Category: News Letter

Lay of the Land Weekly Newsletter- 22 March 2026

Unveiling the contours and contrasts of an ever-changing Middle East landscape Reliable reportage and insightful commentary on the Middle East by seasoned journalists from the region and beyond.

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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 –16–19 March 2026
(Click on the blue title)



STOP PRESS

In the past 12 hours there have been mass casualty missile attacks in Dimona and Arad, and just breaking, cars set ablaze in the north (see below), with one man killed. Our thoughts from the Lay of the land team to all effected and the people of Israel as they endure a war that must be waged and won.




Lay of the Land’s Photo Pick of the Week captures Israeli resilience and determination

“GET ME TO THE SHUL ON TIME”

No missiles from Iran were going to stop this Israeli “Fair Lady” getting to her wedding

No Runaway Bride. With siren sounding on the way to her wedding on 18 March,
bride‘s car pulls over on the highway followed by the mad dash – still smiling –
for a shelter.




ARTICLES

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

(1)

THANK YOU

Thank you to all those who inadvertently helped Israel.
By Neville Berman

Momentous Milestone. Sadat’s iconic visit to Jerusalem in 1977 set the stage of Israel’s journey for acceptance in the Middle East for which he paid for with his life. The Egyptian president is one of many the writer choses to thank for Israel’s triumph of survival.

THANK YOU
(Click on the blue title)



(2)

THE SILENT WOUNDS OF WAR IN ISRAEL

There is the war people see on the news – and then there is the war people carry home in their bodies.
By Bev Moss-Reilly

Above and Below. Amazing how Israelis adjust. From pitching innovative ideas in the thriving city above to pitching tents in an underground parking lot below, Israelis know how to thrive and survive! Tel Aviv residents take shelter from incoming Iranian missile on June 24, 2025.

THE SILENT WOUNDS OF WAR IN ISRAEL
(Click on the blue title)



(3)

MISUSE TO MALIGN – AID AGENCIES EXPOSED

When humanitarian agencies misuse the word “genocide” to malign Israel, they erode its meaning, cheapen the suffering of genuine victims and erode trust.
By Marika Sboros

Genuine Genocide. There is a distinction between genocide and war, and when aid agencies deliberately blur that distinction, it is not only a misuse, but an abuse of the word that is “weighted with meaning from the ashes of the crematoria of the Holocaust.”  

MISUSE TO MALIGN – AID AGENCIES EXPOSED
(Click on the blue title)



(4)

BEIRUT’S BLOODY HISTORY OF HOTELS

Lebanon’s coastal gem  functions simultaneously as a vibrant cultural and nightlife ‘Hot Spot’ as well as a high-risk area due to intense geopolitical tensions.
By Motti Verses

War Window. Abandoned a year after the opening in 1974 due to the Lebanese Civil War, this photo of Beirut as seen through a ‘window’ of the forsaken Holiday Inn, encapsulates a city over 50 years later still at war with itself.

BEIRUT’S BLOODY HISTORY OF HOTELS
(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 March 2026

Unveiling the contours and contrasts of an ever-changing Middle East landscape Reliable reportage and insightful commentary on the Middle East by seasoned journalists from the region and beyond.

Home

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 –09–12 March 2026
(Click on the blue title)



Lay of the Land’s Photo Pick of the Week

ISRAEL AT WAR – NOWHERE IS SAFE

The sound of air raid sirens is Israel’s daily soundtrack setting off its citizens to find the nearest shelter. Then you wait for the news of casualties and damage.

Missile strike in central Israel, March 15, 2026. (Photo: MDA)




ARTICLES

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

(1)

LONDON’S DIRTY SECRET: HOW STOLEN REGIME FUNDS FLOW THROUGH THE UK

Britain cannot claim to confront the Iranian regime while simultaneously serving as a repository for its money.
By Emily Schrader

London’s Laundromat. Islamic regime-linked wealth has become deeply embedded inside the British financial and property system. Is it any surprise that despite years of warnings,  the UK government has failed to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization!

