middle east current events

Summer in Jerusalem with 3 international events you should see

Sharon A

A week with Israel at the center of international headlines.

No idea what will happen next.

But I want to make sure you heard of these 3 events that happened in Jerusalem, Israel.

The IDF Band and honor guard were out early on Sunday to welcome the President of Somaliland, Abdirahaman Mohamed Abdullahi.

The Israeli President’s official guest book was ready to be signed in the diplomatic reception room.

The band was playing the national anthems as the President and his wife were welcomed on the red carpet.

Israeli and Somaliland government officials were lined up inside to meet and greet each other.

The President and their wives and military attaches followed for the signing of the guest book.

The Somaliland President was welcomed and spoke of the 6 million Muslims he was elected to represent.

The lunch that followed included the Israeli Foreign Minister and the former head of Mossad, who have been working on joint relations.

The Somaliland delegation had days filled with events and a dinner reception at the Friends of Zion Center.

No wine, again, but dined in style, hosted by Mike Evans and the FoZ.

The Friends of Zion Award is a menorah given over the years to leaders who support Israel.

President Abdullahi opened the Somaliland Embassy in Jerusalem.

He expressed his appreciation for Israel being the first country to recognize and support his country.

But Somaliland was not the only country with government officials in Jerusalem.

The President of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies, Martin Menem, was welcomed to Jerusalem at the Knesset.

On Monday morning, the head of Argentina’s parliament was greeted by Israeli Speaker Amir Ohana.

The national anthems were played as the flag of Argentina was raised.

Menem placed a ceremonial wreath at the memorial flame outside the Knesset.

He took a rather long time to sign the Knesset guest book.

I went to take a photo of what he wrote in Spanish. Here’s an AI English Translation:
The Honorable Martín Menem
President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Argentine Nation

With immense gratitude, I visit the Knesset, a symbol of Israeli democracy and of the strength of a people that has known how to DEFEND its freedom, its identity, and its values throughout its history.

It is an honor for me to be the first President of the honorable CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES of the ARGENTINE NATION to make an official visit to ISRAEL, which reflects the deep FRIENDSHIP that unites both nations that share FUNDAMENTAL VALUES.

With ADMIRATION and AFFECTION toward the people of ISRAEL.

[Signature]
MARTÍN MENEM

Jerusalem, 15 June 2026
30 Sivan 5786

One more event you may not have heard about.

Sarri Singer founded Strength to Strength, a global non-profit that connects and supports victims of terrorism, bereaved families, and first responders.

She established the organization after surviving a tragic 2003 suicide bombing on Bus 14 in Jerusalem, where she was severely injured while everyone seated around her was killed.

NGO Monitor, Strength to Strength, hosted an event at StandWithUs on Monday night.

Sharren Haskel, Israeli politician serving as the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, was the keynote speaker.

The panel (left to right): Fleur Hassan Nahoum, Sarri Singer, and Anne Herzberg discussed “pay for slay.”

The PA has found new ways to continue to pay terrorists and their families who murder Israelis.

Out in the real Jerusalem streets, 5 parking spots have been reduced to 2.

The pomegranate trees are in bloom as the grasses dry out in June.

And with all the uncertainty in the world today, the summer sunsets are colorful as always.

Tourists are arriving. Hope to see you soon on the Jerusalem streets.

Jerusalem, old and new, and inside and out

Sharon A

Jerusalem, Israel, is a city of contrasts.

A place of diversity, where the Jerusalem streets are constantly changing.

Jerusalem’s ancient Tower of David and the Old City walls are well known.

The lanes of Yemin Moshe have long been photo-worthy.

Now, with almost everyone having a camera on their smartphone, sights and scenes are widely shared.

The annual Jerusalem Unity Prize awards were presented at Beit Hanasi, the President’s residence, on May 24, 2026.

When Raviv Kaner began to sing, the phones began recording.

Awards were given to 5 communities and organizations for their efforts in promoting unity.

The last two awards were to individuals – Rabbi Yonatan Reiss, founder of the Chedvata network of haredi hesder yeshivot, was honored for advancing the integration of ultra-Orthodox young men into meaningful national service and Israeli society while maintaining strong religious observance.

The audience stood to applaud his award and work.

The final honoree, Sheikh Muwafaq Tarif, spiritual leader of Israel’s Druze community, also received a standing ovation for his longstanding efforts to strengthen relations between the Druze community and broader Israeli society and promote shared life among Israel’s diverse populations.

Also, a new book, “Heroism and Hope” by David Bryfman, was launched on Monday night.

Good to see a long-time connection doing well and launching his book on education in Jerusalem

Out on the Jerusalem streets this week, people were enjoying the weather.

Plus, the unusual quiet, with the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, there was less traffic.

Most construction sites were not active for the holiday.

The International Writers’ Festival was less international than in the past.

But as I was going to check it out, another couple was getting engaged nearby.

Ah, the Jerusalem streets where one could find “A little light can dispel a lot of darkness.”

While much of the news is negative, here are a few of Jerusalem’s views you may not have seen.

Construction from every direction, in the distance,

and not so far away.

The light rail construction drags on, with too many images of closed roads to share.

But if you get out to walk on the Jerusalem streets, there are roses to stop and smell.

And the old lanes of Nachlaot to admire.

Hoping for you to see for yourself the real Jerusalem streets.

Not next year in Jerusalem, but soon.

Shavuot in Jerusalem, cheesecake and more

Sharon A

Tourists were back in Jerusalem, Israel, in large numbers for the holiday weekend.

The colourful umbrellas were back too, casting shadows over Yoel Salomon Street.

New decorations were near Ben Yehuda Street for the holiday season.

Oh, how I wish I had a camera for Shabbat and Jewish holidays.

The crowds at the Kotel, Western Wall, were huge as tens of thousands walked to the early morning services on Shavuot. The night before, the learning programs were too many to mention.

A map of sites was even available, with a list of speakers and their locations on the other side.

My week began on Monday morning at the Jerusalem Waldorf Hotel.

The lobby and flowers are worth a visit.

However, the Waldorf, with its Cheesecake Collection, was the first stop of the day.

With five kinds of cheesecake, it was hard to find a favorite.

Milk chocolate with sauce was good, as was the chocolate leaf I grabbed as we left.

On the Cheesecake Crawl, we had 7 stops ending at the Machane Yehuda Market.

The skyline has changed there in the past few years, drastically; it goes up and up.

One “Cheese cake – New York” – not quite as I remembered.

The Marzipan Bakery cheesecake looked like the one I had seconds of at the shul kiddush. Much better soft than frozen from the display case.

Before Shavuot, it was an honor and so much fun to join Jamie Geller, who led the Cheesecake Crawl.

One of the stops had been at the Moulin Dore, a new dairy restaurant.

The cheesecake there was good enough to want to come back on Wednesday evening for the restaurant opening and tasting – and wine.

The food was good. But the lines for the wine were too long as the garden filled.

We walked home to prepare for the Shavuot holiday, followed by Shabbat.

Israelis prepared for Shavuot with cheesecake and dairy meals.

Meanwhile, the US Embassy had a delivery of new shelters.

In Jerusalem, we do not know what will happen next.

But I am sure the Waldorf and the other Jerusalem hotels that were booked solid for the holiday were happy.

Hope to see you next year in Jerusalem!

Too much cheesecake should be our biggest problem.