. Beyond the ritual and law, what characterizes Jewish life   is menscheskeit, Read and learn more.

MENSCHESKEIT, MITZVOT AND THE JEWISH SOUL IN TIMES OF WAR
(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 – 09 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 – 03 – 06 August 2026
(Click on the blue title)



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

THE ‘NEW’ – NEW YORK

It may look the same but does it feel the same?

Beneath the Veneer. New York City holds the largest Jewish population of any city in the world outside of Israel, with over 1 million Jewish residents living within the five boroughs. They came as immigrants to escape; are they going to leave again for the same reason?




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 MORAL DECAY OF THE WEST

Are we seeing the decline of Western values?
By Rolene Marks

Fearing the Future. If “You can tell a society is in moral decay by the way it treats its Jews,” asserts the writer, then what does it say about crowds in cities across the world that “before the bodies were cold,” on October 7, 2023,  gathered to celebrate the worst mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust?

THE MORAL DECAY OF THE WEST
(Click on the blue title)



(2)

WORN DOWN BY WAR

A Jewish perspective of ‘anticipatory grief’, loss and mental health during war.
By Bev Moss-Reilly

Fearing the Worst. The dread that sits in the chest when “a loved one is at the front”, when “a mother keeps checking her phone”, or when “a father looks at the door and wonders who will walk through it next.” Anticipatory grief is exhausting and a way of daily life in Israel.

WORN DOWN BY WAR
(Click on the blue title)



(3)

ROTH’S WRATH AT JUSTICE DENIED

Arnold Roth’s 25-Year fight for justice for his daughter’s murder and accountability for a Hamas terrorist.
By Jonathan Feldstein

Downtown Devastation. Among the dozens killed was 15-year-old Malki Roth whose father, Arnoldhas has not ceased to bring the mastermind of his daughter’s murder – a resident of Jordan – to justice.

ROTH’S WRATH AT JUSTICE DENIED
(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).