LONDON’S DIRTY SECRET: HOW STOLEN REGIME FUNDS FLOW THROUGH THE UK
(Click on the blue title)



(2)

IRANIAN WOMEN’S COURAGE MUST NOT BE FORGOTTEN ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

Being a woman in Iran means enduring barbaric inhuman behavior in every facet of life.
By Marziyeh Amirizadeh

Beauties and the Beasts. Former Iranian prisoners, the writer (left), and Maryam Rostampour (right)  were tortured and sentenced to death but were finally released following international pressure. Many of their friends and cellmates were executed.

IRANIAN WOMEN’S COURAGE MUST NOT BE FORGOTTEN ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
(Click on the blue title)



(3)

TEHRAN’S HOTELS: WAR, REGULATION AND SANCTIONS

Discerning differences is not visible in the lobby; it lies within the system behind it.
By Motti Verses

Under the Proverbial Veil. Behind the splendor of Tehran’s 5-star hotels lies a rigid regulatory
management system shaped by geopolitics, where Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence monitors
the movements and communications of guests – particularly foreign nationals.

TEHRAN’S HOTELS: WAR, REGULATION AND SANCTIONS
(Click on the blue title)



(4)

THE FLAME

By Steve Linde

World on Fire. Expressing this Purim his thoughts in poetry rather than prose, the former editor of 
The Jerusalem Post and Jerusalem Report,  pens this poignant poem while his people are again enduring war.

THE FLAME
(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- 08 March 2026

Unveiling the contours and contrasts of an ever-changing Middle East landscape Reliable reportage and insightful commentary on the Middle East by seasoned journalists from the region and beyond.

Home

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 –01–05 March 2026
(Click on the blue title)



Lay of the Land’s Photo Pick of the Week

ISRAEL’S RESILIENT UNDERGROUND CULTURE

Pulsating Purim. Israeli revelers dance and sing as they celebrate Purim in an underground parking garage in Tel Aviv while sheltering from Iranian missiles on March 2. Not only are the people’s spirits high, but so are Israeli stocks that have defied war panic with key indices like the TA-35 and TA-125 surging to record highs. (Photo: Erik Marmor/Getty Images)




ARTICLES

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

(1)

WHY THE WAR AGAINST IRAN IS NOT ONLY RIGHT BUT ESSENTIAL

Since its inception, the Islamic Republic has been deceiving and lying to the West as its centrifuges churned away enriching uranium to a level only required for a weapons program.
By Marziyeh Amirizadeh

(who survived Tehran’s infamous prison under a death sentence)

Bargaining, Bluffing, Buying Time. Ready to once again lie and deceive, Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi smiles on route to the first round of talks with the USA in Geneva. Within days, the US called his bluff and the Ayatollah lay under rubble, his regime likely to follow.

WHY THE WAR AGAINST IRAN IS NOT ONLY RIGHT BUT ESSENTIAL
(Click on the blue title)



(2)

DESPERATELY SEEKING SALVATION

How Western countries can confront the challengers of growing unassimilated immigrant populations.
By Neville Berman

The New Wave. As a result of French President Sarkozy banning the right to wear full-face veils in public spaces, he lost the presidential election with well over 90% of the Muslims – who made up 8% of the population – voting against him. As the Muslim vote determined who became President of France, mass Muslim movements may well determine the future of Europe.

DESPERATELY SEEKING SALVATION
(Click on the blue title)



(3)

THE ROEDEAN-KING DAVID ‘AFFAIR’ – A MARATHON MATCH

How a cancelled school tennis match escalated into a wider political battle over Israel, antisemitism, and boycotts.
By Marika Sboros

Back to Court. While the two schools have tried to move on following an apology and a promise to resume play, this “affair” is not going away with South Africa’s anti-Israel lobby hell-bent on turninga girls tennis match ”… into an international propaganda tool.”

THE ROEDEAN-KING DAVID ‘AFFAIR’ – A MARATHON MATCH
(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- 02 March 2026

Unveiling the contours and contrasts of an ever-changing Middle East landscape Reliable reportage and insightful commentary on the Middle East by seasoned journalists from the region and beyond.

Home

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.



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 –23–26 February 2026
(Click on the blue title)



Lay of the Land wishes our readers a

“CHAG PURIM SAMEACH ” – (Happy Purim holiday)

As we ‘celebrate’ Purim during war this week, the Biblical story of the defeat of Haman, who plotted to annihilate the Jewish people, feels more like a news headline than ancient history.     

Megillah in the Miklat. Israel’s news channel 12 interview kids in Purim costumes in a miklat (bomb shelter).




ARTICLES

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

(1)

ANC AMNESIA

A Beit Berl Project – As South Africa’s leadership engages in state-sponsored antisemitism, it should remember Israel’s unique contribution in its transition to post-Apartheid
By David E. Kaplan

Pulsating Partnership. Seen here at Beit Berl in Israel in the 1990s are participants from South Africa
on a Leadership and Community Development Program together with local South Africans,
including former member of uMkhonto weSizwe Arthur Goldreich (bottom left).  

ANC AMNESIA
(Click on the blue title)



(2)

WE ARE ALL JEWS HERE

The heroism of Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds
By Andrew Fox

Defying Distancing. While people today across the world ‘distance’ themselves from Jews, the
 writer recalls a time when a brave NCO in a POW camp with a Nazi gun pointed at his head,
refused to identify the Jews under his command, answering: “We are all Jews here.”

WE ARE ALL JEWS HERE
(Click on the blue title)



(3)

THE RIGHT OF JEWS TO THE LAND OF ISRAEL

Indigenous and Sovereignty are in most cases mutually exclusive.
By Neville Berman

Concluding a Contract. The Old Testament is embedded in European culture and art as reflected here in this 18th century graphic by William Hogarth depicting Abraham purchasing a field from a Hittite in Hebron to be used as a family tomb.

THE RIGHT OF JEWS TO THE LAND OF ISRAEL
(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- 19 February 2026

Unveiling the contours and contrasts of an ever-changing Middle East landscape Reliable reportage and insightful commentary on the Middle East by seasoned journalists from the region and beyond.

Home

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 –16–19 February 2026
(Click on the blue title)



TO ALL OUR MUSLIM READERS




ARTICLES

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

(1)

CRYING FOR THE BELOVED COUNTRY. AGAIN

Diplomatic ties hit all-time low between Jerusalem and Pretoria
By Rolene Marks

Sacking Seidman. It defies belief that in a country beset with so many challenges, its government would rather place skewered ideological allegiances above the well-being of its citizens.

CRYING FOR THE BELOVED COUNTRY. AGAIN
(Click on the blue title)



(2)

‘COURTING’ ANTISEMITISM – THE ROEDEAN HIGH SCHOOL AND KING DAVID SAGA

A tennis match that did not take place between two girls’ schools in Johannesburg exposes attitudes and antipathy towards Jews.
By Marika Sboros

Tennis Troubles. Once considered a “finishing school” for the country’s future leaders, Roedean’s reputation may well be “finished”  having become mired in accusations of antisemitism for failing to honour a scheduled tennis match against a Jewish girl’s school.

‘COURTING’ ANTISEMITISM – THE ROEDEAN HIGH SCHOOL AND KING DAVID SAGA
(Click on the blue title)



(3)

BONDI SHOWED WHAT HAPPENS WHEN UNTRUTHS GO UNCHALLENGED

A mass murder of Jews on a public beach did not “just happen” –  When lies reign, death ultimately follows.
By  Allan Joffe

Bondi Beach Massacre. Left behind was more than people’s personal belongings but the end of a nation’s innocence. The dangers that lurk in the sea has been superseded by the danger that lurks on the sand.

BONDI SHOWED WHAT HAPPENS WHEN UNTRUTHS GO UNCHALLENGED
(Click on the blue title)



(4)

THE SUBVERSIVE HATERS

Roedean no-show at scheduled tennis match against Jewish Day School exposes deafening silence in mainstream South African society to antisemitism.
By Craig Snoyman

Sounds of Silence. The writer notes that while the Gauteng Department of Education is customarily quick to respond to racist WhatsApp messaging from white pupils, it was silent with no statement or
condemnation of Roedean’s antisemitic conduct towards King David School.

THE SUBVERSIVE HATERS
(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 February 2026

Unveiling the contours and contrasts of an ever-changing Middle East landscape Reliable reportage and insightful commentary on the Middle East by seasoned journalists from the region and beyond.

Home

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 –09–12 February 2026
(Click on the blue title)



Lay of the Land’s disturbing ‘PhotoPick’ of the Week

Threatening Jews at Opera House, mass murdering Jews at a beach, violently protesting against the visiting president of the Jewish state, Australia’s message to the Jewish world is CHILLINGLY clear!

The Worst of Oz. Protests in Sydney turned violent as demonstrators protest against Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s state visit to Australia in the wake of December’s Bondi Beach mass shooting during a Hanukkah celebration. (Photo: AFP, 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)

HOME AT LAST

In the final chapter of a national tragedy, some 700 personnel participated – including roughly 400 combat soldiers –  in ‘Operation Brave Heart’ –  bringing home the last hostage from Gaza.
By Jonathan Feldstein

Homeward Bound. Retrieving Israel’s last hostage was a masterpiece of military precision and moral resolve.  The writer – who interviewed Colonel Golan Vach who led the mission – offers insights into the operation and its meaning for Israel.

HOME AT LAST
(Click on the blue title)



(2)

SEIDMAN’S EXPULSION: THE COMEDY AND THE DARKER SIDE

South Africa’s expulsion of Israel’s Chargé D’Affaires is looking like absolutely fabulous fodder for comedians.
By Marika Sboros

Hardly Clean Hands!Duplicitous and devious, South Africa’s President Ramaphosa takes extreme and
unwarranted action against Israel’s head diplomat in Pretoria for alleged transgressions, while the truth lies entirely elsewhere!

SEIDMAN’S EXPULSION: THE COMEDY AND THE DARKER SIDE
(Click on the blue title)



(3)

COULD WE GO FROM GAZA’S LAST HOSTAGE TO COEXISTENCE?

Tensions between Muslims and Jews has not always defined their relationship. Can shared roots and cultural commonalities provide a favorable way forward?
By Steven Gruzd

Seeking Common Ground. With the current climate of animosity, can the long complex  relationship between Judaism and Islam which began in the 7th century,  offer instructive insights relevant for today?

COULD WE GO FROM GAZA’S LAST HOSTAGE TO COEXISTENCE?
(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- 08 February 2026

Unveiling the contours and contrasts of an ever-changing Middle East landscape Reliable reportage and insightful commentary on the Middle East by seasoned journalists from the region and beyond.

Home

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 –02–05 February 2026
(Click on the blue title)



Lay of the Land’s ‘PhotoPick’ of the Week

SUSPENSE SAGA

People in the region WATCH, WAITand WONDER what may unfold and how it may impact their lives!

To Strike or not to Strike. The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, accompanied by two military supply ships and two U.S. Coast Guard cutters, sail towards Iran in the Arabian Sea as aircraft from Carrier Air Wing 9 fly overhead. (Photo: CENTCOM)




ARTICLES

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

(1)

BRAVE HEART

A fulfillment of a sacred vow – to bring them all home
By Rolene Marks

Lion of Judah.  With a broken shoulder, 24-yer-old Ran Gvili went into battle and fought
like a lion. “First in, last out,” in the words of his bereaved mother, Ran symbolizes
 the courage and self-sacrifice of Israel’s finest young people.

BRAVE HEART
(Click on the blue title)



(2)

THE WORLD’S MOST EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE

The upside-down world that we now live in.
By Neville Berman

Palestinian Puzzle. While ‘Indigenous Peoples’ from the Kurds and the Rohingya to the Tibetans, Uyghurs
and Yazidis struggle for their cause of sovereign rights to globally resonate, not so for the Palestinians.
Has it less to do with being Palestinian and more to do with their adversary being a ‘Jewish’ state?

THE WORLD’S MOST EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE
(Click on the blue title)



(3)

CYPRUS, ISRAEL’S CLOSEST FARAWAY PLACE

Not only an attraction for Israel travelers, this captivating Mediterranean gem is attracting Israelis who are contributing to the Island and its tourism industry.
By Motti Verses

Beauty Spot. The writer marveling at the beauty where legend has it that Aphrodite, the goddess of love
and beauty was born. For centuries, people have traveled here to sweep their loved one off their feet.
More and more Israeli tourists are showing that are being swept off their feet by Cyprus.

CYPRUS, ISRAEL’S CLOSEST FARAWAY PLACE
(Click on the blue title)



(4)

THE ARAB VOICE – FEBRUARY 2026

Perspectives and insights from writers in the Arab media

While there is much skepticism of Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ – particularly across Western Europe – many
in the Arab media are more approving, viewing it as a last ‘shot’ at peace for the region.
Whether expectation is a consequence of exasperation, time will tell.

THE ARAB VOICE – FEBRUARY 2026
(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- 01 February 2026

Unveiling the contours and contrasts of an ever-changing Middle East landscape Reliable reportage and insightful commentary on the Middle East by seasoned journalists from the region and beyond.

Home

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 –26–29 January 2026
(Click on the blue title)



Lay of the Land’s Image Pick of the Week

HOME AT LAST

First in, last out, Ran Gvili after 843 days in Gaza is finally home.

Much of the world failed to understand WHY Israel fights for the return of deceased hostage as much for the living.
The explanation lies in who we are and why we will always be.
Am Yisrael Chai.




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 OUT ON THE STREET

From a street in Minneapolis to the streets of Tehran, what does media focus reveal about global morality and hypocrisy?
By David E. Kaplan

Streets Apart. The killing on a street in the state of Minnesota by a federal law enforcement official – as chilling
and traumatic as it is to victim, family and nation – shades in media-magnitude to the wholesale slaughter
of thousands on the streets in Iran. Why the disturbing absence of global media interest?

WORD OUT ON THE STREET
(Click on the blue title)



(2)

TIME FOR IRAN’S NUREMBERG TRIALS

Nazi Germany existed for less than a generation. Islamic republic for nearly half a century. The list of crimes and people to be tried will be endless. That alone makes this urgent.
By Marziyeh Amirizadeh – a former Iranian death row inmate

Tehran’s Tormentors. In order not to forget the faces of their interrogators in Tehran’s infamous prison so that they
can someday be brough to justice, the writer and her cell mate, Maryam, sketched “Rasti” and “Haghighat”.  
How long before these two find themselves in a cell – not as interrogators but inmates?

TIME FOR IRAN’S NUREMBERG TRIALS
(Click on the blue title)



(3)

WHY WE ARE “PROTESTANT” ZIONISTS

Israel’s last major allies are several hundred million Protestant Zionists but the Islamist world – with compliant local church support – is desperate to break this alliance.
By John Enarson

Brick Wall. Behind the veneer of the walls of the Old City, the writer (above) exposes what’s behind Jerusalem’s
Catholic church and its allied denominations with their January 19, startling  statement  condemning
Christian support for Israel as a “damaging ideology”. Damaging to who?

WHY WE ARE “PROTESTANT” ZIONISTS
(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 January 2026

Unveiling the contours and contrasts of an ever-changing Middle East landscape Reliable reportage and insightful commentary on the Middle East by seasoned journalists from the region and beyond.

Home

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 –19–22 January 2026
(Click on the blue title)



Lay of the Land’s PhotoPick of the Week

“SOUNDS OF SILENCE”

This photo is an indictment as much against the West as against Iran
Appealing for the support that characterized the streets and colleges of the West since October 2023, Iranians – cut off from communicating – are met with a deafening “Sounds of Silence”.

The desert saying, “The dog barks but the caravan moves on,” reflects Western indifference while Iranian
protestors are slaughtered, hospitals struggle to treat the injured, women wail at cemeteries
overwhelmed by the dead, and morgues fill with bags holding unidentified bodies.
(Photo: Kim Kyung/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)

BATTLEGROUNDS FOR RECONCILIATION

The Pivotal Role of HBCUs in combating antisemitism in America’s Black Community.
By Jonathan Feldstein

Reviving Reconciliation. While Martin Luther King Jr. – seen here with Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel –
expressed the Jewish community “more than any other ethnic group” stood by the Black community, 
historical shifts, cultural influences, and educational institutions have fueled division. 
Can this process be reversed?

BATTLEGROUNDS FOR RECONCILIATION
(Click on the blue title)



(2)

GOODBYE KHAMENEI, HELLO ABRAHAM ACCORDS

How regime change in Iran can lead to a more peaceful and prosperous Middle East.
By Neville Berman

To Be or Not to Be. Its not just a rhetorical question but the future of millions of Iranians and people in the
region and around the world wait in anticipation for the dawn of a new era of peace and prosperity.

GOODBYE KHAMENEI, HELLO ABRAHAM ACCORDS
(Click on the blue title)



(3)

MAN ON THE RUN

From running marathons to running a top travel agency, Allan Wolman could also not get faster enough to Israel in 1967 to volunteer during the Six Day War.
A tribute by David E. Kaplan

True to his Word. A frequent contributor to Lay of the Land, we pay tribute to this former South African who in his own way, fought for Israel both in word and in deed.

MAN ON THE RUN
(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 January 2026

Unveiling the contours and contrasts of an ever-changing Middle East landscape Reliable reportage and insightful commentary on the Middle East by seasoned journalists from the region and beyond.

Home

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 –12–15 January 2026
(Click on the blue title)



Lay of the Land’s Photo Pick of the Week

OVER THE RAINBOW

Hula Nature Reserve in northern Israel, January 13, 2026.(Photo: Ayal Margolin/Flash90)

Under a Dark Cloud. In a week that people in the region were bracing for war, it was a welcome sight to be greeted in the morning media by nature’s symbol of Hope, New Beginnings, Peace and Divine Promise.



ARTICLES

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

(1)

TO THOSE WHO HAVE TAKEN TO STAGE, SCREEN AND PETITION – FACTS MATTER

An Open Letter to the Entertainment Industry.
By Rolene Marks

Face the Facts. The writer confronts with FACTS those voices from “stage, screen and the recording arts” who advocate for Black Lives Matter,  #MeToo movement, gender equality and other Human Rights groups but are SILENT when it comes to Israelis and Jews.

TO THOSE WHO HAVE TAKEN TO STAGE, SCREEN AND PETITION – FACTS MATTER
(Click on the blue title)



(2)

OUT OF THIS WORLD

A tribute to Israeli entrepreneur, innovator, philanthropist and visionary Morris Kahn (1930-2026) who sought frontiers below and beyond.
By David E. Kaplan

Feisty Frontiersman.  From manufacturing bicycles to telecommunication software powerhouse, to creating unique tourist underwater observatories beneath the world’s oceans, to supporting Israel’s entry into the Space Age, Morris Kahn has been a true trailblazer.

OUT OF THIS WORLD
(Click on the blue title)



(3)

THE INCOMPATIBILITY OF JUDAISM AND ANTIZIONISM

A Jew opposing Jewish statehood displays today historical illiteracy or suicidal self-destructiveness.
By Grant Gochin

Defining the Difference. Far from the common “colonial” slur, Zionism at its most basic core, explains the writer “…means to stop murdering Jews, while antizionism means to continue to murder Jews.” Do Jews have to again stand in line for a ‘shower’ to understand the distinction?

THE INCOMPATIBILITY OF JUDAISM AND ANTIZONISM
(Click on the blue title)



(4)

IS HALTING EXECUTIONS IN IRAN GOOD ENOUGH?
Pulling back from military intervention following bellicose threats, is Trump failing – like Carter, Obama and Biden preceding him – the long-suffering people of Iran?
By Jonathan Feldstein

Suppressing the Street. A brutal theocratic dictatorship, Iran has devolved into a failed state unable to provide water and electricity and its currency devalued to record lows, more than one million rials per dollar. The message from the street is for no more “deals” but regime change?

IS HALTING EXECUTIONS IN IRAN GOOD ENOUGH?
(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).